463 Provincial Nominees invited in August 18 Express Entry draw

The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada(IRCC) invited 463 provincial nominees to apply for permanent residence in the Express Entry draw held on August 18. The candidates were required to have a Comprehensive Ranking System(CRS) score of at least 751 in order to receive an invitation in the draw. A tie-break rule was applied and only those candidates who had submitted their profiles before April 13, 2021 at 16:29:29 UTC received invitations in the draw.  

The CRS cut-off score has dropped by nine points compared to the previous PNP-specific Express Entry draw in which the the cut-off score was 760.

Canada Express Entry 2021

Ever since the start of this year, the Express Entry draws have been alternating between Provincial Nominee Program and Canadian Experience Class candidates. This was mainly owing to the restrictions imposed in the wake of the pandemic, as most of the candidates in these two categories were already in Canada and did not have to travel from abroad. Furthermore, a PNP nomination proves that the candidate has the ability to succeed in the Canadian labour market. The Provincial Nominee Programs target candidates who can meet the specific labour market requirements of the respective provinces.

With Canada taking away the travel restrictions on PNP candidates who hold the Confirmation of Permanent Residence (CoPR) may now travel to Canada from abroad.

Compared to 2020, the number of Express Entry invitations has almost doubled in 2021. The high number of Express Entry invitations shows that Canada is set to meet its annual immigration target of 108500 for 2021. The total number of Express Entry invitations issued so far this year is 102,779.

Low CRS scores

With Express Entry draws alternating between CEC and PNP candidates, the CRS cut-off scores have been remaining typically low, especially for Canadian Experience Class candidates. This is mainly because they do not have to compete with Federal Skilled Worker Program candidates. At the same time, PNP candidates get 600 additional CRS score points and because of this reason, the CRS cut-off score remain high for this category.

Express Entry draws held so far in 2021

Do you want to migrate to Canada through Express Entry? Calculate your CRS scores here. For the best professional guidance and support for Canada immigration, connect with CanApprove now!