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In the 146th Express Entry draw held on May 1, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) invited 3311 Canadian Experience Class(CEC) candidates to apply for permanent residence in Canada. The CRS cut-off score for the draw was 452, the lowest CRS requirement so far this year. This is three points lower than the CRS requirement for the previous CEC-specific Express Entry draw held on April 16.
In another Express Entry draw held earlier this week, IRCC invited 589 provincial nominees to apply for permanent residence in Canada. The minimum CRS score required was 692.
With the latest draw, the total number of ITAs issued through Express Entry draws so far this year has hit 34,300. Tie-break rule was applied in the latest draw, the time-stamp given being October 10, 2019 at 19:15:28 UTC. It means the draw prioritized those CEC candidates who had submitted their Express Entry profiles before the said date and time and had the minimum CRS score of 452.
Canada has been conducting program-specific Express Entry draws ever since the country imposed travel restrictions as part of the efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19. The eight Express Entry draws held since then, targeted provincial nominees and CEC candidates. The major reason for the change is that candidates belonging to both these categories would most probably be in Canada and hence the travel restrictions would not affect them.
Before March 18, most of the Express Entry draws were all-program draws. The last all-program draw was held on March 4, 2020, which invited 3900 candidates with a minimum score of 471. It is not known how long IRCC would continue with the current system.
However, it is indeed relieving for immigration aspirants to know that despite the COVID-19 crisis, Canada continues to issue Express Entry invitations and process applications for permanent residence. Canada has also announced certain relaxations with regard to the submission of applications. An application will not be refused because it is incomplete. The candidate can submit the application even if they do not have all the required documents, along with an explanation letter stating as to why they could not submit the missing documents. They need to submit the complete application only within 90 days. Besides, those who need to submit the biometric details have 90 days to fulfill the requirement.
Express Entry draws held so far in 2020
| Draw Number | Date | Number of ITAs issued | Minimum CRS score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 146 | May 1 | 3311 | 452(CEC-specific draw) |
| 145 | April 29 | 589 | 692(PNP-specific draw) |
| 144 | April 16 | 3782 | 455 (CEC-specific draw) |
| 143 | April 15 | 118 | 808(PNP-specific draw) |
| 142 | April 9 | 3,294 | 464(CEC-specific draw) |
| 141 | April 9 | 606 | 698(PNP-specific draw) |
| 140 | March 23 | 3232 | 467 (CEC-specific draw) |
| 139 | March 18 | 668 | 720(PNP-specific draw) |
| 138 | March 4 | 3900 | 471 |
| 137 | February 19 | 4500 | 470 |
| 136 | February 5 | 3500 | 472 |
| 135 | January 22 | 3400 | 471 |
| 134 | January 8 | 3400 | 473 |
Canada Express Entry offers simple and fast-track pathway for international skilled workers to migrate to the country. Check your eligibility for Express Entry migration by our free online assessment form.
