1047 PNP candidates with CRS 761 invited in Express Entry draw of March 3

In the Express Entry draw held on March 2, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada invited 1047 Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates to apply for permanent residence. The invited candidates have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 761. As Express Entry candidates with a provincial nomination automatically receive 600 CRS points, we can assume that the minimum base score of the invited candidates was 161. The invited candidates can now submit the complete application for Canada PR within 60 days.

Express Entry draws of future

In the previous draw held on February 16, Canada had invited 1082 PNP candidates. Allaying the concerns of many aspiring Canada immigrants, Canada’s immigration minister Sean Fraser recently informed that the IRCC would resume draws for the skilled workers “in the near future”. Canada Express Entry has not invited Federal Skilled Worker Program candidates (FSWP) since March 2020, when Canada imposed border control measures for the first time in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak. Express Entry draws have not invited Canadian Experience Class (CEC) since September 2021. It is assumed that Canada is waiting to reduce immigration application backlogs before inviting candidates from these categories. From what the Immigration Minister has said, it can be assumed that the Express Entry draws will return to normalcy soon and Canada would resume inviting candidates from all categories.

Canada has plans to bring about more flexibility to the Express Entry system. Express Entry may be used to respond to short-term needs such as the needs of smaller communities and certain in-demand sectors. Occupation-specific Express Entry draws is also a possibility in the future.

Express Entry 2022

Though FSWP and CEC draws have been paused, Express Entry draws have been inviting record number of PNP candidates in draws which are being conducted regularly in every two weeks. In February 2022 alone, 2145 PNP candidates received Express Entry invitations. It is almost double the number of candidates invited in January 2022, when 1428 candidates were invited.

As per the Immigration Levels Plan 2022-2024 announced recently, Canada is planning to bring 83500 immigration candidates through Provincial Nominee Programs in 2022. It will include PNP candidates invited through both Express Entry-aligned categories and base categories.

Canada Express Entry

The Express Entry system of Canada is an online management system for invitations for immigration submitted under the three federal economic immigration programs, which are the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. In order to receive an invitation through Express Entry, a candidate must first create an Express Entry profile. Each Express Entry profile will be assessed on the basis of various human capital factors and awarded a Comprehensive Ranking System(CRS) score out of 600. The candidates with a provincial nomination will receive another 600 CRS score points that would guarantee them an invitation to apply for permanent residence in Canada in a subsequent Express Entry draw.

Express Entry draws in 2022

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