893 PNP candidates invited in February 1 Express Entry draw

In the third Express Entry draw of 2023, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) invited 893 Provincial Nominee Program(PNP)candidates to apply for permanent residence in Canada. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System(CRS) score of the invited candidates was 733. This is the first program-specific Express Entry  being held after July 2022. Since July 2022, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has been holding only all-program Express Entry draws.

Express Entry immigration through Provincial Nominee Program

The Provincial Nominee Programs allow the provinces and territories of Canada to nominate candidates for permanent residence, based on their specific labour market and demographic needs. Almost all PNPs have at least one pathway that is aligned to the federal Express Entry. The candidates who obtain provincial nomination through these pathways will have 600 additional CRS score points added to their total CRS score. It guarantees them an invitation to apply for permanent residence in a subsequent Express Entry draw. So, probably even those candidates with a basic CRS score of just 133 have received invitations in the latest Express Entry draw.

A total of three Express Entry draws have been held so far in 2023. The previous two draws, which were all-program draws, were held on January 11 and January 18. In the January 11 draw, 5500 candidates received invitations and the minimum CRS score required was 507. In the January 18 draw, the same number of candidates received invitations. But the minimum CRS score was 490.

Canada Express Entry system

The Express Entry system of Canada manages applications for immigration under the three federal economic immigration programs, which are the Federal Skilled Worker Program(FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program(FSTP) and Canadian Experience Class(CEC). The candidates are assessed on the basis of various human capital factors such as age, education, work experience and awarded a Comprehensive Ranking System(CRS) score. Those with the highest score are invited to apply for permanent residence in the federal Express Entry draws that are conducted regularly.

The Express Entry system of Canada has been undergoing a few major changes. One was the introduction of National Occupation Code 2021 or the TEER system. The IRCC is also planning to conduct targeted Express Entry draws, where candidates will be selected on the basis of work experience and specific skills, rather than the CRS score. This will help the IRCC to target workers whose skills are on high demand in the country and thus cater to its changing labour market needs.

Express Entry draws held so far in 2023

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