Prince Edward Island holds largest Expression of Interest draw since February

Canada’s smallest province just held one of its largest draws of the year.

On November 21, Prince Edward Island (PEI) issued 171 invitations to immigration candidates in its Express Entry, Labour Impact and Business Impact categories.

This is the province’s second-largest draw this year after its February 21 draw, which rendered a total of 199 invitations.

The 157 candidates invited through the Express Entry and Labour Impact categories on November 21 may now apply for a nomination for Canadian permanent residence from the PEI Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP).

PEI’s Express Entry Category is linked to the federal Express Entry system, which manages the pool of candidates for Canada’s three main economic immigration categories: the Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class and Canadian Experience Class.

Express Entry candidates who receive a provincial nomination are awarded an additional 600 points toward their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. These points effectively guarantee an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence from the Government of Canada in a subsequent Express Entry draw.

Find out if you are eligible for Express Entry

In order to be invited for a PEI provincial nomination, Express Entry candidates must first submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the PEI PNP.

EOI profiles are awarded a score and the highest-ranked candidates are invited to apply through monthly draws.

The PEI PNP did not provide a breakdown of how many Express Entry candidates were invited or the minimum EOI score required.

The Labour Impact Category is for foreign nationals with a valid job offer in PEI. It is divided into three streams: Skilled Worker, Critical Worker, and International Graduate.

Labour Impact Category candidates are also required to submit an EOI profile in order to be eligible for a provincial nomination.

The PEI PNP has now issued 1,336 invitations to apply through the Express Entry and Labour Impact categories in 2019.

The November 21 draw also resulted in 14 invitations to candidates with an EOI profile in the province's Business Impact: Work Permit Stream.

Those invited through this stream needed a minimum EOI score of 130.

The Work Permit Stream is for individuals who wish to own and operate a business on PEI.

So far this year, a total of 182 invitations have been issued to foreign entrepreneurs through this stream.

Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs