Express Entry: Canada invites 521 PNP candidates

Canada invited 521 Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residence on September 15.

All invited candidates had previously received nominations under a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), which amounts to an automatic 600 points added to their base Express Entry score. As a result of the award, candidates needed a score of at least 732 in order to be invited.

Express Entry candidates invited today now have 60 days to apply for permanent residence.

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In the previous PNP draw two weeks ago, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) invited 635 candidates with scores of at least 764.

18 PNP draws, more than 100,000 ITAs

Since the start of 2021, IRCC has only held PNP and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) Express Entry draws. This is now the 18th PNP-specific draw of the year.

Usually, IRCC holds a PNP draw on Wednesdays followed by a CEC draw on Thursday. However, the CEC draw expected on September 2 did not come. The most recent CEC draw happened yesterday.

The first time the Express Entry draw pattern was broken this year was on February 13, when IRCC invited every single CEC candidate in the pool. After that, it did not hold another CEC draw for more than a month. IRCC also held an irregular CEC draw in April, and May.

Compared to the same time last year, IRCC has nearly doubled the number of Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued. This year, the department is aiming to admit 108,500 newcomers through the Express Entry system.

The minimum score requirements have been up and down due to the nature of CEC- and PNP-only draws. CEC draws typically have lower cutoffs because the draws are concentrated in the one group of applicants. They are not competing with others in the Federal Skilled Worker Program, for example. So, with bigger draw sizes, IRCC can invite more candidates, thus bringing the score down.

PNP candidates automatically get 600 points with their provincial nomination, so PNP draws will always be higher than any other type of Express Entry draw.

What is Express Entry?

Canada’s most popular immigration programs use the online Express Entry system to manage applications. There are three programs that use the online system: the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. PNP candidates in the Express Entry pool have already qualified for one of these programs. They then applied for a nomination from a province and received it, which raised their score by 600 points.

Express Entry uses a points-based system, the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), to rank candidates’ profiles. The top-scoring candidates receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA), and can then apply for permanent residency.

From there, an IRCC officer reviews their application and makes a decision. They will ask for biometrics, and may set up an interview or ask for more documents.

If the application is approved, IRCC issues a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR). Approved permanent residents can then complete the landing process. If they are outside Canada, they can access pre-arrival services to help them with the first steps for settling in Canada.

Who was invited?

Siti is 34 with a Master’s degree and has been working as a database analyst for ten years. She wrote the IELTS and scored a 7.5 in listening and a 6.5 in every other category. She has never worked or studied in Canada. Siti entered the Express Entry pool and also submitted a profile to the Canadian province of Saskatchewan through the International Skilled Worker: Saskatchewan Express Entry stream. She entered the Express Entry pool with a CRS score of 360. Shortly after submitting a profile to Saskatchewan, Siti was invited to apply for a provincial nomination. After being nominated, her CRS score increased to 960 and Siti received an Invitation to Apply for permanent residence in the new Express Entry draw.

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