IRCC invites 893 PNP candidates in new Express Entry draw

Edana Robitaille
Published: February 1, 2023

IRCC has held its third Express Entry draw of 2023.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued permanent resident invitations to 893 Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 733.

This was the first program-specific Express Entry draw since July 2022. Between July until today, IRCC was holding all-program draws in which it was considering all eligible Express Entry candidates for invitations. In an all-program draw, Express Entry candidates may be invited, without a provincial nomination, from one of the three programs managed by the Express Entry application management system.

Express Entry candidates in this draw have already received provincial nomination. Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) allow Canadian provinces to nominate individuals who support their regional labour market and population objectives. Most Canadian provinces and territories have PNPs aligned with Express Entry, except for Quebec and Nunavut.

Receiving provincial nomination increases a candidate's CRS score by 600 points. In this specific draw, Express Entry candidates needed a minimum CRS score of 133 before getting provincial nomination in order to be eligible.

Recent Express Entry results

Express Entry draws resumed three weeks ago after an unexpected pause of six weeks between November 23 and January 11. IRCC followed its January 11 draw by holding another one on January 18.

Get a Free Express Entry Assessment

While the reason for the pause has not been confirmed, IRCC recently sent CIC News an email that implies the pause was due to a system glitch that occurred with the implementation of National Occupation Classification (NOC 2021) on November 16.

An IRCC spokesperson said, “Unfortunately, technical issues with the implementation of the new classification system on November 16, 2022, had adverse implications for the November 23, 2022, Express Entry invitation round. These technical issues, while a great inconvenience to IRCC clients, have since been resolved. A round of invitations for Express Entry was successfully implemented on January 11, 2023.”

The January 11 draw saw 5,500 candidates invited with minimum CRS cut-off scores of 507. The following week IRCC held another, surprise, draw on January 18 with the same number of candidates but a significantly lower CRS score of 490.

IRCC has said the department is working to resume regular draws. Since Express Entry began in 2015, draws have occurred regularly every two weeks on Wednesdays. This was true even during a long pause of draws for Express Entry managed programs between December 2020 and July 2022 and IRCC continued to invite Express Entry candidates from the Provincial Nominee Program.

Express Entry was created with the objective of identifying and targeting candidates that the government considers highly skilled. These candidates are more likely to integrate quickly and have a positive impact on Canada’s workforce and economy. This is because immigration accounts for as much as 90% of labour force growth in Canada and approximately 75% of population growth.

What is Express Entry?

Express Entry is a system that manages three Canadian immigration programs: the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).

Candidates in the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) are often already eligible for at least one of these programs.

Express Entry uses a points-based system, the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), to score candidates’ profiles against each other using several factors such as age, work experience, language ability and education. Those with the highest scores get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) and can then apply for permanent residency.

An IRCC officer will review applications from selected candidates and decide if they are approved. Approved candidates are now permanent residents of Canada and closer to becoming a Canadian citizen.

Get a Free Express Entry Assessment

© CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options.

Share this article
Share your voice
Did you find this article helpful?
Thank you for your feedback.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Did you find this article helpful?
Please provide a response
Thank you for your helpful feedback
Please contact us if you would like to share additional feedback, have a question, or would like Canadian immigration assistance.
  • Do you need Canadian immigration assistance? Contact the Contact Cohen Immigration Law firm by completing our form
  • Send us your feedback or your non-legal assistance questions by emailing us at media@canadavisa.com
Related articles
IRCC to introduce new automated tools for faster PGWP and work permit extension processing
A woman looks into a camera with two professional looking people behind her. IRCC is set to introduce new automated tools to assist with PGWP and WP processing.
Canada’s non-permanent resident population is 2.2 million people
Statistics Canada has released new data on the number of NPRs.
How long does it take for Canada to process visa applications from India?
A picture of a Canadian visa
IRCC invites candidates in first ever category-based Express Entry draw for agriculture and agri-food occupations
Waterfall near Victoria on Vancouver Island.
Top Stories
Canada’s government proposing new affordability measures
Parental education and income have positive effect on educational attainment of childhood immigrants
Newcomer access to credit in Canada improves over time, according to new study
Join our free newsletter. Get Canada's top immigration stories delivered to your inbox.
Subscribe
More in Life in Canada
Canada’s government proposing new affordability measures
Canada is introducing legislation to improve affordability.
Parental education and income have positive effect on educational attainment of childhood immigrants
Graduation celebration with family
Newcomer access to credit in Canada improves over time, according to new study
newcomer credit article september 2023
Getting your prescription medication as a newcomer to Canada
pharmacist and client
Link copied to clipboard