PEI holds 3 PNP draws in June

Prince Edward Island invited 90 immigration candidates over three draws in June.

The PEI Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) normally releases draw dates for the year ahead of time, but this year draws had to be rescheduled due to coronavirus service disruptions.

The first draw held on June 10 invited nine Express Entry and Labour Impact candidates. Then on June 18, there were 10 invitations issued for candidates in the same categories.

A total of 91 invitations were issued in the June 23 round. It was the first time Business Impact candidates were invited since the pandemic gripped Canadian businesses. With 20 invitations issued to immigrant entrepreneurs, it was the biggest round of the year for this category.

The same draw also invited 71 Labour and Express Entry candidates.

PEI Express Entry Category

The PEI PNP’s Express Entry Category is an enhanced program which means it is aligned with the Canadian government’s Express Entry system.

Express Entry manages the applications for three economic class immigration categories: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, and Canadian Experience Class.

Eligible candidates are given a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score for human capital factors such as age, work experience, education, and language proficiency in English and French.

Express Entry candidates who receive a provincial nomination are given an additional 600 points toward their CRS score, and are effectively guaranteed an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence in a subsequent Express Entry draw.

In order to be considered for a provincial nomination from PEI, Express Entry candidates need to create an Expression of Interest (EOI) profile with the PEI PNP.

EOI profiles are given points based on the province’s unique points grid. The highest-scoring candidates are then invited to apply through monthly draws.

The PEI PNP did not provide a breakdown of how many Express Entry and Labour Impact candidates were invited, nor the minimum EOI score required for each category.

Labour Impact Category

Candidates in the Labour Impact Category were also invited in all three June draws.

This immigration category is for foreign nationals who have a valid job offer in PEI, and have support from their employer. It is divided into three streams: Skilled Worker, Critical Worker, and International Graduate.

Candidates in this category must also submit an EOI profile in order to be considered for a provincial nomination through the Labour Impact Category.