In its most recent Express Entry draw, Canada welcomed 1,002 immigration applicants to apply for permanent residence.
All of the applicants who were invited had already been nominated by a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Because all PNP applicants in the Express Entry pool receive 600 points added to their score automatically, the score cut-off was set at 742.
Whether or not there was a tie, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) published a cut-off time for the tie-break rule as per administrative regulations. Candidates with the minimum CRS score were only invited if their Express Entry profile was submitted by February 18, 2021 at 04:04:56 UTC.
Canada welcomed 940 PNP aspirants to apply for permanent residence in the previous PNP-only draw, with a score requirement of 711 points. It was the biggest draw of its kind.
Domestic Candidates Prioritized
IRCC has only held PNP and Canadian Experience Class (CEC)-specific drawings throughout the epidemic. This is due to the fact that these applicants are more likely to have previously resided in Canada. Approved permanent residents were unable to travel to Canada until June 21 to complete their landing and activate their status.
Although Canada’s travel restrictions are beginning to ease, the border remains closed to non-essential travel, and the India airline ban has been prolonged for another month.
Despite the ongoing pandemic, the federal government intends to admit a record number of new immigrants over the next three years. 108,500 new immigrants are expected to enter the country under Express Entry – managed programs in 2021 alone.
Canada has received nearly twice as many Express Entry applicants this year as it did at the same time last year. The huge number comes from the record February 13 draw , in which IRCC invited all 27,332 CEC-eligible applicants in the pool. According to an IRCC email, almost 87 percent of individuals invited that day filed for permanent residency before the 90-day deadline.
The score criteria for PNP-only and CEC-only drawings are significantly different. This is due to the fact that PNP applicants’ scores are automatically increased by 600 points. Candidates for the CEC are not competing for other programs’ invitations. As a result, IRCC deducts more from the top, causing cut-off scores to fall lower.
Need more insights on the same? Get in touch with ICCRC immigration consultants at TCWW.
