“To be invited to the Express Entry pool, PNP candidates needed a CRS score of at least 751.”

On August 18, Canada welcomed 463 Express Entry provincial nominees to apply for permanent residency.

To be able to receive an invitation candidates were asked to get a score of 751 with a nomination from an Express Entry linked Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). PNP draws usually have high score cut-offs because the Provincial Nomination itself is worth 600 points. Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) invited candidates with scores of at least 760 in the previous PNP draw.

The candidates having the minimum score were only eligible if they were to submit their applications before April 13th, 2021 at 16:29:29 UTC. Publish cut-off time is always issued by IRCC, whether or not there was an actual tie.

16 PNP Draws in 2021

IRCC has only drawn two types of candidates from the Express Entry pool so far in 2021: PNP and Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

Pandemic is the main cause for this. Express Entry candidates who qualify for the PNP or CEC are very likely already in Canada. Candidates for the PNP have proven to a province that they can prosper in the Canadian job market. The PNP’s job is to figure out where there are gaps in the workforce. Future immigrants’ applications to provincial programs were crafted to close those gaps. When immigrants are nominated, it signifies they are filling a gap in the local Labour market. Regional needs cannot be met by federal programs in the same way.

The federal government needs to keep working with the provinces to support the immigration goals of the provinces. As of June 21 approved permanent residents are exempt from travel restrictions. PNP applicants staying abroad can complete their landing in Canada and become permanent residents.

Express Entry Invitations Almost Double 2020 Levels

IRCC has doubled the number of Invitations to Apply (ITA) compared to the last year. With more invitations, the IRCC is more likely to meet its 2021 objective of 108,500 newcomers under the Express Entry system. Canada has issued 102,779 invites through the Express Entry system so far this year.

Due to the nature of CEC and PNP-only draws, the minimum score criteria have fluctuated. Because CEC drawings are limited to a single group of applicants, the cut-offs are usually lower. In the Federal Skilled Worker Program, for example, they are not competing with others. As a result, larger draw sizes allow IRCC to invite more candidates, lowering the score.

With the provincial nomination, PNP candidates automatically get 600 points. Due to this PNP draws will be higher than any other type of Express Entry draw.