Canada Express Entry Draw: Canada Invites 500 PNP Candidates
On May 26, a total of 500 immigration candidates were invited to apply for permanent residency at Canada’s latest express entry draw.
On 26 May, Canada invited 500 Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates to apply for permanent residency. The PNP is a program that allows Canadian provinces to select and nominate candidates for permanent residency.
These candidates must have a comprehensive ranking system (CRS) of at least 713 to receive an invitation to apply (ITA). This score is 39 points less than the previous PNP-specific express entry draw.
600 CRS Points
Provincial enrollment recipients receive an additional 600 CRS points. This means that only 113 core points are required for the invited candidates to receive the ITA.
Program-specific draws became the norm in March 2020 after Canada introduced temporary measures to slow the spread of the virus. Some of these measures include closing the border to non-essential travel and imposing travel restrictions.
The federal government uses the express entry system to manage permanent residency applications through Canada’s three main economic-class programs.
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
- Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC) and
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
Various provinces and territories also have their own immigration programs aligned with the federal express entry system.
Express Entry System
In the express entry system, the immigration candidates are given a CRS score. This score is based on several criteria, such as their age, work experience, education, and their proficiency in French or English.
CRS marks can be awarded to an individual or a couple. Canada regularly invites the highest scoring candidates to the express entry pool to apply for permanent residency.
After receiving the invitation, candidates are required to submit their applications, after which Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) make the final decision. Processing may be delayed due to COVID-19.
If a candidate is successful, they will receive a visa requiring confirmation of permanent residence and a visa on their passport. The final step would be to go to Canada and get their permanent residence card (or PR card).
These draws bring the total number of invitations issued so far in 2021 to 68,817. By this time last year, the number was 38,200.
This makes a big difference in the historic Express Entry Draw of Canada in February 2021 when a total of 27,332 CEC candidates were invited to a draw. The minimum CRS score required for that draw was just 75.
Invited Candidates are Live in Canada
Canada has only held the express entry draw which targets candidates likely to be in Canada so far this year. This suggests that Canada is committed to accepting 401,000 new permanent residents this year.
PNP candidates usually need work experience, study experience, or other connections to the province in order to be enrolled. Therefore, it is likely that these candidates are currently residing in Canada.
The Country Welcomes Over 400,000 Immigrants in 2022 and 2023.
By 2021, Canada intends to welcome 108,500 migrants under express entry. Canada aims to welcome 110,500 migrants in 2022 and 113,750 in 2023.
Despite the currently applicable travel restrictions, candidates from all over the world can still submit express entry profiles. Canada continues to accept submissions for the express entry system.
