Canada welcomes 761 PNP applicants via Express Entry

This year, Canada has staged 19 Express Entry draws only for PNP candidates

On September 29, Canada welcomed 761 Express Entry applicants to apply for permanent residency. Invited applicants have already obtained nominations through a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), resulting in an automatic 600 points boost to their Express Entry score. As a consequence of the award, applicants had to have a minimum score of 742 to be invited.

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) invited 521 PNP candidates with scores of at least 732 in the last PNP draw. The new draw is more significant, but it also has a higher cut-off score, implying more high-scoring applicants in the Provincial Nominee Class pool.

The number of ITAs issued is at an all-time high

This year, the IRCC invited more Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residence than ever before. Through the Express Entry mechanism, IRCC issued 107,350 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) in 2020. With three months left in the year, it has already sent out 108,000 invites.

On February 13, IRCC invited every single Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidate in the pool, causing the number of ITAs to skyrocket. IRCC has only done CEC and PNP drawings thus far this year. As a result, the minimum score cut-offs have fluctuated. Because PNP candidates have all earned a 600-point reward, the minimum score is significantly greater whenever there is a PNP draw.

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Because invited applicants are not competing with candidates who are qualified for other programs, CEC draws tend to be smaller. However, if the CEC draw is significantly lower, the score cut-offs may be raised because IRCC is removing less off the top.

What exactly is Express Entry?

The online Express Entry system manages applications for Canada's most popular immigration programs. Three programs use express Entry, The Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program.

Candidates in the Express Entry pool for the PNP have previously qualified for one of these programs and then they have filed for and obtained a nomination from a province, which increased their score by 600 points. Express Entry ranks candidates' profiles using a point-based mechanism known as the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The top-scoring applicants are issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA) and may then apply for permanent residence.

An IRCC official then analyses their application and makes a judgement. They will request biometrics and may want an interview or other documentation. If your application is accepted, you will get a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) from IRCC. Approved permanent residents can then complete the landing procedure. If they are not already in Canada, they can take advantage of pre-arrival programs to assist them with the initial stages toward establishing in Canada.