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Canada has held its fourth all-program Express Entry draw since July 6. IRCC issued 2,250 Invitations to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. The Comprehensive Ranking System score (CRS) cut-off was 525.

There was no program specified for this draw which means that candidates from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) were eligible to be invited.

Overall, 7,500 candidates have been issued ITAs since all-program draws resumed on July 6. The number of candidates invited has consistently increased by 250 with each draw while the minimum CRS score is steadily declining each week by eight or nine points. The current cut-off score is 33 points lower than the July 6 draw, which was 557. Today’s CRS represents a decline of 8 points compared to the last draw on August 3.

Express Entry draws were paused by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for over 18 months.  During this time, only candidates eligible for permanent residence under the CEC or the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) were invited to apply. However, CEC draws were also paused in September 2021.

The pause of the draws was in response to an overwhelming number of permanent residence applications submitted while the global COVID-19 pandemic was in full swing. During this time Canada’s border closed and travel regulations changed frequently.

Forthcoming Changes to Express Entry

Express Entry aims to target skilled workers who are best suited to helping close the gaps in Canada’s labour force by responding to labour market needs, including French language immigrants outside Quebec. Canada plans to welcome 55,900 permanent residents through Express Entry in 2022 and this number will dramatically increase to 111,500 by the end of 2024.

By inviting candidates through Express Entry, IRCC can process applications more efficiently as the candidates have already met a baseline of eligibility, according to their CRS score. Now that draws have resumed, IRCC aims for a processing standard of six months for new applications.

However, IRCC is now considering holding Express Entry draws that target specific skills and occupations in the future, rather than relying solely on a CRS score.

Canada has invited 2,000 candidates to apply for permanent residency in the latest Express Entry draw held on August 3, 2022. Invitations were issued to candidates who had Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores of at least 533. There was no program specified for this draw which means that candidates from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) were eligible to be invited.

The minimum CRS requirement for this draw was nine points lower than the previous draw that occurred on July 20. Additionally, 250 more candidates received invitations in this draw compared to the previous draw, when 1,750 candidates received an Invitation to Apply (ITA).

Since all-program draws resumed on 06th July, A total of 5,250  Express Entry candidates have received ITAs. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) had paused these draws for over 18 months, and only invited candidates eligible for permanent residence under the CEC or the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

Canada plans to welcome 55,900 permanent residents through Express Entry in 2022 and this number will dramatically increase to 111,500 by the end of 2024.

Canada invited 1,750 Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residence on July 20. Express Entry is one of the main ways Canada welcomes immigrants. In 2022, Canada is on track to welcome 55,900 immigrants through Express Entry, then by 2024 the target will skyrocket to 111,500.

Candidates were invited if they had a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of at least 542. There was no program specified for this draw, meaning candidates from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) or Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) had the potential to be invited.

The CRS requirement for the new draw is 15 points lower than the previous all-program draw on July 6, when the minimum cut-off score was 557. Also, Canada issued 250 more invitations in this draw compared to the previous round of 1,500 invitations.

This was the second all-program draw since July 6 after an 18-month pause, during which time Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) only invited candidates eligible for immigration through either the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) or Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

In an all-program Express Entry draw, IRCC considers the CRS from all candidates in the Express Entry pool, regardless of which program they are eligible for. Before the pandemic, most Express Entry draws were not program-specific, meaning candidates eligible for any Express Entry program had the chance to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) if they met the minimum CRS.

Between January 2021 and September 2021, IRCC held PNP and CEC draws about every two weeks. After September 21, 2021, IRCC stopped inviting CEC candidates because the expected application processing times were driven in excess of the six-month standard.

Although IRCC is back to holding all-program draws, further changes are forthcoming to the Express Entry system. The reforms named in the recently-passed Bill C-19 are expected to come into force in early 2023. Once implemented, IRCC will be able to hold targeted draws that invite Express Entry candidates to apply based on an economic goal. Candidates could be invited based on their occupation, educational credential, language ability, or other factor that corresponds to labour market needs.

Canada has invited Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) candidates for the first time since December 2020. Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates were also included in the draw which took place on 06th July. This marks the first time since September 2021 that CEC candidates have been included in an Express Entry draw.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) invited a total of 1,500 Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residence. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off score was 557.

The statement released by the minister on this awaiting moment is as below :-

“Today, I am pleased to announce that Express Entry draws have officially resumed and applications will be processed at our 6 month processing standard. I want to thank the candidates from around the world for their patience, as we worked to reduce the backlog before resuming Express Entry draws. I look forward to welcoming skilled workers who will are essential in addressing Canada’s labour shortages.”

The return of all-program draws is significant for several reasons. Since its launch in 1967 until 2020, the Federal Skilled Worker Program was the main way Canada welcomed skilled immigrants. Prior to the pandemic, the FSWP comprised about 45% of all those who received an Express Entry ITA.

The return of all-program draws is also major news for CEC candidates. The CEC is the primary way for Canada’s large international student and foreign worker population to gain permanent residence. The CEC has increased in prominence in recent years as Canada has relied on this pool to achieve its immigration levels targets. Prior to the pandemic, the CEC comprised just 9% of all 341,000 immigrants welcomed under Canada’s economic, family, and humanitarian classes combined. Last year, the CEC comprised nearly one-third of the over 405,000 immigrants who landed in Canada.

All-program Express Entry draws occur when IRCC considers all candidates in the Express Entry pool and issues invitations to apply (ITA) for permanent residence only on the basis of their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. Between the launch of Express Entry in 2015 and December 2020, IRCC mostly held all-program draws. This meant that Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) candidates all had a shot at getting an ITA.

Beginning in January 2021, IRCC focused on only inviting CEC candidates. IRCC did this because most of these candidates were in Canada and were less likely to face COVID-related challenges than immigration candidates overseas. However, IRCC paused CEC invitations in September 2021 in order to address its application backlogs. In the meantime, IRCC has continued to hold bi-weekly draws only inviting Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates to help the provinces and territories address their labour market needs.

By 2024, Canada will welcome over 110,000 Express Entry immigrants per year.

Canada invited 1,047 Express Entry candidates to apply for Canadian immigration on March 2.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) only invited Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates in the new invitation round. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut off was 761. Invited candidates now have 60 days to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

In the previous round of invitations, IRCC invited a total of 1,082 PNP candidates to apply for Canadian immigration. It was a record for the number of Express Entry candidates invited in a single round of invitations.

Minister says draws for skilled workers to resume in “near future”

Canada has not held an Express Entry draw for Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) candidates since December 2020, and since September 2021 for Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates.

Canadian Immigration Minister Sean Fraser told business leaders in a webinar that IRCC would resume draws for skilled workers “in the near future.”

Although the immigration minister said there was no announcement on when skilled worker draws would resume, he said that Express Entry would start to look more normal in the coming years. According to the 2022-2024 Immigration Levels Plan, Express Entry targets will be cut in half for skilled workers this year, but will return to normal by 2024. These targets may change when Canada releases Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025 in the fall.

Under the current levels plan, Canada is expecting to bring in 83,500 immigrants through both Express Entry-aligned and base PNP categories in 2022. The new targets are greater than what the government projected in the previous levels plan, which was 81,500 PNP immigrants for 2022, and 83,000 for 2023.

Despite the pause in FSWP and CEC draws, PNP draws continue in record numbers every two weeks. In February alone, IRCC issued 2,145 Invitations to Apply to provincial nominees, almost twice as much as the previous month when 1,428 PNP candidates were invited.

Over the past two days Ontario has held five draws inviting immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination. About 1,493 immigration candidates are now one step closer to becoming permanent residents in Ontario.

On February 28, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) invited 173 immigration candidates who were eligible for the  PhD Graduate stream. To be eligible, candidates needed a minimum Expression of Interest (EOI) score of at least 16.

Then on March 1, Ontario invited Masters Graduate, Foreign Worker, and International Student stream candidates.

Ontario PNP draw results February 28 and March 1, 2022

PNP stream        Minimum score                # of invitations

                                                Master’s Graduate          41                                                 238

                                                Foreign Worker               39                                                456

                                                International Student    72                                                 411

     International Student *targeted occupations      42                                                 215

                                                PhD Graduate                  16                                                  173

 

The OINP also issued targeted invitations to International Student stream candidates with a score of 42 and above who have work experience in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes below:

•     2232 – Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
•     2233 – Industrial engineering and manufacturing technologists and technicians
•     2242 – Electronic service technicians (household and business equipment)
•     2243 – Industrial instrument technicians and mechanics
•     2253 – Drafting technologists and technicians
•     2282 – User support technicians
•     2283 – Information systems testing technicians
•     7201 – Contractors and supervisors, machining, metal forming, shaping and erecting trades and related           occupations
•     7202 – Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations
•     7203 – Contractors and supervisors, pipe fitting trades
•     7204 – Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades
•     7205 – Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers
•     7232 – Tool and die makers
•     7233 – Sheet metal workers
•     7236 – Iron workers
•     7241 – Electricians (except industrial and power system)
•     7242 – Industrial electricians
•     7251 – Plumbers
•     7271 – Carpenters
•     7281 – Bricklayers
•     7282 – Concrete finishers
•     7284 – Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers
•     7291 – Roofers and shinglers
•     7293 – Insulators
•     7294 – Painters and decorators (except interior decorators)
•     7301 – Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades
•     7302 – Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews
•     7303 – Supervisors, printing and related occupations
•     7305 – Supervisors, motor transport and other ground transit operators
•     7311 – Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics
•     7312 – Heavy-duty equipment mechanics
•     7313 – Refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics
•     7314 – Railway car men/women
•     7315 – Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors
•     7318 – Elevator constructors and mechanics
•     7321 – Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers
•     7333 – Electrical mechanics
•     7334 – Motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle and other related mechanics
•     7371 – Crane operators
•     8255 – Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance and horticulture services
•     9241 – Power engineers and power systems operators

How do you get points for Ontario immigration?

Ontario ranks EOI profiles based on a number of human capital factors that the province has decided will be important in selecting immigrants with the potential to thrive. Candidates get points for the skill level of their job offer as well as their Canadian work experience.

The OINP scoring system is different for every stream. Other than skill level and work experience, it also takes into account wage, education, official language ability, and the region of study or work. The province also allocates 10 points at its discretion to respond to labour market needs.

 

About the Employer Job Offer: International Student stream

The Ontario International Student Stream under the Employer Job Offer category is open to foreign nationals who have an eligible job offer from an employer in Ontario. You do not necessarily have to apply from within Canada, as long as you meet the eligibility requirements.

To be eligible you need to have completed a program at a Canadian Designated Learning Institution, have an eligible job offer in Ontario, and intend to immigrate to the province, among other criteria.

To receive an invitation to apply for this program, you have to register an EOI profile on the Ontario website. Your profile will then go into the EOI pool, and you will get a score based on the files you submit. Ontario awards points for human capital factors that the province has determined will indicate your ability to integrate into the labour market.

About the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream

The Ontario Foreign Worker Stream under the Employer Job Offer category is open to foreign nationals who have an eligible job offer from an employer in Ontario. Candidates do not necessarily have to apply from within Canada, as long as they meet the eligibility requirements.

To be eligible candidates need to accumulate the equivalent of two years of work experience in a skilled occupation, have an eligible job offer in Ontario, and intend to immigrate to the province, among other criteria.

Those who want to apply for this PNP stream, have to register an EOI profile on the Ontario website.

After registering a profile, it will go into the EOI pool. Ontario will give it a score based on the information that was submitted.

About Masters Graduate and PhD Graduate streams

In order to be considered for the Masters Graduate or PhD Graduate stream, candidates need to sign up with Ontario’s e-Filing Portal then register an expression of interest for their chosen graduate stream.

Ontario then invites eligible candidates to apply for a provincial nomination, an important step toward Canadian permanent residence.

It is not necessary to have a job offer to apply, but applications must be submitted within two years of graduation.

British Columbia invited 160 immigration candidates through Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws held on 22nd February. The province held two draws through the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) and invited candidates from the Skills Immigration (SI) and Express Entry BC (EEBC) streams.

Invitations were issued to those from the Skilled Worker, International Graduate as well as Entry Level and Semi-Skilled sub-categories of SI and EEBC streams. The majority of the invitations, 145, were sent through a general draw. These candidates received invitations if they met the minimum score requirements between 77 and 125 depending on the program for which they are eligible.

Another draw targeted candidates whose occupation falls under NOC 0621 (retail and wholesale trade managers) or NOC 0631 (restaurant and food service managers). That draw resulted in 15 invitations with minimum scores of 125 across the board.

For a year now, British Columbia has been conducting a separate round of invitations twice a month targeting these two occupations. These separate draws are being held due to the high number of candidates from particular labour market sectors who are registered in the province’s Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS).

BC PNP

The BC PNP aims to attract foreign workers who are in high demand in the province and who wish to become permanent residents of Canada. The BC PNP has two main immigration streams, Skills Immigration and Express Entry, both of which are divided into sub-categories. These streams are managed under B.C.’s Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS). In order to apply through the SIRS, you are first required to register an account. Once this is done, you will be assigned a score based on factors such as education, work experience, and language skills.

The highest-scoring candidates from each sub-category are then invited to apply for a provincial nomination to apply for permanent residency when British Columbia conducts one of its regular draws. If you received an invitation you will have 30 days from the date of the invitation to submit a complete application through the BC PNP online system.

Once you submit a complete BC PNP application package you will be notified of the province’s decision within approximately two to three months. If your nomination is successful, you become eligible to apply to Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent resident status under the Provincial Nominee Class.

Ontario invited 773 Express Entry candidates working in targeted occupations to apply for a provincial nomination on 22nd February. The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) invited candidates who were eligible for the Express Entry Human Capital Priorities Stream (HCP). These candidates needed to have a profile in the Express Entry system with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score between 455 and 600.

Candid needed to have at least one year of work experience in the following targeted occupations listed below by NOC code:

• NOC 0114 – Other administrative services managers
• NOC 0122 – Banking, credit and other investment managers
• NOC 0124 – Advertising, marketing and public relations managers
• NOC 0125 – Other business services managers
• NOC 0211 – Engineering managers
• NOC 0311 – Managers in health care
• NOC 0601 – Corporate sales managers
• NOC 0631 – Restaurant and food service managers
• NOC 0711 – Construction managers
• NOC 0731 – Managers in transportation
• NOC 0911 – Manufacturing managers
• NOC 1121 – Human resources professionals
• NOC 1122 – Professional occupations in business management consulting
• NOC 2161 – Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries
• NOC 3012 – Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
• NOC 3211 – Medical laboratory technologists
• NOC 3231 – Opticians
• NOC 3233 – Licensed practical nurses

Those who received an invitation now have 45 calendar days to submit their application for Ontario’s Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

Canada has not held an Express Entry draw for anyone but PNP candidates since September 2021. Immigration Minister Sean Fraser has not given a firm date as to when draws for Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) candidates will resume, but recently told business leaders that it would be in the “near future.”

Since then, only PNP candidates have been invited. In all of 2021, Express Entry candidates in Ontario with scores of more than 467 were not invited to apply for a nomination. As a result, some candidates were trying to reduce their scores in the pool in order to get a nomination from Ontario.

According to the new 2022-2024 Immigration Levels Plan Canada is expecting to bring in 83,500 immigrants through both Express Entry-aligned and base PNP categories this year. The new targets are greater than what the government projected in the last levels plan, which was 81,500 PNP immigrants for 2022, and 83,000 for 2023.

This is Ontario’s biggest HCP draw of the year, and it has the largest range of eligible Express Entry scores. There is a 145-point difference between the minimum score of 455 and the maximum of 600. Ontario’s biggest draw overall was on January 27, when the province invited 1,032 Skilled Trades Stream candidates, another Express Entry stream.

What is the benefit of having a PNP?

PNPs allow Canadian provinces to invite immigration candidates who meet the needs of their regional labour markets.

Express Entry candidates who receive a provincial nomination are effectively guaranteed to get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence. With a provincial nomination, candidates get 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points added to their base score, which is more than enough to receive an ITA in a subsequent Express Entry draw.

British Columbia invited 140 tech workers to apply for a provincial nomination on February 15. The invitations were issued through the BC PNP Tech, which is a stream under the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP).

The BC PNP is an economic immigration pathway used by the province of British Columbia to attract experienced, high-demand foreign workers. The program gives people who choose to live and work in British Columbia a path to permanent residence.

Candidates invited through BC’s Tech draws must meet the requirements of one of British Columbia’s Express Entry BC and Skills immigration categories, which are managed through the Skills and Immigration Registration System (SIRS). Candidates who received invitations in this draw were from the Skilled Worker and International Graduate subcategories and needed a minimum provincial score of 85.

Invited candidates now have 30 calendar days to apply for the nomination.

BC PNP Tech program

The BC PNP Tech was launched in May 2017 as a pilot project following a labour market study, which found that access to talent was the biggest issue facing BC’s technology sector. Given the success of the project, BC made it a permanent program. It is designed to enable employers in British Columbia’s technology sector to continue to attract and select international talent when qualified workers are not available locally.

More specifically, the BC PNP Tech is a fast-track immigration pathway for in-demand tech workers and international students. Candidates need to be registered in one of BC’s existing provincial immigration streams and have a valid job offer of at least 12 months in one of 29 eligible occupations to qualify for the stream.

Unlike other BC PNP streams, job offers under the BC PNP Tech must be for a minimum of one year, with at least 120 days remaining at the time of application to the BC PNP. It must also be full-time and from an eligible employer in the province.

Invitations through the province’s tech program are sent out weekly to the top-scoring candidates who meet the eligibility requirements. Candidates who are invited to apply for a provincial nomination will need to submit a complete application. Once this is done, most tech applications will be processed within two to three months.

If they are approved, candidates will receive a nomination confirmation that can be used to apply for permanent residence from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) under the Provincial Nominee Program Class.

PNP candidates automatically earn 600 points for their score in the Comprehensive Ranking System and thus have a very good chance of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence through the Express Entry system.

Canada invited 1,082 Express Entry candidates to apply for Canadian immigration on February 16. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) only invited Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates in the new invitation round. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut off was 710.

This is the third time in a row that a PNP draw has broken a record for most invitations. The draw two weeks ago held the previous record with a total of 1,070 PNP candidates invited to apply. Invited candidates now have 60 days to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

Canada is aiming to admit 55,900 immigrants through Express Entry-managed programs this year, according to Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan 2022-2024 released on February 14. That figure does not include the 83,500 PNP immigrants Canada expects to welcome this year, although not all of these will come through Express Entry.

The new Express Entry targets are nearly half of what the previous multi-year levels plan called for. In the 2021-2023 levels plan, Canada anticipated the number of Express Entry immigrants would be 108,500 in 2021.

The Express Entry targets for next year are also reduced compared to previous targets to 75,750. Targets appear to return to more normal levels in 2024, when Canada projects to welcome 111,500 through Express Entry. The immigration targets for 2023 onward could change in the fall, as the immigration minister will have to table the next multi-year immigration levels plan by November 1. The reason the 2022-2024 targets were delayed was because of the federal election in September.

Part of the reason Canada reduced targets is so that IRCC can process its backlog of immigration applications. As of February 1, there are more Express Entry applications in the queue than Canada needs to meet its targets for the year. The reduction also appears to be part of an IRCC effort to process applications for the Temporary Residence to Permanent Residence (TR2PR) program, and accommodate the goal of resettling 40,000 Afghan refugees.