mdc

Express Entry Numbers Boosted by PNP

February 22, 2021

|

  • Robynn Farrell

There have already been 27, 900 Invitations to Apply (ITA) issued through the Express Entry system in 2019 so far. This compared to the same time last year, shows an increase of 6, 900 invites issued. This means that the total for this year’s draws could exceed the target as 2018 was already a record year, issuing 89, 800 ITAs. The April Express Entry Draws have started off strong, issuing invitations through several Express Entry-linked PNP streams as well. The government is going ahead with plans to welcome over a million immigrants to Canada within the next three years, meaning that the open immigration streams will likely continue to stay busy but will also increase their quotas to meet the demand. Move to Canada through Express Entry while you still have the chance and join those successful candidates who have been issued with ITAs for permanent residence.

How Express Entry Works

Express Entry was created in 2015 to fast-track the federal programs which are the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program and the Canadian Experience Class. This process takes as little as six months from start to finish, which is the fastest route you can take to immigrate to Canada. In order to apply for one of the federal programs under Express Entry, applicants need to create an online profile which details their background. This profile is then measured against the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) which awards points based on the criteria below. Eligible candidates are then entered into the Express Entry pool where the highest-scoring candidates are pulled and issued with Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence. CRS Criteria Awards Points For:
  • Age
  • CLB Language proficiency (English and French)
  • Level of Education (In and outside Canada)
  • Work Experience (In and outside Canada)
  • Arranged employment
  • Provincial Nomination achieved
  • Siblings living in Canada as permanent residents/citizens
  • Your spouse’s profile (if married)

Ways to Improve Your Score

There are a few ways that you can improve your score, even while already in the Express Entry pool. Your profile expires after 12 months if you are not drawn but this does not have to be the end! You can spend the time before applying again improving your CRS score in these ways:
  • Achieve a Provincial Nomination (600 points)
  • Study further (in and outside of Canada)
  • Gain more work experience (in and outside of Canada
  • Secure an offer of employment from a Canadian employer
  • Better your language skills

Latest Express Entry Draw

The Express Entry draw that took place on April 17 issued another 3, 350 ITAs for permanent residence. The cut-off score was 451 which likely stayed so consistent due to the frequency of draws. The more often draws take place (so far every two weeks), the lower the cut-off score tends to be due to a tighter amount of time for the pool to be able to replenish candidates. The tie-break rule was used with the timestamp set at 15:01:49 UTC on April 2, 2019. This means that everyone who entered the Express Entry pool before this time who achieved a score of 451 or more received an invitation this time.

Manitoba Draw

The province of Manitoba held a draw on 11 April which works on an Expression of Interest (EOI) system. This means that candidates need to submit an EOI to the province of their choice, meet certain criteria and then, if successful, they are issued with an invitation to apply for a Provincial Nomination (PN). There were 403 invitations sent out through the Skilled Workers Overseas Stream with 352 going to two groups, one being Express Entry-linked. The lowest Express Entry score for this group was 561 which is quite high. The other 51 invites went through the Strategic Recruitment Initiatives where the lowest score was even stronger, at 695.

Saskatchewan Draw

Saskatchewan on the other hand held their draw on April 17, through a Notification of Interest (NOI) whereby the process works in the opposite way, with the province letting the candidate know they are interested in them. This time they targeted certain occupations, some of which are new on their in-demand list. There were a total of 324 invites issued through the Express Entry and Occupation In-demand streams. The occupations target are below.
Targeted Occupations
NOC Occupation
2154 Land Surveyors
2255 Technical Occupations in Geomatics & Meteorology
6342 Tailors, Dressmakers, Furriers, Milliners
7332 Appliance Servicers & Repairers

Prince Edward Island Draw

Lastly, Prince Edward Island (PEI) held their draw on April 18 through the Express Entry, Labour Impact and Business Impact streams where 130 total invites were issued. 2019 has seen PEI issue a total of 570 invitations, all through their EOI system. Candidates who received their invitations through the Express Entry and Labour Impact streams can now apply to the PNP streams in order to be considered for permanent residence. The Business Impact candidates in the Work Permit Stream can apply for a letter of support to achieve a temporary work permit.

How We Help

Let us help you to immigrate to Canada as a skilled worker just like those in the April Express Entry Draws. We are a group of three Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) who keep up to date with the changing immigration policies posed by the federal government. Think of us as your personal assistants in the immigration process who can ease all your fears during the application period. We have all been through the process ourselves and are in the best position to understand your concerns. We can also develop your own personalized immigration strategy and help you to boost your profile through the Express Entry system. Sign up with our service to get an expert assessment better your chances to immigrate to Canada with a skilled worker visa. Join thousands of successful immigrants in over 60 different programs across Canada with the assistance of our consultants.