On July 8, Canada invited 4,500 Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residence.

The invitation round was only for candidates who are eligible for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). The score requirement was 369.

The cutoff score rose compared to the previous CEC round when the cutoff score was 357 and 6,000 invitations were issued. This was also the smallest CEC draw since May 20.

In this invitation round, the tie-break rule applied to candidates with the lowest score who submitted their profiles before June 10, 2021 at 22:46:37 UTC. CEC candidates who applied after this time and who had the minimum score were not included in this draw.

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Twice as many ITAs issued compared to last year

IRCC has invited about twice as many Express Entry candidates compared to the same time last year. So far in 2021, Canada has invited 93,842 Express Entry candidates.

The federal government has a goal of landing 108,500 permanent residents through the Express Entry system in 2021. IRCC aims to process these applications in six months, though it is currently taking longer on average due to coronavirus-related disruptions.

Not all candidates who receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) will get permanent residency status. Some may not apply, others may be rejected.

Since the start of the year, IRCC has been holding a CEC draw following a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw. This is why the score requirements have fluctuated so much since the start of the year. PNP candidates have higher Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score cutoffs because they have all received 600 points thanks to their provincial nomination.

The reason IRCC has been focusing on these candidates is because during COVID times it is easier to admit immigrants who are already in the country. CEC and are most likely already in Canada. PNP candidates also have high numbers of domestic candidates, and those who are abroad have demonstrated to a provincial government that their presence in Canada will support regional labour market goals.

What is Express Entry?

Express Entry is a points-based application management system for the three Federal High Skilled programs, which include the: Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program, and Federal Skilled Trades Program. Some PNPs also use Express Entry to invite candidates to apply for a provincial nomination.

If you are eligible for an Express Entry-managed program, you will get a score based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The CRS awards points based on skilled work experience, education, age, official language skills, and other factors.

IRCC holds regular rounds of invitation, issuing Invitations to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence to the highest-scoring candidates.

After you submit, an IRCC immigration officer will make a decision on your application. If you are approved, the last step is to complete the landing process and officially become a Canadian permanent resident.

Who was invited?

The following is a hypothetical example of someone who may have been invited in the new Express Entry draw.

Ana is 36, has a bachelor’s degree, and has been working in Canada as a database analyst for just over one year. Prior to coming to Canada, she worked for six years in her field. Ana has an advanced English language proficiency. Her CRS score of 456 would have been high enough to obtain an ITA in today’s Express Entry draw.