Canada has returned to program specific draws, alternating between Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draws.
Canada held another Express Entry draw on January 7, the second invitation round held in two days.
Invitations were issued to a total of 4,750 Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates. A Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 445 was enough to ensure an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has held many program-specific draws after the coronavirus pandemic caused Canada’s border to close in March 2020. The number of invitations to apply (ITAs) from the two draws combined add up to a round number.
Yesterday, IRCC returned to program-specific draws with 250 PNP candidates receiving ITAs.
Express Entry is a system that the federal government uses to manage permanent residence applications for one of Canada’s three main economic-class programs
- the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
- the Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC) and
- the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
In addition, some provinces have provincial programs that are aligned with the Express Entry system.
Once candidates are admitted into the Express Entry system, they are given a CRS score based on factors such as their age, work experience, education and proficiency in French or English.
This is the second draw of the year, bringing the total number of invitations issued so far in 2021 to 5,000.
Candidates who wish to submit their Express Entry profile may still do so despite coronavirus-related restrictions in place. IRCC continues to accept submissions to the Express Entry system.