Canada very recently held another Express Entry round of invitations with a comparably low score requirement on May 13. This was an all-out CEC draw which meant that candidates with prior work experience in Canada were considered for this one, as has been the case ever since the pandemic began.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) invited candidates who had scores of at least 401, just one point more than the previous comparable draw. These candidates also must have been eligible for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), meaning they had at least one year of skilled work experience in Canada, and intermediate language proficiency in English or French.
IRCC published the cutoff time for the tie-break rule, as per administrative requirements. Candidates who had the minimum score of 401 were only invited if they submitted their Express Entry profile before April 29, 2021 at 11:48:14 UTC.
A CEC draw is highly beneficial in times like these for Canada since the people being pulled up for invitation have already been identified as ones having the requisite experience in the Canadian labour market which helps them assimilate faster into the economy here. Secondly, it also helps Canada contain the spread of the pandemic as people are being invited from within the borders of the country as against calling ones form outside.
There have been 66,475 candidates invited so far in 2021. This makes 2021 a stellar year for immigration since we know for a fact that the numbers are going to keep rising to an all-time high. The number of invitations issued this year is far out-pacing last year’s rate. This could be because IRCC is holding larger draws, including the February 13 draw where every single CEC candidate was invited to apply. This single draw alone was pegged at 27,332 candidates thereby making it the largest CEC draw, ever.
As part of an effort to admit 401,000 new permanent residents this year amid travel restrictions, IRCC has consistently held draws that target candidates who are likely already in Canada. Both CEC and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates have high numbers of candidates in Canada.
Difference Between CEC and PNP Draws
The score requirements are vastly different in CEC and PNP draws. CEC draws typically require lower scores because these candidates are not competing with other candidates for invitations. As a result, the larger draw sizes allow candidates with lower scores to be invited. The previous CEC-only draw only required candidates to have a score of 400. PNP candidates automatically get an 600 points, which means their score requirements are considerably higher.
What is Express Entry & How Does It Work ?
Express Entry is an online application management system for the three Federal High Skilled immigration programs: Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program.
It works like an Expression of Interest system, where interested candidates submit a profile that is ranked. Express Entry uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) which assigns points based on human capital factors such as :
IRCC issues Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to the highest-scoring candidates through Express Entry draws. Recipients can then apply for permanent residence. This year, the largest proportion of new immigrants to Canada are expected to come through the Express Entry-managed programs.
IRCC's March data shows Canada has landed over 70,000 new im