IRCC held its first Express Entry draw of 2022 on January 5. 392 candidates were invited from the pool for permanent residence.
Continuing the previous pattern, IRCC issued invitations to only Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates again because of a huge backlog in the Express Entry applications. The immigration department plans to clear at least 50% of the backlog before inviting applications from other programs.
The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score cutoff was 808 this time. It was slightly higher because when a candidate gets provincial nomination through the Provincial Nominee Program, an additional 600 points are added to their CRS score, thereby increasing the overall cut-off score.
Changes in Future Draws
The Canadian Government is planning to make a few changes in their Express Entry system, starting this year. The occupation’s eligibility may change with the launch of a new Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities (TEER) system. It will replace the current National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill levels, which recognizes occupations on NOC 0, A, and B levels. Along with that, the pathway of Express Entry draw will be stressed this year for increasing the number of permanent residents. More international students and temporary foreign workers will be invited to fulfill Canada’s labour market needs.
In 2021, only PNP and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates were invited to apply for permanent residence through the Express Entry draws. No Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) candidate was invited, which has never happened before.
The FSWP candidates received the maximum number of invitations through Express Entry before the pandemic. But, because of the travel restrictions imposed during the lockdown, IRCC had to change the Express Entry pattern.
FSWP candidates would be the ones coming from outside the country. The CEC candidates would already be in the country (as they need a minimum of one year of Canadian work experience), and nominated PNP candidates have assured to contribute to the regional economic growth. Thus, it was considered logical to invite those applicants for permanent residence who are already within the borders.
Express Entry System
The Canadian government manages its permanent residence applications through the Express Entry system. It is managed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). There are three Federal Economic Programs in Express Entry: the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).
Candidates are granted points under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) based on their age, education, experience, and other human-capital factors. They are ranked according to the points and the ones with the highest scores are given an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence.
An applicant applying through Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) has already qualified for one of these three programs and received a provincial nomination, which adds 600 additional points to their CRS, as mentioned before.
You can check your eligibility and score through the free assessment form of Canadian Visa News for a clearer understanding of your chances to receive an ITA.
