613 PNP candidates invited through Express Entry pool
Canada invited 613 candidates with scores of at least 737. The relatively high score was because Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates automatically get 600 points when they receive their provincial nomination. Without the nomination, the lowest-scoring candidate would have had 137 points
This is the sixth PNP-specific Express Entry draw that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has held in a row. In the previous draw, IRCC invited 775 candidates with scores of at least 685.
Canada has held 33 PNP-specific Express Entry draws in which 17,785 candidates received invitations to apply for permanent residence. In the same timeframe, Canada has held 27 CEC draws that rendered 133,868 invitations.
The minimum score requirements have been up and down due to the nature of CEC- and PNP-only draws. CEC draws typically have lower cut-offs because the draws are concentrated in the one silo of applicants. They are not competing with others in the Federal Skilled Worker Program, for example. So, with bigger draw sizes, IRCC can invite more candidates, thus bringing the score down.
On the other hand, PNP candidates automatically get 600 points with their provincial nomination. By this fact alone, PNP draws will always be higher than any other type of Express Entry draw.
On February 13 of this year, Canada invited 27,332 CEC candidates in a single draw. Throughout the summer, the immigration department was issuing 6,000 CEC invitations at a time.
What is Express Entry?
Canada’s most popular immigration programs use the online Express Entry system to manage applications. There are three programs that use Express Entry:
PNP candidates in the Express Entry pool have already qualified for one of these programs.
Express Entry uses a points-based system, the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), to rank candidates’ profiles. The top-scoring candidates receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA), and can then apply for permanent residency. From there, an IRCC officer reviews their application and makes a decision. They will ask for biometrics, and may set up an interview or ask for more documents.
If the application is approved, IRCC issues a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR). Approved permanent residents can then complete the landing process.