Express Entry #171: 250 ITAs are issued in the new draw
Canada held its 171th Express Entry draw on Jan 6.A total of 250 ITA are issued.
The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score in this round was 813, Drop of one point from previous draw held on December 23, 2020.
The 250 invited candidates can now officially apply to become Canadian permanent residents.
Candidates who have received nominations from an Express Entry-aligned Provincial Nominee Program (PNPs) automatically get 600 points added to their overall score, which is why the score requirement is relatively high compared to other rounds of invitation.Canada’s main three categories are managed under the Express Entry System are: –
In the Express Entry system, eligible candidates for the FSWC, FSTC, CEC programs, and some Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates are scored based on the Comprehensive Ranking System, or CRS.
Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) applied a tie break rule in today’s draw; candidates had to have submitted their profiles before November 2, 2020 at 11:11:52 UTC. This means that all candidates with CRS scores above 813, as well as those with scores of 813 who entered their profile in the Express Entry pool before this date and time, received an ITA.
Candidates are ranked in the pool based on the CRS that considers 4 main factors: –
- Age
- Education
- Skilled work experience
- Proficiency in English or French
While a job offer is not required in order to be eligible under the Express Entry system, the CRS does award additional points to candidates who have one.
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, 2020 was a record-breaking year for Express Entry. By the end, Canada had issued 108,350 ITAs to Express Entry candidates. 2021 is expected to be an even bigger year, as IRCC has raised immigration targets to make up for the reduced number of new permanent residents admitted to Canada last year.
Canada is expected to welcome 401,000 new immigrants next year, of these, 108,500 are allocated to come through an Express Entry-managed program. These targets are expected to go up over the next three years, rising to 110,500 in 2024 and 113,750 in 2024.