“In the Express Entry system, another 635 PNP candidates have been invited to apply for permanent residence.”
Since the beginning of 2021, Canada has held 17 Express Entry draws exclusively for PNP candidates.
On September 1, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held its most recent draw. Because all candidates had a provincial nomination worth 600 points in the Express Entry system, the minimum score cut-off was 764. The maximum number of points a candidate can earn is 1,200.
The deadline for those with the required score was April 12, 2021, at 12:21:45 UTC. IRCC publishes the tie-breaker for every draw, whether or not there was a tie in the first place. Candidates who have been invited to apply for permanent residency now have 60 days to do so.
Backlog in Express Entry Application Processing
It’s now late summer 2021, and IRCC has only invited Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates so far, unlike last year during the pandemic.
While IRCC is working to complete applications for CEC candidates who applied in January, Express Entry candidates from other programmes may face delays. According to the IRCC website, this is due to a lack of capacity to process these applications.
The progress bar on all Express Entry applicants’ online accounts was removed by the IRCC on March 26. Candidates can still check the “Details about application status” section for the most up-to-date information on the status of their application.
Express Entry Invitations Almost Double 2020 Levels
The number of Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued by IRCC has nearly doubled year over year. IRCC has sent out 106,414 ITAs so far in 2021. With more invitations, the IRCC is more likely to meet its 2021 target of 108,500 newcomers through the Express Entry system.
Due to the nature of CEC and PNP-only draws, the minimum CRS score requirements have fluctuated. Because the draws are concentrated in one group of applicants, CEC draws typically have lower cut-offs. In the Federal Skilled Worker Program, for example, they are not competing with others. As a result, larger draw sizes allow IRCC to invite more candidates, lowering the score.
With their provincial nomination, PNP candidates automatically receive 600 points, so PNP draws will always be higher than any other type of Express Entry draw. Since June, PNP draws have ranged from the low 740s to the high 760s.
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