So Far, Canada's Latest Canadian Experience Class Draw has the Second-Lowest Score Requirement of 2021

Canada held an unusual Express Entry draw on May 20. Not only did it appear out of nowhere, but qualifying applicants only needed to surpass the minimum CRS score threshold of 397 points. Canada hasn’t had an Express Entry draw with such a low score requirement since the historic February 13 draw, when the cut-off score was just 75.

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) welcomed 1,842 applicants to apply for permanent residency under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

According to administrative requirements, IRCC released the cut-off time for the tie-break rule. It does not always conclude that there was a tie. Candidates with a minimum score of 397 were only invited if their Express Entry profile was submitted before April 24, 2021 at 12:09:24 UTC.

Overview of Express Entry in 2021

So far in 2021, 68,317 candidates have been invited. This year’s rate of invites issued significantly outperforms that of last year. This may be due to IRCC holding larger draws, often up to 6,000 individuals. Furthermore, on February 13, IRCC welcomed each and every CEC applicant to apply for permanent residency.

IRCC has regularly hosted draws that attract applicants that are likely already in Canada as part of an attempt to welcome 401,000 new permanent residents this year amid travel restrictions. Candidates for both the CEC and the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) are in high demand in Canada.

The CRS score requirements for CEC and PNP draws are vastly different. CEC draws usually demand lower scores since these candidates are not vying for invites with other candidates. As a result of the larger draw sizes, applicants with lower scores are eligible to be invited. Candidates in the previous CEC-only draw only required a score of 401.

PNP applicants are automatically awarded 600 points, reflecting that their score requirements are considerably higher.