On August 19, Canada sent invitations to 3,000 Express Entry (EE) applicants. These invitations were to apply for permanent residency. A minimum CRS of 403 was necessary to qualify for the invitation. This minimum score is for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates. This is a point lower than the previous CEC draw cutoff score.
The final list of candidates’ names were those whose profile submissions were before August 01, 2021, at 10:13:57 UTC. This was as per the tie-break rule.
Why Organize A CEC-Only Draw?
To date this year, IRCC has been drawing just two types of candidates from the EE pool:
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
- Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
Since the very beginning of 2021, there have been 16 draws for each of the two types.
Pandemic is the primary reason for holding these two specific types of draws. EE candidates eligible for either PNP or CEC may be already in Canada. The immigration program’s critical eligibility criteria are Canadian work experience. Thus, most of the CEC candidates are already seen in the country.
According to an estimate, close to 90% of total CEC candidates in the EE pool are in Canada.
Canada gives importance to its domestic candidates. This is because they are least likely to experience any Covid-19-related problems. Until June 21 of this year, Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) holders could not enter Canada and complete their landing.
Express Entry Witnesses Double Invitations This Year
The total number of Invitations to Apply (ITAs) has nearly doubled compared to a similar time in 2020. To date, IRCC has issued 105,779 invitations to EE candidates. This year IRCC wishes to admit 108,500 EE applicants.
In 2021, the minimum CRS has either gone up or down. This fluctuation is mainly due to the nature of CEC and PNP only draws. The cutoff scores for CEC-draws are lower since it concentrates in a single group of applicants. Thus, for example, they do not compete with others from the Federal Skilled Worker Program.
The minimum score falls as they choose more CEC candidates from the top. On the other hand, PNP candidates get 600 points due to receiving a provincial nomination. This is an automatic process.
Express Entry – What Is It All About?
Express Entry (EE) is a points-based system. It manages immigration applications for three Federal High Skilled programs.
- Canadian Experience Class
- Federal Skilled Worker Program
- Federal Skilled Trades Program
Some PNPs utilize the EE system to invite candidates to apply for a provincial nomination.
Eligible candidates under the EE program receive a score. The basis of this score is the Comprehensive Ranking System or CRS. This CRS depends on certain factors, such as:
- Education
- Skilled work experience
- Official language skills
- Age
- Other factors
The calculation of the CRS is out of a total of 1,200 points. Most of the candidates receive less than 500 points. However, this is not the case with PNP applicants. They receive an additional 600 points to their original score due to their provincial nominations. This is an automatic process.
Those who receive the highest score receive an invitation from the IRCC. This invitation is to apply for permanent residence during various rounds of invitation. Candidates who receive the invitation can officially apply for Canadian immigration.
