512 Express Entry candidates invited to apply for Canadian PR

Canadian PR

512 Express Entry candidates invited to apply for Canadian PR

Canada invited 512 immigration applicants to apply for permanent residency in the new Express Entry invitation round.

Targeted candidates who had already been nominated by Canadian provinces under various Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) were invited to apply for Canadian immigration with permanent residence in this round of the invitation draw.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted this iteration of Canada’s periodic invitation draws, which was held on August 4, 2021.

The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cutoff score for this invitation round was 760 points. The high cutoff score was due to candidates being already nominated for Canadian immigration by provincial governments, which awarded an additional 600 points on their applications.

The previous invitation round, which had a cutoff score of at least 734 points, saw 462 Express Entry candidates issued invitations to apply (ITAs) for Canadian permanent residency by IRCC.

The CRS cutoff scores for PNP and CEC draws vary, as PNP candidates are awarded an extra 600 points due to being nominated by Canadian provinces. This leads to PNP-draw cutoff scores being relatively higher than CEC invitation rounds.

Following this invitation round, IRCC has now issued almost twice the number of ITAs compared to this stage last year, and has admitted more than 143,000 new permanent residents to Canada in the first half of this year.

Ever since the beginning of 2021, IRCC has held invitation rounds for targeted candidates who applied for Canadian immigration through Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

Inviting PNP and CEC-only candidates has allowed Canada to stay on course to meet its immigration target of admitting more than 400,000 new permanent residents this year, as these candidates are already likely in Canada.

Issuing ITAs for onshore applicants ensures that IRCC does not have to deal with complications such as travel restrictions created by lockdowns and border restrictions due to the pandemic that might befall offshore candidates.

Moreover, awarding permanent resident status to applicants who are already onshore has benefitted the local labour market needs, as PNP and CEC candidates have proven to be better suited to rejuvenating Canada’s workforce after the economic impact of the pandemic.

In addition, admitting new permanent residents also alleviates Canada’s demographic problems, which include an aging population and a low birth rate.

Furthermore, inviting onshore applicants has allowed IRCC to meet its immigration number targets in accordance with the new Immigration Levels Plan, which outlined Canada’s target of welcoming 1.2 million permanent residents by 2023.