By admin (May 21, 2024)

Express Entry PNP-Only Draw was Held by IRCC on 1 March 2023

Express Entry PNP-Only Draw was Held by IRCC on 1 March 2023, which was the Sixth Express Entry draw of the year. Invitations were issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to 667 candidates with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 738.

Following the results of the PNP-only draw on February 15, this was the fourth program-specific draw of 2023. One of the program-specific draws has been for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) while three have been for the Provincial Nominee Program.

The last All-Program Draw was Over a Month Ago

Due to border closures and restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, all-program Express Entry draws were paused for 18 months between January 2021 and July 2022. After July, all draws in 2022 were all-program.

IRCC has held only two all-program draws since the beginning of 2023, which means draws in which candidates from all three Express Entry managed programs were invited based on their minimum CRS score. Those draws were held one week apart on January 11 and 18 and each one of them invited 5,000 candidates.

For the next draw, IRCC then waited for two weeks. After two weeks, the first PNP-only draw happened since June 2022. IRCC held another draw the following day inviting 3,300 candidates from the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) only.

Since Express Entry began in 2015, this was the first time that IRCC has held an FSWP-only draw. One of the most prominent Express Entry programs is the FSWP which is open to skilled candidates overseas who can meet the criteria of work experience, educational qualification, and language proficiency set by IRCC.

Draws of Express Entry are completely at the discretion of IRCC and the Immigration minister. Factors like the minimum CRS cut-off score, when the draws will occur or the number of candidates are not dictated by any law in Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

Application Tracker is launched by IRCC for Express Entry Programs

It was announced by IRCC on February 8 that candidates in the Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) will be able to monitor their applications online now. The same will be applied to candidates in Provincial Nominee Programs.

Candidates can monitor their applications as well as stay informed on any updates regarding actions that may be required to keep their files moving with the help of status trackers. 47,868 candidates applying through Express Entry and 66, 214 through PNPs were waiting in the queue as shown by data from January 31.

These trackers were introduced by IRCC as a way to improve access to information and increase transparency in the process. An identical system was introduced for family-class permanent residence applicants, sponsors, and their representatives last year.