By admin (May 21, 2024)
7000 Candidates Were Invited in Eighth Express Entry Draw of 2023
7000 candidates were invited in eighth Express Entry draw of 2023 by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in an all-program draw.
CRS cut-off score for this draw was 484. Candidates from all the programs, i.e., Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) were invited. Largest-ever-all program draw on March 15 and this draw on March 23 are basically tied as both invited 7,000 candidates.
The minimum CRS score that a candidate had was 490 in the last draw. 5,500 candidates were invited by IRCC on January 18 in the previous record-high all-program draw. It was a surprise draw as it marks the second consecutive week in which IRCC invited Express Entry candidates. Usually, Express Entry draws happen twice a week.
Behind the record-setting CEC-only draw that took place in February 2021, The 7,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) marks the second-largest Express Entry draw size of all-time, in addition to it being tied with the largest all-program draw ever held on March 15.
With the smallest draw July 6 inviting just 1,500 candidates, all draws between July and November 2022 were all program. Following an 18-month pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was an all-program draw. In early 2023, Express Entry draws largely focused on Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates. There have been 4 PNP-only draws so far in 2023, the fourth one happened most recently on March 1 in which 667 candidates were invited by Provincial Governments.
There were three other all-program PNP draws and one targeted draw in Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) on February 2, before this. It appears for now that IRCC is back to the regular procedure of considering all candidates in the Express Entry pool.
Multi-Year PNP Plan Endorsed by Immigration Ministers
Provincial immigration ministers met to discuss common issues and methods to attract and retain more newcomers in a recent meeting of the Forum of Ministers Responsible for Immigration (FMRI).
Endorsing the first multi-year provincial immigration plan was one outcome of the meeting. Immigration targets for three years were outlined by the federal Immigration Levels Plan, this multi-year provincial immigration will work similarly like that.
Provinces will know about their allocation of provincial nominations in advance, then they can plan accordingly in terms of housing and infrastructure requirements to better support newcomers and retain them.
An increase in PNP allocations for this year over 2022 was announced by some provinces after the meeting. For example, Ontario will see its allocation rise to 18,000 spots in 2025, which is the largest province in Canada. 3,175 spaces were increased in the allocation of Manitoba for 2023 over 2022 to 9,500. Saskatchewan will see an allocation of 7,250 nominees in 2023 increasing to 8,500 in the year 2025. There was also a significant increase in allocations of Alberta for 2023, up to 9,750 from the 6,500 spaces in 2022. Over the next 2 years, allocations will continue to increase like Saskatchewan, and go as high as 10,849 by 2025. Data from other provinces are yet to release on their expected number of PNP allocations.
Chances to receive an ITA can increase for Express Entry candidates by obtaining a provincial nomination. 600 CRS points are added automatically if you are an Express Entry candidate and also nominated by province. Economic immigration candidates can still be nominated by a province if they are not in an Express Entry program. Candidate’s application can also be strengthened for permanent residency by this.
Another PGWP Extension offered by IRCC
Last week, a reprieve was offered to many Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) holders by IRCC interested in gaining permanent residence. Immigration Minister Sean Fraser announced PGWP holders will get an 18-month Open Work Permit extension which they will be able to apply on IRCC’s website beginning April 6, due to the recent not-so regular nature of Express Entry draws which have impacted PGWP holders eligible under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) in a negative manner.
It means that more people who hold Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) will be able to continue to vie for Express Entry ITAs. At the end of 2022, there were some 286,000 PGWP holders in Canada as noted by IRCC.