On August 19, Canada invited 3,000 Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residency.
Candidates who were invited to participate had to be eligible for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and have a score of at least 403.
The previous CEC draw score cutoff was one point lower.
Candidates with the minimal score were only considered if they submitted their profiles by the tie-break deadline of August 1, 2021 at 10:13:57 UTC.
This information is made public as an administrative obligation by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), and it does not imply that there was any actual tie.
Why a CEC-only draw?
IRCC has only drawn two types of candidates from the Express Entry pool so far in 2021: CEC and Provincial Nominee Program candidates (PNP).
And since the beginning of the year, there have been 16 draws of each type.
The reason for only holding these two types of draws is due to the threat of a pandemic.
Express Entry candidates who qualify for the CEC or PNP are very certainly already in Canada.
Because Canadian work experience is one of the immigration program’s core eligibility criteria, the vast majority of CEC candidates are already in Canada.
At any given moment, over 90% of CEC candidates in the Express Entry pool are in Canada.
Domestic applicants have been prioritized by Canada because they are less likely to face coronavirus-related challenges.
Up until June 21, Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) holders were not able to enter Canada and complete their landing process.
Express Entry invitations ahead year-over-year
When compared to the same period last year, the number of Invitations to Apply (ITAs) has nearly doubled.
Candidates for Express Entry have received 105,779 invites thus far.
IRCC expects to admit 108,500 Express Entry applicants in 2021.
The minimum score criteria have been fluctuating due to the nature of CEC- and PNP-only draws.
Because the draws are concentrated in one group of applicants, CEC draws usually have lower cutoffs.
In the Federal Skilled Worker Program, for example, they are not competing with others.
As more CEC applicants are chosen from the top, the minimal score cutoff drops.
Candidates for the PNP receive an automatic 600 points for securing a provincial nomination.
What is Express Entry?
Express Entry controls and manages the applications for Federal High Skilled programs, which include the:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program,
- Federal Skilled Trades Program, and
- Canadian Experience Class.
Some PNPs also utilize the Express Entry system to invite immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination.
If you are qualified for Express Entry and enter your profile into the pool.
You will receive a score based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).
The CRS awards you points based on your education, age, skilled work experience, official language skills, and other factors.
The immigration ministry invites the highest-scoring candidates to apply for Canadian permanent residence through regular Express Entry draws.
After you apply, an immigration officer at IRCC makes a decision on your application.
If you are approved, the last step is to finish your landing process and officially become a permanent resident.
How To Apply For Express Entry
If you want to apply for Express Entry, below are the steps to follow:
Step 1: Find out if you are eligible
Many interested candidates do not always know whether they are eligible for the program. To find out your eligibility status, check our resource page.
Step 2: Get your documents ready
You need to put all your documents together to apply for Express Entry.
You may need documents, such as language test results (e.g IELTS), to show that you are eligible for Express Entry.
Some documents take a long time to get, so you should start planning on getting them ready now.
Step 3: Submit your profile
After getting your documents ready, your next step is to open a valid Express Entry profile.
This profile enables you to give detailed information about yourself.
If you are eligible, IRCC will accept you into the pool of candidates.
You will be ranked in the Express Entry pool using a points-based system.
Your score is based on the information provided in your profile.
Step 4: Receive an invitation and apply for permanent residence
IRCC sends invitations to apply to the candidates with the highest scores in the pool.
If you are successful, you will receive an invitation to apply, where you are given 90 days to submit your application for permanent residence.
Ensure you submit all supporting documents to enable the immigration department to process your application.
Processing time for Express Entry usually takes 6 months or less.
Once your application is approved and successful, you will receive confirmation of permanent residence (COPR) from IRCC.
With your COPR, you can complete your landing process in Canada.
What is the average processing time for Express Entry Canada?
Express Entry is a program that allows people to enter Canada quickly.
The full procedure may take six months, or even less, for eligible candidates who receive an invitation to apply (ITA) immediately after entering the pool and then quickly submit a comprehensive application.
The following variables, however, may cause this timeline to be extended and should be considered:
Firstly, while some candidates are invited shortly after entering the Express Entry pool, others may obtain an ITA until months later or not at all.
These depend on their CRS score and CRS cut-off thresholds in Express Entry draws.
Secondly, some invited candidates may be ready to apply for immigration to Canada shortly after receiving their invitation, while others may require more time than the 60 days provided.
While the IRCC seeks to complete applications in six months, some applications may take longer, and some decisions on other applications may be made sooner.
