First all-program Express Entry draw since mid-March

Canada has decided to resume all-program Express Entry draws and has already begun issuing invitations to apply. Candidates belonging to the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) have started to receive invitations.

Details of the recent draw:

The first all-program Express Entry draw to be held since March 4 took place on July 8, and it distributed 3,900 invitations to apply (ITAs) among candidates looking to attain permanent residence. The invitation round required candidates to have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 478.

The draw ended up being the same size as the last all-program invitation round that was held on March 4, which had invited 3,900 candidates. It was the 22nd draw of 2020 and brought the number of ITAs issued in 2020 to 53,800. The minimum score of 478 was seven points more than the invitation round on March 4 that recorded a cut-off score of 471. The reason behind the higher CRS cut-off is that FSWP candidates have begun getting ITAs again.

IRCC utilized the tie-break rule for the draw. The timestamp was decided to be February, 11, at 13:08:31 UTC. The candidates with a CRS score of more than 478 were invited if they registered their profile in the Express Entry pool prior to this time.

Why were restrictions placed on Express Entry draws for a while?

Express Entry draws had to be restricted to Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates when Canada adopted travel restrictions because of the coronavirus pandemic. Canada had put its best foot forward when it comes to containing the spread of the virus, and they made no compromises. However, candidates in FSWP and Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSTP) candidates were left out of the draws for a while as a result.

In most cases, CEC candidates are already in Canada, which is why they did not suffer the effects of current travel restrictions. PNP candidates were also included since they help provinces satisfy their labour market needs.