Canada Hosted Its First Express Entry Draw Of The Year

Canada has set ambitious immigration goals for 2021 with the aim of recovering some of the losses suffered in 2020. While the pandemic still hasn’t abandoned us sadly, the vaccination campaign in Canada indicates that there is reason to hope.

Canada decided to kick off 2021 on a positive note by hosting the first Express Entry draw of the year on 6th January. Candidates who have managed to secure provincial nominations were the ones selected for invitations during this round.

It is incredibly advantageous for candidates to be nominated by provinces that have Provincial Nominee Programs aligned with Express Entry. They have extra 600 points added to their CRS total. This also means that their final score requirement for draws is also on the higher side, but the additional points ensure that the task is not too tough.

For the January 6 draw, the score requirement was at least 813. The 250 candidates who managed to meet all the eligibility requirements and get invitations will now be able to submit their applications for permanent residence in Canada.

What is the process?

The candidates belonging to the federal immigration programs and some PNPs are usually ranked using the Comprehensive Ranking System or CRS. Human capital parameters such as age, language abilities, education, and professional experience are used to determine a candidate’s score. While a job offer is not a mandatory requirement, it can fetch extra points and hence is worth a shot.

The people with the maximum scores get Invitations to Apply via the Express Entry round. Once they submit their permanent residence application, IRCC decides whether to grant them PR or not.