Canada Holds New Provincial Nomination Program Via Express Entry

Canada issued 266 invitations among skilled Express Entry candidates. The selected candidates now have the opportunity to submit their applications for permanent residence in Canada. A total of 266 candidates received invitations during the provincial nomination program.

Details of the draw

IRCC targeted candidates who had already received a provincial nomination via any of the Provincial Nominee Programs. The candidates were required to have a minimum CRS score of 753 in order to be eligible for the invitation.

Moreover, they must have submitted their profile to the Express Entry pool prior to March 01, 2021, 15:22:18 UTC, because of the tie-break rule.

While this cutoff score might seem higher than the score requirements of other Express Entry draws, it is fair because candidates with provincial nominations are awarded extra points. PNP candidates get 600 additional CRS points when they manage to secure a nomination from any of the Canadian provinces.

This means that the candidates needed to have just 153 points effectively, excluding the nomination points.

Increased immigration 

Canada has ambitious goals for itself when it comes to immigration in the next few years. The pandemic led to a significant drop in immigration numbers last year which has compelled Canada to be more active this year. IRCC has already issued 49,390 Express Entry invitations this year among candidates who can now apply for permanent residence. Canada has held 12 draws altogether and there are many more to come.

If you are interested in becoming a permanent resident in Canada, you should check out the eligibility requirements of different PNPs to find a possible opportunity.