Canada Hosts Express Entry Draw to Invites 381 Provincial Nominees

Canada has been organizing Express Entry draws consistently to invite skilled, eligible candidates into the country. Last year, Canada suffered immigration losses due to the pandemic and the pandemic aims to make up for it this year.

On April 28, Canada held a draw to invite 381 Express Entry candidates who will now be eligible to apply for permanent residence. All the selected candidates were provincial nominees.

What role does PNP play?

The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is crucial to the Canadian Immigration system because it allows the province to nominate candidates of their choice. The provinces look through the candidate pool to find candidates who will be able to fill the shortages in their respective labor markets.

PNP candidates are receiving preference at the moment because Canada wants to invite people who are already living in the country. The international travel restrictions are still valid which is why the country wants to invite domestic candidates. PNP candidates are usually in Canada because they need work or study experience to be eligible for the nomination.

Details of the draw

The April 28 express entry draw had a cutoff score of 717 which is a little higher than usual. This is because provincial nominees receive 600 extra CRS points when they receive a provincial nomination via the PNP. This was the lowest score requirement set by Canada for a PNP-only draw this year. The eligible candidates needed to have just 117 points effectively.

Apart from a minimum score of 717, the candidates must have submitted their Express Entry profiles prior to 21:20:50 UTC, March 16, 2021.