Canada is encouraging 392 Express Entry hopefuls to apply for permanent residency this new year as the Canadian government has hinted that modifications to Express Entry will be made in 2022.
The Liberal administration proposed in the 2021 federal budget to allow the immigration minister more latitude in inviting Express Entry candidates who fit Canada’s labor market demands.
Key Takeaways:
- This year, the Canadian government will invite 392 Express Entry applicants to apply for permanent residency.
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged Immigration Minister Sean Fraser to expand permanent residency pathways for international students and temporary foreign workers.
- Modifications to Express Entry are expected in 2022, according to the Canadian government.
In December 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a mandate letter to Immigration Minister Sean Fraser, requesting that Express Entry be used to increase permanent residency pathways for international students and temporary foreign workers.
While no other information has been made public at this time, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has invited only Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates to the Jan. 5 draw.
The cutoff score for the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) was 808. When PNP candidates receive their nomination, 600 points are automatically added to their score, which is why the score appears to be high when compared to prior invitation rounds.
PNP draws have only been held by IRCC since September 2021, and IRCC has been focused on PNP candidates due to a backlog of applications being processed by immigration officers, according to an internal briefing note.
Before welcoming candidates from other programs, the immigration agency hopes to cut the Express Entry backlog in half.
In 2021, Canada held solely program-specific Express Entry draws for PNP and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) applicants.
No candidates from the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) were asked to apply for the first time in the history of Express Entry. FSWP candidates were the primary source of Express Entry immigrants prior to the pandemic.
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