668 provincial nominees invited in March 18 Express Entry draw

In an Express Entry draw held exclusively for provincial nominees on March 18, Canada invited 668 candidates to apply for permanent residence. The candidates had to score a minimum of 720 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score points to be invited.

Though the CRS cut-off score may appear too high when compared to the previous draw, in which the minimum required score was 471, it is in fact low for provincial nominees as they receive 600 additional CRS score points along with the nomination.

The Tie-break rule was applied in the March 18 draw and the time stamp given was March 19, 2020, at 02:04:06 UTC. It means not all candidates with a minimum CRS score of 720 received invitations, but only those who had submitted their Express Entry profiles before the said date and time.

Though the Express Entry draw was held on March 18, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) revealed the details only on March 20. With the latest draw, the total number of Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued through Express Entry so far this year is 19368.

IRCC’s operations are slogged down owing to the impact of COVID-19, the efforts are still on to meet the immigration target for the year 2020.

Canada Express Entry

The Express Entry system of Canada manages immigration applications through the three major federal economic immigration programs– Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class and Canadian Experience Class. Each profile that enters the Express Entry pool is assessed on the basis of various factors that include age, education, skilled work experience and proficiency in English or French and awarded a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. The highest-scoring candidates are invited in the federal Express Entry draws that are conducted regularly.

PNPs aligned to Express Entry

In the last few weeks, the provincial nominee programs of Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and Prince Edward Island have issued more than 5000 invitations to Express Entry candidates. Saskatchewan has invited more than 1750 Express Entry candidates since the start of the current year. In January, Ontario invited 954 Express Entry candidates with work experience in six tech occupations. Express Entry candidates with CRS scores as low as 300 received invitations from Alberta in the two draws held this year.

Canada immigration target for 2020

In 2018, Canada admitted 320000 newcomers and in 2019, the total number of newcomers admitted by Canada was 341000. For 2020 too, Canada has set an immigration target of 341000. Canada plans to welcome a vast majority of its newcomers through economic class immigration programs in 2020. Of the total immigrants who would be admitted to Canada in the year, 58 per cent will come to Canada through Express Entry programs, the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), Quebec’s programs, and other federal streams such as the Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP).

Express Entry draws held so far in 2020

Canada Express Entry offers a simple and fast-track pathway for international skilled workers to migrate to the country. Check your eligibility for Express Entry migration by our free online assessment form.