Canada issued 4,922 invitations to apply (ITAs) to eligible immigration candidates under three Express Entry draws throughout February 2023.

In addition to it, six provinces of Canada, including Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and PEI, held 13 Provincial Nominee Program draws, resulting in another 5,732 provincial invitations in February 2023.

With Canada showing potential to improve immigrant outcomes in essential sectors, planning your skilled-based immigration to Canada should be your number one priority in current times.

Canada Permanent Residency Under Express Entry in February 2023

Three program-specific Canada Express Entry draws invited registered candidates with successful Canada Immigration nominations and for the first time, Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) candidates to apply for permanent residence.

Express Entry Draws – February 2023
Draw Number	Canada Immigration Nomination Draws	Qualifying CRS	ITAs issued
#239	February 01	PNP-specific: 733 points	893
#240	February 02	FSWP-specific: 489 points	3,300
#241	February 15	PNP-specific: 791 points	699

Canada Express Entry is a long-drawn (maximum one-year validity) two-step process.

All registered profiles are assessed and ranked on a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Core human factors such as age, education, language skills, and work experience are used to calculate a CRS profile score.

FSWP Express Entry provides a direct immigration pathway for skilled foreign workers, even without a job offer or work experience in Canada, to obtain permanent residence (PR).

The second step will involve the fortnightly nomination draws held by IRCC. The high-ranking candidates based on the CRS score get invitations to apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residency.

Further, candidates with an active Express Entry were extremely benefited, as provincial nomination will give them a chance to gain an additional 600 points towards their overall CRS score. This would effectively guarantee them an ITA for Canada PR in a subsequent Express Entry draw.

Canada PR via Provincial Nominee Programs in February 2022

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is expected to target over 100,000 annual intakes through the Canada Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) alone. Furthermore, Canada PNP in 2023 will target more immigrants than Express Entry for Permanent Residency.

The PNP targets for 2023–2025 are as follows:

105,500 in 2023
110,000 in 2024
117,500 in 2025

ONTARIO

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) issued 3,183 invitations in five separate draws under Foreign Worker Stream, Ph.D. Stream, and Master’s Graduate Stream in February, 2023.

Canada PNP invitation round	ITAs for provincial nominations issued
Feb 02, 2023	1902 (HCP stream)
Feb 09, 2023	510 (Skilled Trade stream)
Feb 10, 2023	771 (Foreign Worker Stream & Skilled Trade stream)

BRITISH COLUMBIA

The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) continued to hold its weekly draws.

The province invited 909 immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination under various streams like Express Entry British Columbia (Skilled Worker, International Graduate), Skills Immigration and Entrepreneurial streams.

MANITOBA

The province of Manitoba held two draws under Skilled Workers in Manitoba, International Education Stream, and Skilled Workers Overseas streams, issuing a total of 891 Letters of Advice to Apply for provincial nominations.

Some ITAs were also issued to eligible Express Entry profiles.

SASKATCHEWAN

Saskatchewan invited 421 profiles to apply for provincial nominations under Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand candidates through a draw held on February 16, 2023. The qualifying score ranged between 65-84.

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

PEI PNP went as per its pre-scheduled draws on February 16. A total of 228 eligible candidates are under Express Entry, Labor, and Business Impact.

ALBERTA

A total of 100 candidates were invited to apply for a provincial nomination on February 16 under the Alberta Express Entry stream. Invited candidates needed a CRS score of at least 357 in order to be invited.

Get a free assessment of your immigration profile and find suitable pathways to migrate to Canada with the best immigration consultants.

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Canada Immigration Points system awards 24 points to any candidate with excellent language proficiency, the highest among any other human capital criteria like age, education qualification, and work experience for profile evaluation and assessment.

Canada is reliant on foreign skilled workers or economic class immigrants to not only sustain its economic growth. And especially in post-pandemic but also to overcome demographic transitions like aging demography and a low birth rate among natives. The huge skill demand gap in the workforce is also contributing to the increasing demand for foreign immigrants in Canada.

Proficiency in English or French will help you easily qualify for Canadian immigration. This blog is directed at aspiring migrants to help you better understand the scope for gaining the highest proficiency in one of the two official languages in Canada.

Importance of English or French in Canada for Aspiring Migrants

IRCC assesses language components in four broad areas: Speaking, Reading, Writing, and Listening. Upon completion of any one of the IRCC-designated language tests (refer below), candidates must compare the obtained test scores on Canadian standards like

1. Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLBs) for English, and

2. Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) for French.

3. Nominations Draw for Canada PR

Economic-class programs across the spectrum from Express Entry programs, Provincial Nominee Programs, and pilots like Atlantic Immigration Programs and Quebec skilled worker programs to study visa and temporary work permit programs require a varying degree of proficiency in language assessments.

For example, candidates must obtain a CLB of at least 7 in all four abilities (writing, reading, listening, and speaking) to qualify under the popular Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)

Candidates with a higher Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) for English score get more points, thereby making it easier to qualify under pathways managed via Express Entry and expression of interest systems operated by the provinces and territories.

Language-based targeted Draws

As per the latest Bill C-19 that received the royal assent on June 23, 2022, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) may now invite eligible profiles in the Express Entry pool based on subjective skills like occupation, education qualification, or language proficiency in upcoming Canada PR Express Entry draws.

IRCC had already held its first-ever exclusive Express Entry draw for Federal Skilled Workers last month. We have seen targeted Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws from Quebec, Alberta . And New Brunswick invites French-speaking applications for provincial nominations.

Take this free assessment online to explore a suitable immigration pathway to Canada.

French-speaking candidates have a better chance to qualify for Canada PR

French-speaking candidates receive additional points under Express Entry. This means that between two applicants with similar work experience and academic backgrounds. And an applicant who is proficient in French will have a better chance than one who is proficient only in English.

The Express Entry system is an application database to select applicants who meet the criteria of the Federal Skilled Worker Program.

The Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Trades Program , the system recognizes French language skills . And awards points for high levels of French language proficiency.

Connect with our expert overseas education counselors at CanApprove and explore various study options and eligibility to obtain a Canada study permit.

Submitting Certified Copies of Translated Documents with an Immigration Application 

Failing to provide a complete, accurate, and certified translation of foreign-language documents into English or French can have dire consequences. There have been several instances in the past where immigration applications were rejected due to non-certified translation copies.

Guide 5523 that stated any immigration supporting documents submitted in a non-official language must be accompanied by an official language translation, complete with a translator’s declaration.  The Guide also states that documents submitted only in non-official languages will not be considered.

Acceptable Language Proficiency Tests for Immigration to Canada

Any applicant for economic class immigration to Canada can submit English proficiency test scores assessed by any one of the following designated language-testing organizations

1. The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) administered by Cambridge Assessment English, International Development Program (IDP) Australia, and British Council.

2. The Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) administered by Paragon Testing Enterprises Inc.

3. The Pearson Test of English (PTE) by Pearson Canada Inc.

Additionally, IRCC also accepts immigration aspirants with proficiency in French through tests, like TEF Canada (Test d’Evaluation de Français) . And TCF Canada (Test de connaissance du français pour le Canada).

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Category: Immigration

Monthly Review: Canada Immigration Nomination Draws in February 2023