Canada Tweaks Express Entry Criteria, All-program Express Entry Draw Imminent

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced a minor update regarding the minimum proof of fund required to be disclosed by applicants to qualify under the Express Entry system.

The said changes are now applicable to two of the three immigration streams under the Express Entry: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). Typically candidates with no Canadian job offer are subjected to furnish the details of the below-tabulated amounts to qualify for an invitation to apply for permanent residency.

The announcement also made it clear for the existing applicants in the federal pool to update their proof of funds documents with the latest amounts. The update should be no later than July 15, 2021.

In case of applicability of tie-break rules, updating your profile will not change the date and time of when Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) received the profile. Applicants will keep their previous rank.

Number of Family Members	Minimum Funds Required in CAD
One	$13,213
Two	$16,449
Three	$20,222
Four	$24,553
Five	$27,847
Six	$31,407
Seven	$34,967
Each additional family member	$3,560

Eligible Proof of Funds

Written proof of funds will have to submit to IRCC after receiving an invitation to apply for permanent residency.

According to the government webpage, the most important proof of funds is an official letter from your bank or financial institution. The letter must typically contain the following:

be printed on the financial institution’s letterhead;
include the institution’s address, phone number, and email;
include your name;
list outstanding debts such as credit card debts and loans; and
include, for each bank and investment account, the actual numbers, date each account was opened, current balance of each account, and the average balance for the past six months.

Also, ensure that funds must be readily available to you cannot be in the form of borrowed funds or equity. In case of accompanied by your spouse, money could be in a joint account.

Express Entry Draws in 2021

In-house immigration lawyers at CanApprove see the latest announcement to revise the minimum proof of fund as a sign of holding the first all-program Express Entry draw in 2021 soon.

After the pandemic-related travel restrictions came into force in 2020, Canada re-innovated to holding program-specific draws which facilitated temporary immigrants already present in Canada to apply for permanent residency. Such candidates qualified for Express Entry invitations under Canadian Experience Class or Provincial Nominee Programs. These programs have high numbers of candidates in Canada who are not necessarily required to provide proof of funds.

Before receiving an invitation, applicants are required to have strong language proficiency in English or French, an education degree of at least graduate level, adequate work experience, and aged less than 45 years for a better chance of approval.

Allowing nomination draws for candidates qualifying under FSWP and FSTP would mean the entry of more foreign immigrants without work experience. This is in line with the immigration levels plan for 2021-2023 to invite more than 1.2 million newcomers.

Take this free Express Entry assessment to determine your eligibility.

You can also contact CanApprove to know more about Canadian immigration and eligible immigration programs suited to your work & academic profile.

Canada Opens With New Relaxations For Fully Vaccinated Travellers

In a recent interaction with the media, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hinted that his government could lift more restrictions in the weeks to come, once more people are fully vaccinated.

Starting today, July 5 at 12:01 am, Canada is allowing fully vaccinated foreign travellers to enter Canada without mandatory quarantine or taking a COVID-19 test on day-8. The requirement for those travelling by air to quarantine themselves at a government-authorized hotel is also made obsolete. These new measures will apply to fully vaccinated international students.

Such foreign travellers include Canadian citizens, permanent residents, family members, temporary foreign workers, international students going to an approved school, and others.

Travellers must have completed the recommended course of vaccines approved by the Government of Canada at least 14 days before entering Canada. Currently, those vaccines are Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD, and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson). The World Health Organization (WHO) calls for uniform approval of all vaccines recognized by it and against the selective bias towards certain vaccines like Covaxin developed by Bharat Biotech (India).

Travellers can receive their vaccine in any country and must provide documentation supporting their vaccination in English, French or with a certified translation.

Use of ArriveCAN Mandatory

Soon when the pandemic first came to light, Canada launched a dedicated mobile & desktop application, ArriveCAN to collect information about travellers willing to enter the country. Owing to fresh relaxations, there will be a new update to the ArriveCAN app starting July 5 in the Google Play Store and the App Store for iPhone. It is also available on the desktop.

“Fully vaccinated travellers must use the new version to upload their proof of vaccination. Those who can’t do it themselves can enlist friends and family members to do it on their behalf, the government says.”

The authorities expect the necessary documents to be made available to them in English or French. A certified translation in either official language is also acceptable.

Border Restrictions Still In Place

In a press release last month, Canadian border restrictions were extended till July 21. No tourists are still allowed to come to Canada. Canada is also not fully open to other foreign travellers. Those who are not fully vaccinated continue to be subjected to prevailing restrictions. For non-vaccinated travellers, pre-arrival, on-arrival, and day-eight COVID tests will continue. It will also include a mandatory 14-day quarantine plan.

This should not deter you from taking full advantage of the easy Canadian immigration system to build a progressive career and have a high standard of living. Canada is more dependent on immigration now to rebuild its economy and society.

Get your free assessment online and know your chances of immigration to Canada.

Contact CanApprove to know more and improve your chances of qualifying for immigration to Canada.

Major Manitoba PNP draw invites 1,017 Express Entry candidates

1,017 Express Entry Candidates Receive Provincial Nominations from Manitoba

The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) invited 1,017 immigration candidates on June 28, the highest in recent times. All the invited candidates had a valid profile in the federal Express Entry pool and a job seeker validation code.

Such applicants are now eligible to apply for provincial nominations, and thus reducing the time required to obtain permanent residency in near future.

1,017 invited candidates will receive invitations under the province’s Skilled Workers Overseas stream. The cut-off EOI score was 565 to receive a letter of invitation, however, this is not the same as the federal Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) for Express Entry.

Qualify for Canada PR with MPNP

Interested applicants are required to register their Expression of Interest (EOI) with the province. Further, the registered profile is evaluated and ranked out of 1,000 points for their human capital factors such as age, education, work experience, language proficiency, as well as their connections to the province.

This will potentially qualify them for receiving a Letter of Advice to Apply (LAA), other invitations, through the Skilled Workers in Manitoba and Skilled Workers Overseas streams.

To be considered under the Skilled Workers Overseas stream, candidates must demonstrate their connections to Manitoba such as close family ties, previous experience in the province, or an invitation through one of Manitoba’s Strategic Recruitment Initiatives. The major requirement for Skilled Worker in the Manitoba stream is a full-time job offer from any employer situated in the province. International students who graduated from any institute in Manitoba can apply for provincial nomination under MPNP’s International Education Stream.

Express Entry is a direct entry program to obtain permanent residence without the need for provincial nominations. However, having a successful provincial nomination will guarantee an invitation to apply for Canada PR by virtue of 600 additional CRS points.

There is a separate provincial stream for inviting international students and recent graduates to apply for provincial nominations. Applicants must have graduated from any institution in Manitoba, to receive invitations under this stream.

Credential Recognition for Internationally-Trained Applicants

For newcomers to keep their skills up to date so they can rejoin their professions more quickly after arriving in Manitoba, the provincial government is taking adequate steps to reduce barriers to the successful and timely registration of internationally trained applicants to regulated professions.

“Regulated professions are responsible for protecting the public interest by ensuring a high standard of professional practice, and our government is working with Manitoba’s 30 regulated professions as the updated act would require them to take steps to improve their assessment and registration process”, said the provincial immigration minister, Eichler, in a media release.

Some of the 30 self-regulated professions in Manitoba include:

Colleges of Licensed Practical Nurses, Registered Nurses, Pharmacists, Physicians, and Surgeons,
the Manitoba Dental Association,
Chartered Professional Accountants Manitoba,
Manitoba College of Social Workers and
Manitoba Veterinary Medical Association.

Canada Opens Borders for Fully Vaccinated Travellers

Canada is now allowing fully vaccinated foreign travellers to enter Canada without mandatory quarantine or taking a COVID-19 test on day-8. The requirement for those travelling by air to quarantine themselves at a government-authorized hotel is also made obsolete. These new measures will apply to fully vaccinated international students.

Travellers can receive their vaccine in any country and must provide documentation supporting their vaccination in English, French or with a certified translation.

Take this free assessment online to determine your eligibility in subsequent draws.

Follow this page for more updates on Canada Immigration. Contact CanApprove to kick-start your immigration process with confidence!

Canada is prioritizing immigration during the pandemic

Canada Continues to Rely on Immigrants for Economic Growth

COVID-19 pandemic may have reduced the immigration levels to Canada but the country is still dependent on new foreign immigrants as its benefits are far-reaching and synergistic. Over the years of facilitating open & easy immigration, Canada had reaped the most benefits out of it.

Immigration has played a significant role in the economic growth of Canada. The IT and tech industry spawned around Ontario and British Columbia is a direct result of increased foreign skilled immigration. The resource-rich Atlantic provinces of Canada have gained immensely from constant labour supply through immigration. About 50% of all degree-holders in science, technology, engineering and math in Canada are immigrants.

Canada has also developed into the top three study destinations in the world alongside the USA & Australia. According to an estimate by Statistic Canada, about 600,000 international students come to Canada every year to pursue their higher education abroad. About 50% of students who complete their undergraduate courses and 30% of those who complete their postgraduation courses end up receiving permanent residency in just about 10 years since they first got their Canadian study permit.

Open & liberal Immigration policies in Canada are also seen in the light of aiding the ageing workforce. According to data from Scotiabank’s Global Economics Provincial Pulse Report, many newcomers to Canada, specifically to central Canada, are younger than the Canadian population as a whole. This helps to offset losses from an ageing Canadian-born population.

Immigrants are not just job seekers in Canada but also job creators with a large number of foreign-born entrepreneurs being preferred Canadian visa and eventually permanent residency.

“Canada’s population is ageing and its birth rate was among the lowest in the G7 before the pandemic. Over time, those factors are expected to limit the pool of workers available to contribute to the economy. Welcoming newcomers helps to offset the economic challenges caused by an ageing population and a low birth rate,” says Marc Desormeaux, senior Scotiabank economist.

Improve your Chances of Qualifying for Canada PR

The Canadian immigration system is constantly evolving to improve the immigration levels across the region. With major support from Canadian provinces/territories in form of Provincial Nominee Programs and the federal Express Entry system, Canada is all set to welcome over 1.2 million new immigrants over the next three years. Further, demand for foreign entrepreneurs is being created through new provincial pathways inviting seasoned investors, business managers and even international graduates to apply for Canada PR.

So far in 2021, Canada’s top immigration programs like Express Entry and PNPs have performed exceptionally well. Here’s a quick review of our previous editions of monthly nomination draws review: January 2021, February 2021, March 2021, April 2021, May 2021, June 2021.

As an aspirant to migrate and settle in Canada, now is the best time for you to apply. Further, you are also being informed that any misrepresentation on your visa application can cause a ban of up to five years.

Check your eligibility by filling this free assessment online.

Contact CanApprove to minimize application errors and kick-start the process.

Canada switches back to 60 days period for Express Entry applications

Canada PR: Express Entry Application Period Reduced To 60 Days

Canada is returning to normalcy and it is evident from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent statement that his government will further ease travel restrictions this summer. Presently, Canada is allowing COPR holders, fully vaccinated travellers to skip quarantine, and reopened direct flights with certain COVID hotspot countries.

Subsequently, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) are rolling back the COVID-19 measure that allowed Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residence up to 90 days after receiving an invitation.

The federal department bought a series of immigration-friendly measures to keep the immigration levels high soon after the travel restrictions owing to the pandemic were announced first In March 2020. IRCC extended the application period to 90 days instead of general 60 days. It was meant to allow immigration applicants to have more time to prepare their documents.

In the media release, IRCC was optimistic about returning to the 60-day timeframe. It will allow the department to process higher volumes of applications, thus meet the immigration target of nearly 1.2 million over the next three years.

Qualify for Canada PR through Express Entry System

Since the introduction of the Express Entry system in 2015, thousands of foreign skilled workers have been invited to apply (ITA) for permanent residency in Canada. These candidates qualify for one of three federal immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skills Trades Program, and the Canadian Experience Class. Candidates with prior provincial nominations can also obtain permanent residence through Express Entry.

To qualify for an ITA, candidates in the federal pool must obtain a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score above the threshold which is determined uniquely in each federal nomination draws. The CRS score is based on candidates’ age, education, work experience, and language proficiency in English or French.

Every fortnight, Canada holds an Express Entry nomination draws. IRCC has re-innovated it by conducting alternate CEC-only and PNP-only draws which focus mainly on skilled immigrants already present in Canada. The reduction of the Express Entry application period to 60-days is an indication of resuming all-program Express Entry draws shortly.

Get your free Express Entry assessment online and know your chances of immigration to Canada.

The fortnightly nomination draws held so far have invited nearly 90,000 foreign immigrants to apply for permanent residency in 2021. Continuing at this pace, Canada is sure to set a new record in more invitations for permanent residence annually. Contact CanApprove to improve your chances of qualifying for Canada PR.

Ontario opens new EOI stream for in-demand occupations including Healthcare workers

New Ontario EOI Stream For Healthcare Workers & Technicians

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) opened new immigration streams for in-demand skills since it first revamped the immigration system last year.

The new EOI system is now open for healthcare workers, technicians and other semi-skilled workers under the Employer Job Offer Category. The new stream will join the Foreign Worker and International Student streams in the EOI system that was open this year.

The province is yet to launch the EOI system for the Master’s Graduate, and PhD Graduate streams. As per the latest provincial release, the OINP webpage says these Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) will be a part of the EOI system “in the near future.”

(Note: a detailed list of targeted occupations is tabulated towards the end)

Revamped Immigration Intake System

To begin your process of qualifying for OINP draws, interested candidates must register their EOI profiles. Upon registration, their profiles will be evaluated and ranked on factors like job skill level, total work experience, education, proficiency in English or French. Study or work experience inside Canada can fetch you additional points.

The invited candidates may qualify for the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream. It is open to any foreign national who has at least:

two years of work experience in a relevant skilled occupation,
has an eligible job offer in Ontario, and
intends to settle permanently in the province.

There are a number of other eligibility requirements for in-demand skills candidates. Typically, candidates need a high school education, a language score of at least 4 in all proficiencies, and sufficient settlement funds, among other requirements.

Ontario’s Growth Is Dependent On Immigration

A report prepared by Scotiabank sees an influx of up to $2.9 billion in Ontario’s economy through the rise in newcomers as per the current immigration plans. Additionally, the federal investment of $1million in 2021 in Northern Ontario will boost immigration.

Beyond 2022, immigrants are expected to make up half of the economic growth generated in the province. Without newcomers, Ontario’s GDP could be 20% lower than the present year, about $157 billion.

Some of the most demanding occupations among the invited workers include Software engineers and designers, Computer programmers, Interactive media developers, IT systems analysts, Technology consultants, and Healthcare professionals.

The Ontario Immigration Nominee Program (OINP) allows immigration of foreign workers through Express Entry streams, Tech Pilot streams, Human Capital Priorities Stream.

List of in-demand occupations:

NOC 3413- Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
NOC 4412- Home support workers and related occupations, excluding housekeepers
NOC 7441- Residential and commercial installers and servicers
NOC 7511- Transport truck drivers
NOC 7521- Heavy equipment operators (except crane)
NOC 8431- General farm workers
NOC 8432- Nursery and greenhouse workers
NOC 8611- Harvesting labourers
NOC 7611- Construction trades helpers and labourers
NOC 9462- Industrial butchers, meat cutters, poultry preparers, related workers

Available only to candidates outside the Greater Toronto Area

NOC 9411- Machine operators, mineral and metal processing
NOC 9416- Metalworking and forging machine operators
NOC 9417- Machining tool operators
NOC 9418- Other metal products machine operators
NOC 9421- Chemical plant machine operators
NOC 9422- Plastics processing machine operators
NOC 9437- Woodworking machine operators
NOC 9446- Industrial sewing machine operators
NOC 9461- Process control and machine operators, food, beverage and associated products processing
NOC 9523- Electronics assemblers, fabricators, inspectors and testers
NOC 9526- Mechanical assemblers and inspectors
NOC 9536- Industrial painters, coaters and metal finishing process operators
NOC 9537- Other products assemblers, finishers and inspectors

Take this free assessment online to find the perfect immigration stream that suits your work profile.

You may also contact our consultants to clear all your queries about immigration to Canada during the pandemic.

British Columbia Invites Another 395 Immigration Candidates To Apply for Provincial Nominations

New British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) draws held on June 22 held one general draw and another occupation-specific draw. Both these draws resulted in a total of 395 invitations to apply for provincial nomination.

Since February 2021, BC PNP has been conducting two separate nomination draws simultaneously. All the 395 invited candidates in the latest draws were nominated from the Skilled Worker, International Graduate, and Entry Level and Semi-Skilled sub-categories of Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC streams.

Out of the invited candidates, the first draw issued 341 invitations to candidates having minimum scores ranging between 75 and 93 points and any work experience in any occupation recognized by the province.

The occupation-specific draw targeted retail and wholesale trade managers and restaurant and foodservice managers, NOC 0621 or NOC 0631, respectively. A total of 54 invitations were issued to candidates with a minimum score of 109. The province is said to conduct the occupation-targeted draw due to many people registered in the BC PNP Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS) with these two occupations.

All these invited candidates have 30 days to submit a complete application through the BC PNP online system.

With this draw, British Columbia has now issued 5730 invitations through various BC PNP streams. In principle, these many candidates are now eligible to receive permanent residence in Canada.

Take this free assessment online to evaluate your chances of immigrating to Canada.

How To Receive Provincial Nominations from BC PNP?

British Columbia offers excellent work opportunities for foreign workers. The provincial program is well-designed to serve the interests of immigrants by providing a chance to apply for permanent residency in a quick time.

Using two provincial streams: Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC, the province fulfils its labour demand. The province issues provincial nominations under the stream to all eligible candidates who had earlier shown their interest in settling in the province. As permanent residency remains to be under the federal government’s exclusive authority, the provincial nomination can at best fast forward the application time usually required to receive permanent residency.

To receive provincial nomination under BC PNP, any candidates must first register under B.C.’s Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS). Candidates are further assigned a score based on education, work experience, and language skills and ranked accordingly.

The weekly draw invites the highest-scoring candidates from each sub-category to apply for a provincial nomination. June 22 BC PNP draw required candidates to have a minimum provincial score between 75 and 93 points.

The nomination is valid for approximately six months from the date of confirmation. Upon a successful provincial nomination, you’re eligible to receive an additional 600 points under the CRS. This score is high enough to qualify for any Express Entry draw to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence.

Here’s how tech workers can expedite their immigration to Canada with BC PNP.

You can contact CanApprove to explore more immigration options based on academic & work profile. Please book your free appointment with us today!

Ontario PNP invites Express Entry candidates in 10 priority occupations

Ontario Targets 583 Express Entry Candidates Including Nurses, Accountants, Bankers

Ontario held a surprise draw on June 23 targeting about ten high-priority, skilled occupations for provincial nominations. Among the invited candidates were nurses, investment managers, and accountants already registered in the federal Express Entry pool.

Quick Highlights on June 23 Ontario PNP Draw

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) issued targeted invitations to apply for provincial nomination under its Express Entry Human Capital Priorities (HCP) stream. These draws were identical to the previous HCP draws held this year on February 2 and on March 2.

#1 Qualifying Score: As candidates having only registered Express Entry profiles were considered, the qualifying score was based on their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). A CRS score is given to candidates based on their human capital factors like age, language proficiency, work experience, and education qualification. The score is given out of 1200 points.

The qualifying CRS score for the October 15 draw varied between 464 and 467.

#2 Occupation of invited candidates: All the 583 invited candidates were required to have a mandatory work experience of one year or more in any one of the following occupations:

NOC 0122	Banking, credit, and other investment managers
NOC 0124	Advertising, marketing, and public relations managers
NOC 0125	Other business services managers
NOC 0601	Corporate sales managers
NOC 1111	Financial auditors and accountants
NOC 1112	Financial and investment analysts
NOC 1121	Human resources professionals
NOC 1122	Professional occupations in business management consulting
NOC 3012	Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
NOC 4163	Business development officers and marketing researchers and consultants

Also read how Ontario’s Northern Regions All Set To Attract New Immigrants.

Applying for Canada PR with Ontario Provincial Nomination

Receiving an invitation to apply for permanent residency remains under the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal government. A provincial nomination will, however, fast-track the total time taken to receive an invitation to apply.

Ontario Immigration Nominee Program (OINP) issues provincial nominations to eligible skilled workers under its famous Human Capital Priorities stream. The province also invites candidates already registered in the federal pool under its Tech draw.

Express Entry is a database management system for any foreign skilled workers with/without a job offer to show their interest to migrate to Canada for permanent residence. Those with provincial nominations like the one from Express Entry Human Capital Priorities (HCP) stream or Ontario Tech Draw or any other stream will get preferential treatment to obtain permanent residence. The inclusion of extra 600 CRS points makes the entire process even simpler.

Since the start of 2021, Canada has been holding program-specific draws where it invites candidates either with provincial nominations or prior work experience in Canada. With a target of issuing 108,000 new ITAs for Canada PR in 2021 under Express Entry alone, Canada is more likely to exceed it.

Take this free online assessment to know your eligibility.

Book a free appointment with our consultants to improve your chances of qualifying for Canada PR.

Latest Express Entry Draws Invite 6,000 CEC-only Candidates for Canada PR

Canada held yet another program-specific Express Entry draw on June 24, exclusively issuing permanent residency invitations to candidates with prior work experience in Canada.

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) have held on to the trend of conducting alternate PNP-only & CEC-only Express Entry nomination draws since the imposed travel restrictions in March 2020. The previous nomination draws were dedicated to inviting 1,002 candidates who already received provincial nominations.

The latest Express Entry round of invitations is the 194th draws since its introduction in 2015. A summary of the nomination draw is as below:

Draw Size Remain Large: With a whooping draw size of 6,000 nominations, candidates in the federal pool with prior work experience in Canada receive invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residency (PR).

All the invited candidates have either studied or worked in Canada before entering the Express Entry pool for nominations. More specifically, international graduates, temporary workers have a great chance of qualifying for Canada PR. They would require at least one year of work experience to qualify for the Canadian Experience Class immigration program under the Express Entry.

Qualifying Score Lowered: Any prospective candidates that seek to register their profile for consideration under the Express Entry system shall be assessed and ranked based on a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).

Such profiles are evaluated on a total of 1200 points and considers human capital factors like age, education, work experience outside Canada, language proficiency in English/French, spouse adaptability, Canadian study experience, etc. Those who receive provincial nominations through ‘enhanced’ PNP streams will get an additional 600 points towards their CRS score.

The minimum qualifying CRS score dropped down to 357 in the 194th Express Entry draw, registering 11 points drop from the previous CEC-only draws.

Tie-Break Rule: IRCC applies a tie-break rule to avoid disputes in the rankings in the case where two or more candidates are awarded the same CRS score. This draw invited candidates who had a minimum score of 742 and only if they submitted their Express Entry profile before February 17, 2021, at 10:15:50 UTC.

Afreen is 30 years old holding a bachelor’s degree in business analytics. Before getting employed in Canada as an analyst and gaining one year of work experience in Canada, she had been in the same occupation for 5 years in UAE. She speaks fluent English and was able to get a CRS score of 436. Based on her credentials, she is more than qualified to be invited to this CEC-only Express Entry draw for Canada PR.

All-Program Draws in 2021

In actual terms, the Express Entry system manages applications for three immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and Canada Experience Class (CEC). Any fortnightly nomination draw would nominate candidates under all three programs, provided such candidates fulfilled the minimum qualifying score requirement.

However, since the start of 2021, Canada has only held program-specific draws linked to either Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) or Canada Experience Class (CEC). The candidates who qualified under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) are largely left out of the nominations for Canada PR. This is due to the COVID-related travel restrictions internationally.

FSWP candidates are mostly foreign skilled workers who do not have work experience inside Canada and do not hold a job offer in Canada. However, they may qualify for permanent residency based on their age, language proficiency, education, and relevant work experience abroad.

Canada is set to welcome 108,500 new immigrants through Express Entry-managed programs in 2021 alone. So far, about 80 per cent of the target has been achieved, i.e., 88,715 Express Entry candidates have been already invited to apply for permanent residency.

With business groups calling upon the government to reopen the border soon, it will not be a surprise if Canada issues a record number of total invitations for PR by the end of this year. Click here to get a quick review of nomination draws in January, February, March, April 2021, and May 2021.

Take this free assessment online to determine your eligibility for permanent residency.

For more latest updates on Canadian immigration, contact CanApprove.

1,002 PNP-only Express Entry Candidates with CRS 742 Receive ITAs for Canada PR

Canada held a new Express Entry nomination draw which resulted in issuing exclusive permanent residency invitations to candidates with prior provincial nominations.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) seemingly continued with the trend of holding alternate CEC-only & PNP-only nomination draws. The previous nomination draws were dedicated to inviting 6,000 candidates who already had work experience in Canada.

The latest Express Entry round of invitations is the 193rd draws since its introduction in 2015. A brief summary of the nomination draw is as below:

Biggest Draw Size: Canada issues 1,002 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residency (PR) exclusively to those candidates in the federal pool who had already received provincial nominations. The previous PNP-only draw held two weeks ago issued 940 ITAs for Canada PR.

A provincial nomination is a certificate to immigrate to a certain Canadian province to fulfil its labour shortage demand. It is mainly issued by the concerned provincial government to fast-track one’s application to permanent residency in Canada which remains under the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal government.

All the invited candidates have already demonstrated their connection to a province or territory and experience to succeed in the labour market by securing a provincial nomination. Further, they may qualify to receive invitations for permanent residency through the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, or Canadian Experience Class.

Higher Qualifying Score: Any prospective candidates that seek to register their profile for consideration under the Express Entry system shall be assessed and ranked based on a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).

The 193rd Express Entry draw required candidates to have a relatively higher qualifying CRS score of 742 points than the previous 711. However, when compared to qualifying scores in CEC-only draws, candidates would only be required to score 142 points in actual terms. Additional 600 points get automatically added to their overall CRS score upon receiving a successful provincial nomination.

Tie-Break Rule: IRCC applies a tie-break rule to avoid disputes in the rankings in the case where two or more candidates are awarded the same CRS score. This draw invited candidates who had a minimum score of 742 and only if they submitted their Express Entry profile before February 18, 2021, at 04:04:56 UTC.

Anna & Ryan are a married couple in their mid-30s. Each holds a bachelor’s degree and hold a good IELTS score. They never studied or worked in Canada previously and entered the Express Entry pool as a married couple last year in April 2020.

Based on their credentials, Anna, the principal applicant got a provincial nomination from Ontario’s Human Capital Priorities Stream. With this provincial nomination, their CRS score jumped up to 1021 which is sufficient to qualify in this PNP-only Express Entry draw for Canada PR.

Learn more about Express Entry for Married Couples or Common-law Partners here.

Domestic Candidates Prefered

IRCC has regularly held Express Entry draws in 2021. Only program-specific draws linked to either Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) or Canada Experience Class (CEC) have been held so far, thereby ignoring the candidates who qualified under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP). This may be largely due to the COVID-related travel restrictions internationally.

Canada is set to welcome 108,500 new immigrants through Express Entry-managed programs in 2021 alone. So far, about 80 per cent of the target has been achieved, i.e., 82,715 Express Entry candidates have been already invited to apply for permanent residency.

With business groups calling upon the government to reopen the border soon, it will not be a surprise if Canada issues a record number of total invitations for PR by the end of this year. Click here to get a quick review of nomination draws in the months of January, February, March, April 2021 and May 2021.

Take this free assessment online to determine your eligibility for permanent residency.

For more latest updates on Canadian immigration, contact CanApprove.

NSW, Victoria draw plans for students return to Australia in 2021

Australian States Announces Pilot Programme To Allow International Students Back

Getting admitted to one of the world’s top ten political science programmes at Australia’s top university which proudly produced Nobel Laureates and even Prime Ministers, is a fascinating achievement in itself. However, soon as the pandemic stuck, everything turned upside down.

Australia has remained closed for international travel since last year, affecting the future of several young international students and skilled worker immigrants.

Much to their relief, two of the largest Australian states, New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria announced plans to start a pilot programme, exclusively to facilitate the entry of international students back into the country. The programme has set a target to welcome back about 800 students per month.

Both NSW & Victoria have the largest cohort of international students. Speaking on the occasion, an Australian official admitted that the scope of the problem is much larger, but says this is an important first step. “We have over 470,000 people who are entitled to be in Australia, studying whether, in postgraduate, research, undergraduate or other elements of education, and currently 150,000 of those are offshore,” he told in an interview to a national daily.

He further added, “I’m not wishing to get their hopes up any higher. But what is positive is that two states, including Australia’s largest state, only last week announced pilot programmes to demonstrate not just to the federal government, but to the Australian community, that international students can return to our shores without there being a community health problem.”

“In Australia, they want to create a COVID-free environment, rather than learn to deal with COVID like Europe is doing.” At the best, International students may be able to return at the end of the first semester in 2022.

CanApprove Recommends…

Admission to top Australian universities is now open and in full swing with international students applying to begin their study program next year. However, as a responsible immigration consultant & overseas education counsellor, CanApprove is currently not actively endorsing any education programs in Australia because of uncertainty in travel restrictions. We’re expecting the situation to ease down soon.

Before the pandemic, Australia was among the leading study abroad destinations alongside Canada. Being a small country, Australia proudly hosts many universities in the top 100 in the world. Considering from a price point, tuition fees in Australia are more cost-effective than in North America and the U.K. The pilot programs announced last week will enable students to enter Australia soon, but there needs to be more clarity and better communication for immigration counsellors like us to endorse it.

Discover other exciting study abroad options by taking this free assessment online or get in touch with our consultants to know about your eligibility for immigration.

Express Entry candidates get nominated in new PNP draws

New PNP Draws Invites Express Entry Candidates Among Other for Canada PR

Immigration levels in Canada may have declined over the past year due to pandemic-induced travel restrictions. During the same time, the federal and provincial governments have taken every possible step to uphold the spirit of immigration by regular conduct of nomination draws and inviting candidates who are already present in the country to apply for permanent residency. International student immigration has also begun to Canadian designated learning institutions (DLIs) that are adhering to the COVID-19 readiness plan.

Here’s a brief of how provincial nomination draws spanned out last week.

Express Entry Candidates Receive Provincial Nominations

A significant percentage of permanent residency applications of foreign skilled immigrants in Canada has been channelized through the Express Entry system since 2015.

The Express Entry system is a database of immigrant applicants who qualify for either of the three federal immigration programs: Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skills Trades Program (FSTP), and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). All the registered candidates are given a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score for their age, work experience, education, and language proficiency in English or French.

Further, those who receive a provincial nomination are given an additional 600 points toward their CRS score which will effectively guarantee an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence in a subsequent Express Entry draw. This has prompted all Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) to align their nomination streams with the federal Express Entry pool for quick nominations to meet their specific labour demand.

On June 17, Prince Edward Island’s (PEI) Express Entry stream actively invited about 101 candidates along with its Labour Impact category to apply for provincial nominations. The same day also saw a total of 10 invitations, also known as Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs), going to eligible Express Entry candidates from Manitoba PNP. Two days earlier, on June 15, British Columbia had made about 72 provincial nominations to candidates qualifying its Express Entry and Skills Immigration stream.

To be considered for a provincial nomination from the province, Express Entry candidates need to create an EOI profile separately from the respective province.

‘Base’ Provincial Nominations

Apart from inviting candidates who are already registered in the federal pool, the Prince Edward Islands, British Columbia along with Manitoba scouted for candidates beyond the federal pool.

About 12 more invitations to apply for provincial nominations went to business immigration candidates under the PEI Business Impact category. The invitations were issued under the Work Permit Stream, which is for foreign entrepreneurs who want to own and operate a business on the island. Business Impact Category candidates need to meet the minimum provincial score requirement to proceed with their applications. In the latest PEI PNP draw, they had to score a minimum of 60 provincial points to qualify.

On the other hand, Manitoba PNP resulting in inviting 141 immigration candidates under its various provincial streams:

Skilled Workers in Manitoba – 95 invitations with a minimum EOI score of 430;
Skilled Workers Overseas – 24 invitations with a minimum EOI score of 703; and
International Education Stream – 22 invitations with no EOI score requirement.

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Canada is planning to make up for the immigration shortfall in the next three years and achieve an ambitious immigration target of inviting more than 1.2 million new immigrants. Under the current target, Canada’s PNP will admit up to 80,800 new immigrants in 2021. Contact CanApprove to make the most of the favourable time for immigration to Canada.

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