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Canada immigration on road to recovery

The Canada immigration scenario is on the path to recovery after being severely affected by the impact of Coronavirus pandemic. The immigration experts expect that the Canada immigration sector will improve further in the next six months and return to normalcy by 2021.

Canada’s Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino has been reiterating throughout the crisis period that Canada is committed to welcoming more immigrants who would support the economic growth of Canada. The federal government of Canada has also been lenient towards immigration applicants and relaxed certain rules to make the immigration process easier for them. These include giving more time to submit the necessary documents as well as not refusing any application because they are incomplete.

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When will Canada lift travel restrictions?

Canada opening its borders to all categories of immigrants totally depends on when Canada and other countries are able to successfully contain the pandemic. Once the pandemic is under control, more categories of travellers will come under the exempted list and eventually, all the restrictions will be lifted.

Express Entry invites for FSWP candidates

Ever since Canada introduced travel restrictions in the wake of COVID-19, the Express Entry draws have been alternately focusing on Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates. However, there is a greater scope for candidates who plan to submit their immigration under Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) because, by the time the processing of their applications are complete, it will be 2021 and Canada will most likely restart inviting FSWP candidates in Express Entry draws.

Canada Immigration Levels Plan 2021-2023

It is expected that Mendicino will announce the Immigration Levels Plan of Canada for 2021-2023 by November 2020. Though the COVID-19 crisis has created much uncertainty over immigration scenario, Canada still needs more immigrants to support its economy. So the immigration levels are expected to remain high in 2021 and beyond.

If you are thinking about migrating to Canada in 2021, start the preparations right away so that you will be ready to move permanently to your dream destination once the restrictions are lifted. Contact the expert immigration consultants of CanApprove to explore your options to migrate to Canada.

Close to 50K Express Entry invitations issued in first half of 2020

Despite the hurdles caused by the Coronavirus pandemic, Canada Express Entry issued the second-most number of Invitations to Apply(ITAs) in the first half of 2020. 49900 was the total number of Express Entry invitations issued during the period, second only to the number of ITAs issued during the same time period in 2017, when 54,507 invitations were issued. The second quarter of 2020 was also the second-most prolific quarter, after the same quarter of 2017. It indicates that despite the travel restrictions and border closure introduced in the wake of Coronavirus pandemic, Canada issued ITAs in huge numbers during this period.

Canada Express Entry

Canada introduced the Express Entry system in 2015 with an aim to streamline applications for immigration under the three major federal economic immigration programs of Canada, which are Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program and Canada Experience Class. The Provincial Nominee Programs of Canada also have immigration streams/categories aligned to the federal Express Entry.

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The Express Entry system assesses and ranks immigration candidates on the basis of the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Under the CRS, each Express Entry candidate is assessed on the basis of various human capital factors that decide their capability to economically establish themselves in Canada. Based on this assessment, each candidate is awarded a score out of 1200. The highest-scoring candidates are invited to apply for permanent residence in Canada in the federal Express Entry draws that are conducted regularly. The candidates who have received nominations for permanent residence under the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) have 600 additional points added to their total CRS score. It increases their chances of obtaining an Invitation to Apply for Permanent Residence in Canada, in the federal Express Entry draws.

Express Entry opens up vast opportunities for foreign skilled workers to move permanently to Canada. Contact CanApprove to explore your options to migrate to Canada through Express Entry.

Newcomers perform better than natives in Canadian labour market

Newcomers are performing well in the Canadian labour market and in some cases, they even outperform their Canadian-born counterparts, reveals a recently released report.

In the report, which is titled ‘The Improved Labour Market Performance of New Immigrants to Canada, 2006-2019′, economist Kimberly Wong has drawn some significant conclusions by comparing the participation rate, employment rate, unemployment rate and hourly wages of three groups– recent immigrants who had been in Canada for less than five years, immigrants who had been living in the country for five to ten years, and Canadian-born citizens. The study sourced data from the Statistics Canada Labour Force Study between 2006 and 2019, published by the Centre for the Study of Living Standards.

Newcomers Outperform Natives Canady

In 2019, the participation rates of the very recent newcomers were 4.5 percentage points higher than that of the Canadian borns. At the same time, the participation rates were 10.0 higher among recent immigrants compared to Canadian borns.

In the case of employment rates, recent immigrants fared better compared to Canadian-born workers at the rate of 1.5 percentage points. At the same time, recent immigrants surpassed them by 8.7 percentage points.

The study also shows that the wages adjusted for the cost of living have also grown for very recent immigrants.

The study cites six reasons for the improved performance of new immigrants in the Canadian labour market, which are:

  • More immigrants had university degrees
  • A strong labour market of the late 2010s opened up more opportunities for the new immigrants
  • Federal and provincial immigration programs for foreign workers that helped in boosting the labour performance
  • Support services that might have helped new immigrants integrate into the labour market
  • Improvement in foreign credential recognition
  • Improved labour market information that might have helped new immigrants prepare well.
The report further says: “Given their lower average age and higher education relative to the Canadian working-age population, new immigrants represent an important strength for the Canadian economy, from the perspective of their contribution to the labour force and to tax revenues.”

With an infinite number of opportunities and high standards of living, Canada ensures a secure future for foreign workers. Explore your options to migrate to Canada by filling our free online assessment form.

Over 110,000 Express Entry candidates obtained Canada PR in 2019

Close to 110,000 principal applicants and their family members obtained permanent residence in Canada through Express Entry in 2019, according to the Express Entry Year-end Report of the year issued by the Immigration Ministry of Canada. Around one third of the Express Entry candidates who received Invitations to Apply for permanent residence in the year had indicated their occupation in the fields of information technology, business and finance.

The total number of Express Entry profiles submitted in the year 2019 is close to 332,331, which indicates an increase by 20 percent compared to the previous year. It also shows the increasing popularity of the Express Entry system as a viable pathway for migrating to Canada.

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The exact number of principal applicants and their family members who received permanent residence through Express Entry in 2019 is 109,595. Compared to 2018, this indicates an increase of 19 percent, as the total number of candidates who obtained Canada PR in the year 2018 was 92229.

In 2019, the highest number of Canada PR visas were issued to Express Entry candidates belonging to the Federal Skilled Worker Program(FSWP). A total of 58,173 FSWP candidates received Canada PR visa in 2019, followed by 30230 Canadian Experience Class candidates, 20014 Provincial Nominee Program candidates and 1178 Federal Skilled Trades candidates.

Of the total number of Express Entry candidates who were invited to apply for permanent residence in Canada in 2019, software engineers and designers received the highest number at 6,529. The largest source country was India, followed by the US, Nigeria, United Arab Emirates and Pakistan.

Canada is continuing to invite a high number of Express Entry candidates despite the restrictions imposed in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. If you plan to migrate to Canada, take the first step right away by filling our free online assessment form.

CRS score plummets to 431 in June 25 Express Entry draw

The June 25 Express Entry draw that exclusively targeted Canadian Experience Class(CEC) candidates, issued a total of 3508 Invitations to Apply(ITAs) for permanent residence in Canada. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score required for candidates to receive an ITA in the draw was 431. The CRS cut-off score of the latest Express Entry draw is the lowest CRS requirement in any draw held for CEC candidates since 2017. Compared to the previous CEC-specific Express Entry draw held on June 11, the score is six points lower. There has been a significant drop in the CRS requirement in CEC-specific draws ever since Canada imposed travel restrictions in the wake of coronavirus pandemic. Immigration experts expect the CRS requirement to come down further in the days to come.

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On the previous day, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada(IRCC) had held another Express Entry draw for provincial nominees, in which 392 ITAs were issued. In short, IRCC invited a total of 3900 candidates to apply for permanent residence in Canada over the past two days. Canada has issued a total of 49900 ITAs so far this year.

A tie-breaking rule was applied in the June 25 draw too, as in the previous draws. The timestamp given was April 3, 2020, at 12:56:32 UTC. It means not all candidates with a minimum CRS score of 431 received invitations in the draw, but only those who had submitted their Express Entry profiles before the said date and time.

As Canada has set a higher immigration target for the year 2020, it is expected that the Express Entry draws would become larger and more frequent in the coming days.

Express Entry draws held so far in 2020

Draw Number Date Number of ITAs issued Minimum CRS score
154 June 25 3508 431(CEC-specific draw)
153 June 24 392 696(PNP-specific draw)
152 June 11 3551 437(CEC-specific draw)
151 June 10 341 743(PNP-specific draw)
150 May 28 3515 440(CEC-specific draw)
149 May 27 385 757(PNP-specific draw)
148 May 15 3371 447(CEC-specific draw)
147 May 13 529 718(PNP-specific draw)
146 May 1 3311 452(CEC-specific draw)
145 April 29 589 692(PNP-specific draw)
144 April 16 3782 455 (CEC-specific draw)
143 April 15 118 808(PNP-specific draw)
142 April 9 3,294 464(CEC-specific draw)
141 April 9 606 698(PNP-specific draw)
140 March 23 3232 467 (CEC-specific draw)
139 March 18   668 720(PNP-specific draw)
138 March 4 3900 471
137 February 19 4500 470
136 February 5 3500 472
135 January 22 3400 471
134 January 8 3400 473

 

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.

392 Provincial nominees invited in June 24 Express Entry draw

In the Express Entry draw held on June 24, a total of 392 candidates with provincial nominations received Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence in Canada. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off score required for candidates to receive an ITA in the draw was 696. As all these candidates already have an additional 600 CRS score points added to their total score along with the provincial nomination, those with a basic CRS score of at least 96 have received invitations in the draw.

The Tie-break rule was applied in the latest Express Entry draw and the time-stamp given was April 23, 2020, at 10:39:30 UTC. It means the Express Entry draw prioritized those candidates with a minimum CRS score of 696, who had submitted their Express Entry profiles before the said date and time.

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After the Canadian government imposed travel restrictions on March 18, 2020, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has been conducting regular Express Entry draws that have alternately targeted provincial nominees and Canada Experience Class (CEC) candidates.  So far, a total of 15 Express Entry draws have been held under these two programs in which, over 27000 candidates have received ITAs. The total number of principal applicants who have received ITAs for permanent residence so far this year is 46392.

The Provincial Nominee Programs to remain active despite the COVID-19 restrictions. More than 1000 candidates have been contacted by various PNPs in the past seven days alone. The PNPs allows provinces and territories of Canada to select candidates with skills that are in demand in their respective labour markets and nominate them for permanent residence in Canada. However, in order to receive a provincial nomination through one of the Express Entry-aligned PNP streams, a candidate must have an active Express Entry profile.

Express Entry draws held so far in 2020

Draw Number Date Number of ITAs issued Minimum CRS score
153 June 24 392 696(PNP-specific draw)
152 June 11 3551 437(CEC-specific draw)
151 June 10 341 743(PNP-specific draw)
150 May 28 3515 440(CEC-specific draw)
149 May 27 385 757(PNP-specific draw)
148 May 15 3371 447(CEC-specific draw)
147 May 13 529 718(PNP-specific draw)
146 May 1 3311 452(CEC-specific draw)
145 April 29 589 692(PNP-specific draw)
144 April 16 3782 455 (CEC-specific draw)
143 April 15 118 808(PNP-specific draw)
142 April 9 3,294 464(CEC-specific draw)
141 April 9 606 698(PNP-specific draw)
140 March 23 3232 467 (CEC-specific draw)
139 March 18   668 720(PNP-specific draw)
138 March 4 3900 471
137 February 19 4500 470
136 February 5 3500 472
135 January 22 3400 471
134 January 8 3400 473

 

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.

Invitations issued to 190/491 visa candidates in June 3 Canberra Matrix round

On June 3rd, 2020, Canberra Matrix revealed the results of its invitations issued to 190 and 491 visa candidates. A total of 81 invitations were issued to candidates applied for 190 Visa. The matrices which received invitations had a point range between 110-70. At the same time, no new invitations were issued for Subclass 491 visa, as there were sufficient 491 applications for meeting the annual allocations for the year 2019/2020.

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Canberra Matrix

Canberra Matrix is an Expression of Interest system, used by the Australian Capital Territory(ACT) of Canberra to identify and invite eligible candidates who are interested in living and working in the ACT.

Canberra is one of the most attractive destinations for Australia immigration aspirants owing to employment opportunities, affordable housing facilities, excellent education system as well as multiculturalism. More than 25 percent of the population in the city is constituted by immigrants.

The states and territories of Australia can nominate eligible immigration applicants for permanent residence in Australia through the Skilled Nominated Subclass 190 Visa or Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Subclass 491 visa. A nomination from an Australian state or territory adds 15 points to the total score of 491 visa candidates and 5 points to 190 visa candidates.

In order to apply for a nomination under Canberra Matrix, the candidate must have submitted an Expression of Interest in SkillSelect and the score must be at least 65 points. Upon submitting an Expression of Interest under Canberra Matrix system, points are allocated to each candidate on the basis of various eligibility factors. The candidates can choose their preference to be considered under either ACT 190 or ACT 491.

The highest scoring candidates are invited to apply for a nomination in the Canberra Matrix rounds that are conducted regularly. Upon receiving the nomination, the candidates may apply for permanent residence in Australia to the Department of Home Affairs (DHA).

Do you wish to migrate to Australia? Take the first step for fulfilling your dream by filling our free online assessment form.

181 candidates invited in June 19 Manitoba PNP draw

In the 92nd Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program(MPNP) draw held on June 19, a total of 181 immigration candidates received Letters of Advice to Apply(LAAs) for provincial nomination. The Manitoba LAAs were issued to candidates belonging to the following Manitoba PNP streams:

  • Skilled Workers in Manitoba
  • Skilled Workers Overseas
  • International Education stream

Of the total 181 LAAs issued, 111 went to Skilled Workers in Manitoba candidates and 58 to Skilled Workers Overseas candidates. The remaining 12 invites were issued to International Education stream candidates. The number of Express Entry candidates who received invitations in the draw is 10. With the latest draw, the total number of LAAs issued by Manitoba so far this year has reached 2335.

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Manitoba Expression of Interest

In order to receive an LAA from Manitoba to apply for a provincial nomination, a candidate must first register an Expression of Interest with the MPNP. Each profile is assessed on the basis of various human capital factors including education, work experience, language skills etc., and awarded a score out of 1000. In the latest draw, the minimum score required for candidates to receive an LAA under the Skilled Workers in Manitoba stream was 504. At the same time, Skilled Workers Overseas candidates were required to score at least 686 points.

 

Manitoba PNP streams

The Skilled Workers Overseas and Skilled Workers in Manitoba categories of MPNP allow the province to nominate candidates, who are capable of supporting the labour market needs of Manitoba, for permanent residence in Canada. To be eligible under the Skilled Workers Overseas Stream, the candidates must have a previous connection to Manitoba, which can be close family members or friends residing in the province, work or education experience or an invitation received under one of the Strategic Recruitment Initiatives of MPNP. The candidate need not be present in Manitoba at the time of submitting the application. At the same time, to be eligible under Skilled Workers in Manitoba category, the candidates must meet certain criteria including having a full-time permanent job offer from a Manitoba employer. The International Education stream aims to nominate international graduates from the post-secondary institutions of Manitoba, who have in-demand skills.

Canada PNP offers endless opportunities for candidates with diverse skillsets to migrate to Canada. Contact us for choosing your best immigration pathway for Canada immigration

Former Canada immigration Minister calls for lifting travel restrictions

Jason Kenney, the former Immigration Minister of Canada has urged the Canadian government to find out safe solutions for opening its borders. He is also the premiere of the Canadian province of Alberta. He said that lifting travel restrictions was crucial for speeding up the economic recovery of Alberta.

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Kenney urged the Canadian government to look into the strategies adopted by countries such as Iceland, Austria and New Zealand for re-opening their borders. Iceland offers COVID-19 tests to all incoming travellers and those who test negative are exempt from the mandatory two-week quarantine. Kenney fears that prolonging the travel restrictions would affect the economic interests of Canada.

The airline, hotel and tourism industries of Canada are also suggesting solutions on safely welcoming foreign travellers.  At present, foreign travellers to Canada, including Canadian citizens and permanent residents, are required to undergo quarantine for two weeks. Canadian airline companies are of the view that this requirement is deterring foreigners from travelling to the country. In place of quarantine, they are suggesting measures such as mandatory mask-wearing, temperature checks and rapid testing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It is expected that Canada would be making an announcement regarding the loosening of travel restrictions by the end of this month.

Jason Kenney is the longest-serving Immigration Minister of Canada, who held the position from 2008 to 2013. Under his reign, Canadian immigration underwent sweeping reforms and modernization. The groundwork for the launch of the path-breaking Express Entry system was started during his tenure. Kenney became the Premier of Alberta in 2019. His election campaign proposals included boosting the economic development of Alberta through the Provincial Nominee Program(PNP).

Looking for migrating to Canada? Despite the restrictions imposed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Canada is still welcoming permanent residents to the country.  So go ahead with your Canada migration plans and as the first step, fill our free online eligibility assessment form.

Canada immigration application process on path to modernization

Canada is gearing up for a ‘significant surge’ in the number of immigration applications once the restrictions imposed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic eases, which is likely to put a ‘tremendous demand’ on government resources. In order to handle this increase in the number of applications, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada(IRCC) is planning to overhaul the immigration application process.

As part of the efforts, IRCC has issued a tender request seeking support for the modernization of the immigration application processing system, including the processing of paper applications, immigration interviews and computer system overhaul. The tender request reads: “IRCC needs to act quickly to develop (i) updated and new strategies, and (ii) processes and digital systems to cope with the rapid change it is undergoing.”It further says: “When travel restrictions begin to ease, a significant surge of applications and support requirements is anticipated, putting tremendous demand on our global operations and supporting branches.”

 

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The IRCC is planning to completely overhaul its policies, procedures, and digital solutions for handling the expected post-coronavirus spike in applications. Simultaneously, it is developing new strategies, processes and digital systems for meeting the increasing demand. In the wake of the pandemic, IRCC is planning to rely more on digital processes, replacing in-person and paper processes. These are expected to make the application processing faster and more efficient, even while ensuring the safety of IRCC staff as well as the public.

As per the Immigration Levels Plan of Canada for 2020-2022, the country was expecting to welcome over one million immigrants in the next three years. Despite the coronavirus pandemic slowing down immigration, Canada’s minister for immigration Marco Mendicino has reiterated Canada’s commitment towards welcoming more immigrants in order to support the country’s economy.

Though restrictions in place, Canada continues to hold Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws. The IRCC is also processing study and work permits, and allowing immediate family members to enter the country.

It is expected that the modernization process would equip the IRCC to handle a higher number of applications for immigration, once the pandemic is over.

Do you wish to migrate to Canada? Then start the process right away in order to avoid the expected rush of applicants once restrictions ease. Take the first step by filling our free online assessment form.

Alberta invites 148 Express Entry candidates with CRS cut-off score of 300

Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program(AINP) invited 148 Express Entry candidates with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System(CRS) score of 300. The Alberta Express Entry draw was held on May 27 and the results were announced recently.

 

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Canada Express Entry

The federal Express Entry system of Canada manages applications for immigration under the three major federal economic immigration programs of Canada, which are: Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, and Canadian Experience Class. The candidates who wish to receive a provincial nomination under the Express Entry stream of Alberta must first create an Express Entry profile. Each profile is assessed and ranked under the Comprehensive Ranking System. A CRS score out of 1200 is awarded to each profile and the highest-scoring candidates are invited to apply for permanent residence in Canada.

The candidates who are nominated by a province have 600 additional points added to their total CRS score. It increases their chances of received in Invitation to Apply for permanent residence in the federal Express Entry draw.

Alberta Express Entry stream

To receive an invitation under the Alberta Express Entry stream, the candidate must have work experience in an occupation that supports the economic development and diversification priorities of Alberta. Though Alberta does not maintain a list of eligible occupations, they do have a list of ineligible occupations. These occupations include the high-wage and low wage government jobs as well as those included in the Alberta Opportunity Stream Ineligible Occupations list. In the context of special restrictive measures introduced in the wake of COVID-19, the Alberta Express Entry stream is giving priority to those candidates who are already in Alberta. The province has issued a total of 1746 Invitations to Express Entry candidates so far this year. In 2019, Alberta issued a total of 6884 invitations.

 

Do you wish to migrate to Canada? Explore your chances for Canada PNP immigration by filling our free online assessment form.

CRS score drops to the lowest at 437 in Express Entry draw

The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off score dropped to 437 in the June 11 Express Entry draw that exclusively targeted Canada Experience Class(CEC) candidates. This is the lowest CRS requirement in any CEC-specific Express Entry draw held since 2017. It also marked a decrease by three points compared to the previous CEC-specific draw held on May 28.  A total of 3559 candidates received Invitations to Apply for permanent residence in the latest draw, which makes the second largest draw to have held after Canada introduced certain restrictive measures in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak.

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In the PNP-specific Express Entry draw held the previous day on June 10, a total of 341 provincial nominees with a CRS score of 743 had received Invitations to Apply for permanent residence from the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada(IRCC). The tie-break date and time applied in the draw were May 25, 2020, at 00:31:43 UTC. It means not all candidates who have a minimum CRS score of 437 received invitations in the draw, but only those who had submitted their profiles before the said date and time.

With the latest draw, the total number of ITAs issued so far this year 46000. This number is higher compared to the number of ITAs issued during the same period last year and the year before. It shows that the Express Entry system of Canada remains active despite the restrictions introduced in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country. In the past two months alone, the IRCC conducted 13 Express Entry draws, though they alternately targeted provincial nominees and CEC candidates.

This is mainly because a vast majority of CEC candidates are already there in Canada and they do not have to travel from abroad. Similarly, PNPs are also allowed to meet their annual allocations.

Canada has also given some relaxations regarding the documents that have to be submitted along with the application for permanent residence. The candidates may submit the application along with missing documents, provided they include a letter of explanation as to why they could not submit all the documents. These candidates will be given a relaxation of 90 days to submit all the required documents.

Express Entry draws held so far in 2020

Draw Number Date Number of ITAs issued Minimum CRS score
152 June 11 3559 437(CEC-specific draw)
151 June 10 341 743(PNP-specific draw)
150 May 28 3515 440(CEC-specific draw)
149 May 27 385 757(PNP-specific draw)
148 May 15 3371 447(CEC-specific draw)
147 May 13 529 718(PNP-specific draw)
146 May 1 3311 452(CEC-specific draw)
145 April 29 589 692(PNP-specific draw)
144 April 16 3782 455 (CEC-specific draw)
143 April 15 118 808(PNP-specific draw)
142 April 9 3,294 464(CEC-specific draw)
141 April 9 606 698(PNP-specific draw)
140 March 23 3232 467 (CEC-specific draw)
139 March 18   668 720(PNP-specific draw)
138 March 4 3900 471
137 February 19 4500 470
136 February 5 3500 472
135 January 22 3400 471
134 January 8 3400 473

 

Canada Express Entry offers 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.