Maple News reports that Canada has issued 5,000 new Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence in its most recent Express Entry draw, held on December 9. Candidates invited needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 469 to be considered.
With this latest draw, Canada has now distributed a total of 102,350 ITAs in 2020—setting a new annual record. This milestone not only surpasses the previous high but also marks the first time the number of invitations exceeded the 100,000 mark in a single year, underscoring the country’s accelerated immigration efforts amidst the global pandemic.
Express Entry serves as the government’s primary application management system for three major federal economic immigration streams: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and the Canadian Experience Class. Selected candidates in Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) aligned with Express Entry are also considered.
The CRS is a points-based system assessing a variety of human capital factors, including age, education, skilled work experience, and language proficiency in English or French. Candidates with the highest scores are invited to apply for permanent residency in Canada.
This push for high volumes of ITAs aligns with Canada’s ambitious immigration targets to welcome over 400,000 new permanent residents in 2021. A substantial share of these newcomers is expected to arrive through the Express Entry system.
In cases where multiple candidates share the same CRS score, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) applies a tie-breaker rule. For this draw, candidates with a CRS 469 or higher needed to have submitted their profiles by June 4, 2020, at 22:26:05 UTC to qualify for an invitation.
The consistent high-volume draws and lowered CRS thresholds in recent months signal Canada’s continued economic reliance on skilled immigrants—even during global uncertainty. Experts suggest this trend is likely to continue as the country rebuilds post-pandemic.
Stay with Maple News for continued coverage on Canada’s immigration policies and Express Entry developments.