Maple News reports that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued 635 new Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence through the Express Entry system. All candidates invited in this round were part of the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), which automatically awards nominees an additional 600 points in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). As a result, the minimum CRS score cut-off for this draw was 764.
The draw took place on September 1, and per IRCC protocol, the tie-breaking rule was applied to candidates who had the minimum score. The cut-off timestamp was April 12, 2021, at 12:21:45 UTC. IRCC uses this tie-breaker rule to ensure transparency in case multiple candidates share the same score at the cut-off.
Candidates who received an invitation now have 60 days to submit their complete application for permanent residency. The PNP program allows Canadian provinces to nominate individuals who meet local labor market needs, thereby strategically supporting regional population and economic growth.
While invitations through Express Entry continue, IRCC has focused exclusively in recent months on PNP and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates. Unlike in 2020, no all-program draws have taken place so far in 2021. This strategy appears linked to ongoing processing delays within the federal system.
Applications from non-CEC Express Entry candidates are seeing longer wait times due to a reduced processing capacity. In line with this, IRCC removed the progress bar from online accounts in March 2021, though applicants can still monitor their application status in the dedicated “Details about application status” section.
Despite the backlog, 2021 has been a record-breaking year for Express Entry ITAs. So far, IRCC has issued over 106,000 invitations—nearly double the number released at the same time last year. This surge increases the likelihood that Canada will meet its Express Entry admissions target of 108,500 new permanent residents by the end of the year.
Score thresholds have varied throughout 2021, influenced by the draw types. CEC draws generally yield lower CRS cut-offs due to the limited competition within that pool. In contrast, PNP draws maintain higher thresholds due to the bonus points granted through provincial nominations.
The current draw reflects Canada’s continued prioritization of candidates with strong ties to the country through either work experience or provincial nomination. As immigration plays a key role in Canada’s post-pandemic recovery strategy, stakeholders should expect tailored draw patterns to continue in the near future.