Maple News reports that on December 22, Canada invited 746 candidates from the Express Entry pool to apply for permanent residency, continuing its focus on Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)-only draws. These candidates had previously secured provincial nominations, which added 600 points to their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores. As a result, the minimum CRS score required for this round was a substantial 720.
This marks the eighth consecutive PNP-specific draw held by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) since September. The consistent focus on PNP applicants demonstrates the government’s strategic intent to prioritize candidates who have strong ties to specific provinces and are more likely to settle in particular regions.
IRCC’s temporary halt on Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) invitations continues amidst its efforts to reduce the significant backlog in immigration applications. According to an internal IRCC briefing memo, the department aims to process pending cases and cut Express Entry inventory in half before resuming all-program draws.
In the previous PNP draw held in early December, IRCC issued a record-breaking 1,032 invitations with a minimum CRS requirement of 698. These variations in draw sizes and cut-off scores highlight the adaptive nature of selection based on program capacity and processing objectives.
It has now been a full year since the last all-program Express Entry draw, which occurred on December 23, 2020. Since then, IRCC has limited invitations to candidates under the PNP and CEC categories. This move was originally intended to better manage admissions during the pandemic by focusing on candidates who were already in Canada.
Travel restrictions earlier in 2021 prevented approved permanent residents from entering the country, which further justified the domestic focus. However, this strategy, along with the launch of new programs like the Temporary Residence to Permanent Residence (TR to PR) pathway, has contributed to a growing backlog of nearly 1.8 million immigration files, according to IRCC data.
Looking ahead, Canada’s Immigration Minister Sean Fraser has signaled a shift towards rebalancing immigration intake. With the Atlantic Immigration Pilot transitioning to a permanent program in 2022, IRCC is expected to gradually return to admitting immigrants from both domestic and international pools — providing broader opportunities for skilled foreign talent.
Maple News will continue to monitor and report on Express Entry developments as Canada navigates its evolving immigration landscape.