Maple News reports that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued 557 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence to candidates under the Express Entry system on May 12. This draw was exclusively for those who had secured a nomination through a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
To qualify in this round, candidates needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 752. Given that a provincial nomination automatically provides an additional 600 CRS points, the base score of nominees before the nomination stood at just 152. The high cutoff reflects the significant boost PNP nominations contribute to a candidate’s Express Entry profile.
As part of administrative procedures, the IRCC also applied the “tie-break” rule in this draw. Only candidates who submitted their profiles before April 29, 2021, at 10:18:12 UTC and met the minimum score were included. This ensures fair selection when multiple candidates share the same CRS score.
“Having Canadian experience before immigrating gives PNP candidates a notable advantage,” explains immigration expert David Cohen. Data shows that nearly two-thirds of PNP newcomers had Canadian work experience prior to becoming permanent residents, and a majority find employment within their first year in Canada.
Since the beginning of 2021, Canada’s Express Entry draws have focused exclusively on candidates from the PNP and Canadian Experience Class (CEC). This strategy aligns with current travel restrictions and supports the government’s goal of landing 401,000 new permanent residents this year, including 108,500 via Express Entry programs.
So far in 2021, IRCC has issued 62,328 ITAs to Express Entry candidates. The continued focus on PNP and CEC candidates reflects a broader immigration strategy centered on in-Canada applicants who are less impacted by international travel limitations.
The CRS score requirements differ significantly between the PNP and CEC categories. PNP candidates naturally have higher scores due to the 600-point nomination bonus, while CEC draws allow for lower scores since the pool is more focused and isolated from other candidate streams.
Express Entry is Canada’s main immigration application management system for skilled workers, including streams such as the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, and Canadian Experience Class. Candidates are ranked using the CRS, which evaluates factors such as age, education, language proficiency, and work experience.
With the government pressing forward to meet ambitious immigration targets, prospective applicants, especially those eligible for PNP nomination or with Canadian in-country experience, are well-positioned for success in upcoming draws.