Maple News reports that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted a significant Express Entry draw on Friday, April 16, 2021, issuing 6,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence to candidates in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score required was 417 — the lowest for a CEC-specific draw so far this year.
This surprise Friday evening invitation round marks the second-largest Express Entry draw in Canadian history. All three of the program’s record-setting draws have occurred in 2021, as IRCC pushes forward to meet its ambitious immigration goals despite the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, the largest draw ever happened on February 13, when 27,332 CEC candidates were invited.
Compared to the previous CEC-only draw, this latest round lowered the minimum CRS score by 15 points and increased the number of ITAs by 1,000. Only candidates who created an Express Entry profile before March 1, 2021, at 19:53:46 UTC were considered, as per IRCC’s tie-break rule.
“This late-Friday draw shows just how committed IRCC is to meeting Canada’s immigration target of 401,000 newcomers in 2021,” said David Cohen, Senior Attorney at Campbell Cohen. The government continues to demonstrate its proactive approach in accelerating application rounds during a crucial year for economic recovery.
This draw came amid a particularly eventful week in Canadian immigration. Just two days prior, IRCC issued 266 ITAs under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). More significantly, IRCC announced six new immigration streams set to launch in May 2021, targeting up to 90,000 temporary residents already in Canada — including essential workers, recent international graduates, and francophone applicants.
Various provinces have also remained active. British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Prince Edward Island held their own PNP draws throughout the week, continuing momentum at both the federal and provincial levels.
So far in 2021, Canada has issued 55,390 Express Entry invitations — nearly double the amount by this time in 2020. The sharp increase is largely due to the historical all-CEC draw in February, where IRCC extended invitations to every eligible candidate in the Canadian Experience Class pool.
Through a combination of record-breaking Express Entry draws, new targeted immigration streams, and active provincial engagement, Canada is on track to meet its 401,000 permanent resident target — with a strong emphasis on transitioning those already living and working in the country into permanent status.
Maple News will continue to track and analyze developments as IRCC ramps up its efforts to welcome skilled newcomers and support Canada’s economic recovery.