Maple News reports that on August 5, 2021, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 3,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residency to candidates under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) via the Express Entry system. To be eligible, candidates needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 404.
This draw followed a previous CEC round requiring just 357 points, the second-lowest score ever recorded for this category. The record low remains the February 13 draw when all CEC-eligible candidates in the pool with a CRS score of at least 75 were invited.
As per IRCC’s tie-break rule, only candidates who had submitted their profiles before August 3, 2021, at 05:39:26 UTC were considered in the draw, even if they met the minimum score. The tie-break system ensures fairness and transparency when multiple candidates have the same score near the cutoff.
Since early 2021, IRCC has focused on inviting candidates from the CEC and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams. This reflects a strategic priority to bring in candidates already in Canada or with strong local ties. Approximately 90% of CEC candidates in the Express Entry pool are currently living in Canada, making them less susceptible to pandemic-related travel disruptions.
This domestic focus aligns with Canada’s ambitious immigration target of welcoming 401,000 new permanent residents in 2021—a record number. By the end of June, IRCC had already admitted over 143,000 newcomers. To meet its annual goal, the department would need to land roughly 43,000 individuals each month for the remainder of the year.
The Express Entry system is playing a major role in meeting these targets. So far in 2021, Canada has issued 102,316 ITAs, nearly double the amount issued during the same period in 2020. This surge suggests a concentrated effort by IRCC to achieve its objective of admitting 108,500 permanent residents through Express Entry this year.
With travel restrictions easing and Canada ramping up its admissions, especially among candidates already in the country, future draws are expected to maintain or exceed current Invitation levels as part of the national recovery and immigration strategy.