Canada is encouraging 392 Express Entry applicants to apply for permanent residency this year, as the Canadian government has hinted that Express Entry will be modified in 2022.
In the federal budget for 2021, the Liberal administration proposed giving the immigration minister more leeway in inviting Express Entry candidates who meet Canada's labour market demands.
Key Takeaways:
The Canadian government will invite 392 Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residency this year.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has urged Immigration Minister Sean Fraser to open up more permanent residency opportunities for International Students and temporary foreign workers.
According to the Canadian government, changes to Express Entry are expected in 2022.
In December 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau directed Immigration Minister Sean Fraser to use Express Entry to expand permanent residency pathways for international students and temporary foreign workers.
While no other details have been released, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has invited only Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates to the January 5 draw.
The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cutoff score was 808. When PNP candidates are nominated, 600 points are automatically added to their score, which appears to be high when compared to previous invitation rounds.
According to an internal briefing note, IRCC has only held PNP draws since September 2021, and IRCC has been focusing on PNP candidates due to a backlog of applications being processed by immigration officers.
The immigration agency hopes to cut the Express Entry backlog in half before accepting candidates from other programmes.
For PNP and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) applicants in 2021, Canada held only program-specific Express Entry draws.
For the first time in Express Entry history, no candidates from the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) were asked to apply. Prior to the pandemic, FSWP candidates were the primary source of Express Entry immigrants.
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