On 30 March, Canada welcomed 919 Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residence.
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) solely invited Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates in the current invitation round. The invited candidates have to have a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of at least 785.
The minimum score was relatively higher than the previous draw because PNP candidates receive an automatic 600-point boost when they are nominated. The lowest-scoring candidates would have received 185 points if they had not been selected.
The candidates who have been invited now have 60 days to apply for permanent residency in Canada. IRCC invited 924 PNP individuals to apply for Canadian immigration in the previous round of invitations.
The minister suggests an expansion of the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) or a comparable provision.
On 24 March, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser appeared before the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration to answer questions about the health of the immigration system.
When asked when draws for Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates would resume, Fraser indicated no set timetable. Since September 2021, Express Entry drawings for CEC applicants have been halted.
Resultantly, potential CEC candidates in Canada have been unable to apply—some of these candidates are nearing the end of the validity period of their work permits. Without an Express Entry draw, temporary employees—who are frequently in possession of a non-extendable PGWP—will be unable to obtain a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) to extend their stay. Instead, individuals may have to get a work permit supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or quit their positions or possibly leave Canada.
No official statements have been made by IRCC to prevent otherwise qualifying CEC or Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) candidates from having their status expired. On the other hand, Fraser indicated that there might be an opportunity to extend PGWPs or implement a similar approach.
“I intend to do all in my power to allow them to stay by extending post-graduate work permits or any proxy that will have the same impact that may be as effective,” Fraser said during the committee meeting.
He continued, “We need to finalize some policy work before we can implement the kinds of changes I’m talking about, but our goal is to allow those who are here working to stay and continue working until they may have an opportunity to complete the PR process, whether it’s through a skilled federal worker or CEC draw.”
Since December 2020, no FSWP candidates have been asked to apply. Since then, there has been no notification about when FSWP candidates will resume, except in public records obtained through access to information requests.
In 2021, IRCC’s approach of admitting as many in-Canada candidates as possible resulted in a massive backlog of FSWP candidates. IRCC predicts that processing some FSWP applications could take up to 36 months with the existing inventory. IRCC has maintained its halt on Express Entry lotteries for FSWP candidates to return processing times to the six-month standard. According to internal briefing documents, clearing the backlogs will require the first six months of 2022. Fraser previously stated that draws would restart in the spring.
Express Entry
The Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program all use Express Entry as their application management system. Candidates for the PNP in the Express Entry pool have already qualified for one of these programs.
Express Entry uses CRS to rank candidate profiles. The top-scoring individuals are issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA) and may then apply for permanent residency. Following the application, an IRCC officer evaluates the application and makes a decision. The officer will seek biometrics and may schedule an interview or request other documentation.
If your application is approved, you will get a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) from IRCC. Approved permanent residents can then complete the landing process. If they are not already in Canada, they may take advantage of pre-arrival services to assist them with the initial stages of settling in Canada.
Invites?
The following is a fictional account of someone who might have been invited to the new Express Entry draw.
Anh is 32 years old, has a master’s degree, and has been a software developer. She took the IELTS and received an 8 in every category. Anh has never lived in Canada, nor has she worked or studied there. With a score of 462, she was admitted to the Express Entry Pool as a Federal Skilled Worker. Anh’s CRS score increased to 1062 after getting a provincial nomination from Ontario. She was then selected for the new Express Entry draw and received an ITA.
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