Canada Immigration: 636 ITAs Issued in Express Entry Draw #225

Canada holds the thirteenth round of invitations this year under the Express Entry system, targeting those with a provincial nomination. All-program draws to resume soon. 

On June 22, 2022, Canada invited 636 that had a provincial nomination from the Express Entry pool of candidates. Those invited can now submit their application for Canadian permanent residence to the federal department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). 

Only PNP-specific draws have been held by Canada in 2022 so far. However, as reported by CIC News, all-program draws might ‘tentatively’ be resumed from July 6, 2022. CIC News was in conversation with the Canadian Immigration Minister Sean Fraser at the Collision Conference in Toronto. 

Three of the main economic immigration programs of Canada are handled through the Express Entry system - 

• Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), 
• Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and
• Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

Some PNP streams are also linked with the Express Entry system, offering expedited processing under ‘enhanced’ nominations. 

Scoring 67 points on the Canada Skilled Immigration Points Calculator, and fulfilling other requirements, makes you eligible to create your Express Entry profile. Nevertheless, you can submit your Canada PR application under Express Entry only if you are issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA) by IRCC. 

ITAs are sent out by IRCC in the Express Entry draws held from time to time. Generally, Express Entry draws are held on a fortnightly basis, occurring once every 15 days. 

It is the highest-ranked - based on their score on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) - that are issued invitations. The minimum required CRS cut-off varies from draw to draw. CRS score, given out of a maximum 1,200 points, is not to be confused with the 67-point Canada Express Entry eligibility. 

Why is the tie-breaking rule applied by IRCC in Express Entry draws?

IRCC tends to prioritize profiles created earlier over those that had been entered in the pool at a later date. The tie-breaking rule is applied by IRCC in situations wherein more than one candidate has the lowest CRS score required. As per IRCC, in such cases, “the cut-off is based on the date and time they submitted their Express Entry profiles”. 

The tie-breaking rule - April 19, 2022 at 13:45:45 UTC - applied in the latest Express Entry draw means that candidates who received an ITA from IRCC in Express Entry Draw #225 were those with - 

• A nomination under Canadian PNP, 
• Their ranking score CRS 752 and above, and 
• Profile created before the tie-break applied.

All the 13 Express Entry draws in 2022 so far have targeted candidates that had a nomination under the PNP of Canada. All-program Express Entry draws will resume in early-July. 

What is Canadian PNP?

Canadian PNP refers to the Provincial Nominee Program of Canada. Under the PNP, provinces (except Quebec) and territories (except Nunavut) can select potential immigrants for settling within their province/territory as a permanent resident. 

Quebec province and Nunavut territory are not a part of the PNP. Quebec immigration programs run independently of PNP and Express Entry. 

The PNP supports the immigration of individuals that - 

• Have expressed an interest in settling within a particular providence or territory, and
• The province or territory believes that they have the potential to contribute to the prosperity and economic development of that province/territory. 

Each of the PNP streams targets a specific class of immigrants, such as - skilled workers, semi-skilled workers, students, and businesspeople. There are around 80 PNP immigration pathways or ‘streams’ available.