Second PNP Draw of 2023 Invites 699 PNP Candidates

The new Express Entry draw issued 699 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residence. The draw’s target was to hold provincial nominations from one of the Canadian provinces. The candidates with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) minimum score of 791 or above received the ITAs.

The latest draw is the second Provincial Nominee Program in February 2023. There is 58 points difference between the only PNP draw of February 01, 2023, and the only PNP new draw. Overall, it is the fifth Express Entry draw of the year.

The previous draw was on February 1 and invited 893 candidates who received the provincial nomination with a CRS cut-off score of 733. The February 2 draw was only for the Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP) that issued 3000 ITAs, and the CRS score cut-off was 489.

It is anticipated that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will hold another draw tomorrow or at the end of this week. After the first quarter of 2023, IRCC plans to conduct a draw for a specific program.

CRS score distribution of candidates in the Express Entry pool as of February 15, 2023

Quick facts on Express Entry

Generally, Express Entry draws are held every two weeks on a Wednesday. Whereas draws in 2023 are issued with a changed pattern since the COVID-19 pandemic.

There are considerable differences from the first draw of this year - on January 11. The first draw of the year occurred with a pause due to a technical glitch caused by the implementation of NOC 2021. The next draw was a week later - on January 18. The number of ITAs was the same for both the PNP-only draws but with different CRS scores.

Instructions to conduct Express Entry draws come from the immigration minister and IRCC. There is no law to dictate the instruction, such as slots, time, number of candidates, or the minimum CRS score. Minister conducts the draws if that helps Canada meet the economic growth.

What is Express Entry?

Express Entry is an online application management system operated by IRCC. The system consists of three immigration programs: Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP), and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). The eligible candidates of the Provincial Nomination Program are also eligible for one of these three programs.

Express Entry relies on a points-based system - Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to determine the eligibility of candidates. The candidates with top scores receive the invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residence.

Express Entry will be either ways:

• Invites candidates who are eligible under the federal economic immigration program based on their CRS score
• The government of Canada invites candidates for a specific federal economic immigration program.

Quick update on Express Entry

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