The Canadian Government has issued fresh 3,500 invitations to Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residence in a draw held on the 5th of February, 2020. This was stated in the latest Canadian Immigration Newsletter.
The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score in this latest invitation round was 472, a point higher than the previous draw held on January 22.
The tie-break applied by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) indicated that all candidates with a score of 472 and above who submitted their profiles before the data.
How CRS Score works: Candidates are ranked based on a score awarded under the CRS that considers factors such as age, education, skilled work experience, and proficiency in English or French.
Highest-ranked candidates are invited to apply for Canadian permanent residency through regular draws from the pool.
The Express Entry system manages the pool of candidates for three of Canada’s main skilled labour immigration categories: the Federal skilled worker class, Federal Skilled Trades Class and Canadian Experience Class.
This invitation round brings the total number of Invitation To Apply (ITAs) issued this year to 10,300 as the target for new permanent resident admissions is slated to rise to 85,800 this year and 88,800 in 2021 compared to 81,400 in 2019.
Other opportunities: Nine Canadian provinces and two territories have what is known as “enhanced” Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams that are linked to the Express Entry system.
These streams, many of which require lower or no CRS score, allow participating provinces and territories to select Express Entry candidates and invite them to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence.
Express Entry candidates, who obtain provincial nominations, receive additional 600 points toward their CRS scores and are effectively guaranteed.