Applications for Canadian Permanent Residency hit 31,250, as minimum score drops again

The latest draw of Express Entry candidates who applied for the Canadian Permanent Residency, has taken the number of Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued so far in 2019 to 31,250.

According to the Canadian Immigration News, the Canadian Government invited 3,350 Express Entry candidates to apply for Canadian Permanent Residency in a draw held yesterday, May 1st. It was further reported that the increase in the number of invitations reflects the rising admissions targets for the three Express Entry-managed programs, which are set to increase annually between 2019 and 2021.

Following the May draw, the number of ITAs in 2019 increased by 6,750 ahead of the corresponding issued in 2018, a year that saw Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) establish a new Express Entry ITA record of 89,800 invitations issued in a single year.

Minimum Cut-off drops again: The cut-off score for the May 1st draw was 450, which is one point lower than the minimum score in the previous draw on April 17th which was 451. The drop in the minimum cut-off makes it the fourth time that the cut-off Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score has decreased since February 20th, 2019.

The tie-break used by IRCC in the May 1st draw was November 5th, 2018. This means that all candidates with a CRS score above 450, as well as those candidates with scores of 450 who entered their profile in the Express Entry pool before this date and time, received an ITA.

It is possible that the minimum CRS score could be further reduced if IRCC holds larger or more frequent draws this year.

Demands for these occupations in Canada: Candidates with work experience in any skilled occupation may be invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence through Canada’s Express Entry system, but experience in a specific line of work can be an advantage at the provincial level.

Canada has both federal and provincial economic immigration pathways, each with its own unique work experience criteria. The Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class, and Canadian Experience Class are three of Canada’s main federal pathways to permanent residence. The pool of candidates for all three programs is managed by the Express Entry system.

Hence, Express Entry’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which determines a candidate’s position in the pool, only considers the amount of full-time, or equivalent part-time, work experience, and whether their occupation is considered ‘skilled’.

Earlier, the Canadian Immigration Newsletter listed some popular examples of provincial nominee streams that require specified work experience. Specifically, they include:

• British Columbia: Tech Pilot
• Alberta: Alberta Opportunity Stream
• Saskatchewan: International Skilled Worker — Express Entry and Occupation In-Demand sub-categories
• Manitoba: Skilled Worker Overseas
• Ontario: Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills Stream
• New Brunswick: Express Entry Labour Market Stream (sometimes, not always)
• Nova Scotia: Demand — Express Entry (Category B)

Also, it was reported that Professions targeted by these lists vary, but there are occupations that a number have had in common:

• Accounting technicians and bookkeepers (NOC 1311)
• Administrative assistants (NOC 1241)
• Computer programmers and interactive media developers (NOC 2174)
• Social and community service workers (NOC 4212)
• Early childhood educators (NOC 4214)

[Also Read: How to Apply for Canadian Permanent Residency from Nigeria on Your Own]