Canada invited A total of 2,000 immigration candidates in a newest Express Entry draw
IRCC invites 2,000 candidates in new Express Entry draw
Minimum CRS score of 533 required by all selected candidates
A new Express Entry draw was held by Canada on August 3, 2022. A total of 2,000 immigration candidates received an Invitation to Apply (ITAs) from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
IRCC only issued invitations to candidates who met a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 533 or more.
For nearly a year now, IRCC has been holding draws for PNP candidates only, this started to change last month when an all-program draw resumed in the first week of July.
This draw also did not target any specific programs, meaning that Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates, as well as candidates from the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) were considered in the draw.
Compared to the draw held on July 20, a higher number of invitations was issued during this draw, and the score requirement was also lower.
Canada’s plan for this year is to welcome approximately 55,900 newcomers into the country through Express Entry. By the end of 2024, that target will be nearly doubled to 111,500.
Once the selected candidates submit their applications for permanent residency, their application will be processed by IRCC and if all goes well, the next step will be to complete their landing in the country as new immigrants.
PGWP and International Students
In other immigration-related news, thousands of individuals with a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) have had their permits expire due to IRCC pausing invitations to CEC candidates.
Because of this, permit holders were prevented from applying for a Bridging Open Work Permit as they waited for their permanent residency applications to be processed.
An announcement was made by IRCC on August 2, that individuals with expired permits can have their open work permits extended by another 18 months. This will be a huge relief for PGWP holders because now they can continue working as they wait.
Finally, due to the pandemic, many international students have been unable to leave their home countries and had to continue their education at a Canadian institution through distance learning.
IRCC announced recently that students who completed Canadian courses and programs online between March 2020 and August 2022 will be allowed to use those credentials for their CRS score.
However, this will only be temporary as more things around the world start going back to normal.