IMPACT – MEDIUM

Canada conducted its ninth Express Entry draw of the year Wednesday, issuing 3,350 invitations to apply for permanent residency. The lowest Comprehensive Ranking System score was 450.

Analysis & Comment: Wednesday’s draw was the seventh consecutive draw in which 3,350 invitations were issued. The minimum CRS score was 450, one point lower than the previous draw. Canada continues to invite a high number of individuals for permanent residency. The increased number of invitations and the low minimum scores are good news for applicants.

The following chart lists Express Entry Draws to date in 2019:

Date               Invitations Minimum Score
Jan. 10 3,900 449
Jan. 23 3,900 443
Jan. 30 3,350 438
Feb. 20 3,350 457
March 6 3,350 454
March 20 3,350 452
April 3 3,350 451
April 17 3,350 451
May 1 3,350 450

Background: The Express Entry system prioritizes permanent residence candidates in four skilled migration programs—Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades, Canadian Experience Class and a portion of the Provincial Nominee Program—on a points system that considers such factors as current job offer, education, skills, work experience and age, among others. Candidates register their profiles online through the Express Entry system. Draws are conducted roughly every two weeks, usually for all four categories but sometimes limited to one or two of them. The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration publishes the results of each draw, indicating the number of invitations for permanent residence that are issued and the minimum score needed to earn an invitation. Individuals who receive an invitation must apply for permanent residency within 60 days. Under tie-breaking rules, applicants with the same Comprehensive Ranking System score are ranked according to the date and time they submitted their profiles, highlighting the importance of submitting Express Entry profiles as early as possible.

This alert was prepared by Garson LLP, an independent law firm, allied with Deloitte LLP in Canada.