IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? Canada has conducted its third Express Entry draw of the year, issuing 3,508 invitations to apply for permanent residency. The lowest qualifying score was 453.

What does the change mean? Once again, more candidates were invited to apply than in any other draw since the Express Entry program was introduced in January 2015. The minimum qualifying score of 453 is a drop from the previous draws under the new Express Entry scoring system and indicates that a wider pool of candidates are being accepted.

  • Implementation time frame: Ongoing.
  • Visas/permits affected: Permanent residency through Express Entry.
  • Who is affected: Canadian companies sponsoring foreign nationals through one of four skilled migration programs: Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades, Canadian Experience Class and a portion of the Provincial Nominee Program.

Background: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada made significant changes to the Comprehensive Ranking System in November. The changes benefit candidates with a valid job offer in NOC 0, A or B occupations who have worked for at least one year in Canada for the employer making the job offer without the need for a positive Labor Market Impact Assessment, as well as candidates who have completed post-secondary education in Canada.

There have been six draws since the new scoring system was implemented:

Date Invitations Score
Nov. 30, 2016* 559 786
Dec. 16, 2016 1,936 497
Dec. 22, 2016 2,878 475
Jan. 4, 2017 2,902 468
Jan. 11, 2017 3,334 459
Jan. 25, 2017 3,508 453

*PNP nominees only 

BAL Analysis: This draw continues the trend of significantly higher numbers of invitations to apply and low minimum qualifying scores since the new ranking system was introduced.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group and our network provider located in Canada. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.

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