Breaking News: Canada’s First Express Entry Draw #226 since 2020 on July 6, 2022!

On July 6, 2022, Immigration Refugees Citizenship Canada’s (IRCCs) held the first All-Program
Express Entry Federal Skilled Worker Program draw (#226) since December 23, 2020 when the
CRS score for an ITA was only 468. After two years of halting all-program draws, IRCC selected
1500 candidates for an Invitation to Apply (ITA), with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)
score of 557. On the same day, IRCC held a draw for CEC candidates. CEC Express Entry draws
were also stopped since September 2021. The trend seems to be that candidates must have an
increased CRS score to be chosen from the pool as this draw saw an increase of almost 100
points from the last draw.

Latest News

Immigration Minister Sean Fraser tweeted on July 4th that “starting July 6th, 2022, qualified
candidates will be invited to apply for permanent residence”. His tweet also confirmed that
Express Entry under all (3) categories (Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trade and
Canadian Experience Class) will be resumed.

Pandemic Effects

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, since January 2021, IRCC has issued ITA’s only to CEC and
PNP candidates. This was a result of the travel restrictions implemented during the pandemic
that would present challenges for foreign being able to enter Canada. By focusing on PNP and
CEC candidates, IRCC eliminated the need to select candidates that were out of the country,
instead focusing on those already in the country. Following this, in September 2021, CEC draws
were put on pause to deal with the application backlogs in the system, and PNP draws occurred
bi-weekly to address provincial and territorial labour shortages.

CRS Score Distribution as of July 6, 2022

As of July 6, 2022, there are 226,849 express entry applicants in the pool. In December 2020,
there were approximately 147,000 candidates in the pool, of which around 25,000 had a CRS
score of 451-500. Due to the pause in draws, the pool has significantly increased and there are
now 58,040 candidates with scores of 451-500, an increase of over 50%.

What is Express Entry?

The Express Entry System is an online application management system that aims to ensure
faster processing and better economic outcomes for permanent residence to Canada under
both federal and certain provincial programs. If you receive a PNP invitation, an additional 600
points will be added to your express entry profile. If you have Canadian experience, you will
also receive additional points, as well as if you have knowledge of the French language, which
can afford you an additional 50 points.

Eligibility for Express Entry

In order to be eligible for one of the Express Entry programs, you must check whether you meet
the requirements based on several selection factors. You must score a minimum of 67 points
out of a possible 100.

The factors include:

Education
Age
Work Experience
Language Proficiency
Family Members in Canada
Job Offer in Canada
Once you are deemed eligible to apply, you may submit your online express entry profile. Once
you create your profile, you will be put into a pool with other express entry candidates. In order
to be chosen from the pool and receive an invitation to apply, you need to have one of the
highest-ranking scores. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) is the points-based system
uses to score your profile. Your CRS score will be based on the points you receive in specific
criteria. If you are invited, you can apply for permanent residence.

How to Increase Your Points

Applicants who have less than competitive may increase their points through a job offer.
Although a job offer in Canada may be difficult for a foreign worker, there are many skilled
occupations that currently have a labour shortage in Canada.
In addition, francophone speakers have an added advantage to earn extra points on their CRS
score. In addition, as of October 27th, French-speaking candidates are now awarded an
additional 25 points and if you are bilingual, you are eligible for an additional 50 points. In
addition, several provinces have pathways specifically targeting French speakers with either
increased points or specifically targeted draws such as Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, and Ontario.

If you should have any questions or need more information about Express Entry and whether
you may qualify, please complete our online assessment. You can also visit our Law Firm’s
website at www.poonahimmigrationlaw.com, or call us at (678) 978-5848.