June 10, 2020 – Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), conducted a targeted Express Entry (EE) draw, issuing that 341Invitations to Apply (ITA) to candidates holding Provincial Nominations (PNP) with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking Score (CRS) score of743. The CRS cutoff score has dropped since the last EE draw on May 27th, which was 757, so there has been a 14-point drop in scores.

Why Targeted Draws

This was also a targeteddraw by IRCC, which has been the trend since the COVID-19 pandemic. The selection of PNP candidates aligns with IRCC’s commitment to provide the Provinces with their annual allocations for immigration.

For the time being, Canadian Experience Class and PNP candidates are being prioritized.  Canadian Experience Class candidates are being chosen because they are already in Canada and would not be subject to travel restrictions and quarantine.

Will IRCC Resume All-Program Draws

We have been advised that IRCC is monitoring the pool of applicants and processing environment. There have been discussions ongoing about including other categories, but this won’t be happening right now.  They are monitoring where the majority of applicants are in the pool. So far, they recognize there are many Federal Skilled Trade (FST) candidates who are already in Canada (60-80%), so FST will likely be first expansion.

As of June 8th, there are 143,567 applicants in the EE pool.

Extensions for Documents for those with ITA

IRCC is also continuing with their policy to allow for 90-day extensions to eligible applicants who have received an ITA but are unable to submit documentation to submit an application for Permanent Residency. Applicants must provide a letter of explanation to explain the reasons for the delay.

Extension for those for Permanent Residence Applications

For those of you outside and Canada and received a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) or Permanent Resident Visa (PRV), so long as the approval was prior to March 18, 2020.

For those of you who have a COPR and are unable or unwilling to travel, even, if your travel document is expired, you must inform IRCC through their web portal of your intentions. By doing this, IRCC will re-open and review your case within 90 days.