Canada invited 4,500 Canadian Experience Class (CEC) applicants to apply for permanent residency in the country in its latest invitation round.
Candidates in this round of the invitation draw, held on July 8, 2021, needed to have a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of at least 369 points to be issued an invitation to apply (ITA).
The cutoff score of 369 in this draw was higher than the last iteration of the invitation rounds, which had a cutoff score of 357 points. The number of ITAs issued in this draw was also the lowest since the invitation round held on May 20, 2021.
Candidates in this round of the invitation draw needed to have submitted their profiles for Canadian immigration before June 10, 2021.
After this invitation round, a total of 93,842 applicants have been invited to apply for permanent residency in Canada by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) so far in 2021.
IRCC has been focusing on CEC applicants strongly this year due to the fact that they are most likely already in Canada at the time of the invitation draws, and it is far easier to invite them for permanent Canadian immigration than offshore applicants while border restrictions due to the pandemic continue to stifle international travel.
Such a high number of ITAs issued already has set Canada in good stead to meet its target of inviting 108,500 new permanent residents through the Express Entry this year, as part of the country’s drive to welcome more than one million new permanent residents by 2023 under its 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan.
Since the beginning of 2021, IRCC has been holding invitation draws alternating between the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) to meet its target of inviting over 100,000 new permanent residents to Canada in 2021.
PNP candidates have higher cutoff scores than their CEC counterparts, given that being nominated by a Canadian province grants applicants an additional 600 points on their profile.
Express Entry is Canada’s points-based immigration application management portal for three Federal High Skilled programs – the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).
Candidates in each invitation round have their profiles evaluated by IRCC – Canada’s immigration department – and are given points based on a number of factors, which include age, education, work experience and proficiency in English or French – Canada’s two official languages.
Candidates with profiles having at least the cutoff score for that particular invitation round are then invited by IRCC to apply to the Federal Government for permanent Canadian immigration.
