IMMIGRATION, REFUGEES, CITIZENSHIP CANADA (IRCC) HELD ITS LATEST EXPRESS ENTRY DRAW ON MARCH 16, 2022

Canada issued 924 invitations to candidates with a profile in the Express Entry pool.


Draw Number: 218
Date of Draw: March 16, 2022
Number of Invitations Issued: 924
Minimum CRS: 754
Program Specified: Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
Tie-breaking rule: February 10, 2022

Canada’s latest Express Entry draw invited candidates that had been nominated under a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Recipients of a provincial nomination receive an additional 600 points toward their CRS score. That means that the lowest ranking candidate in today’s draw had a CRS score of just 154 before being nominated by a province.

The Canadian government put a temporary pause on Federal High Skilled Worker (FHS) draws as they work at eliminating a backlog of applications. Instead, Canada has been holding PNP-specific draws for candidates that have been nominated by a province.

Provinces are continuing to use the Express Entry pool to invite overseas candidates to apply for nominations. By nominating these candidates for permanent residence, provinces can fill labour and demographic gaps while FHS draws remain suspended.

PNPs provide an immigration option to candidates that may not have otherwise been invited in a federal draw. Provincial programs often target individuals with experience and skills that would benefit their province.

Each province operates several nominee programs, each with unique eligibility requirements; many require a connection to the province to apply (work experience, a job offer, a family member, or education in the province).

There are also several provincial immigration programs available to overseas workers without any connections to Canada. Certain provincial nominee programs target individuals in the Express Entry pool with in-demand skills or work experience. These requirements usually change from draw to draw in response to labour market needs. For this reason, just by having an active Express Entry profile, there is always a possibility of receiving an invitation to apply for a nomination.


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