Express Entry Update

On April 9th 2020, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued two rounds of invitations to apply for permanent residence under the Express Entry system. These draws targeted candidates who have either received a nomination from a province or territory, or who have completed one year of skilled work in Canada.

The first round of invitations selected candidates who have received a nomination from a province or territory. There are currently over 60 different program streams through which Canadian provinces and territories can issue nominations to candidates who meet their labour market needs. On receipt of a provincial or territorial nomination, the applicant can proceed to apply to the federal government for permanent residence. If the applicant is nominated under an Express Entry-based provincial nomination program, on approval by the province they will receive an additional 600 points in their Express Entry profile. In this round of invitations, 606 candidates were invited to apply for permanent residence and the minimum score selected was 698. The maximum possible score for candidates without a provincial or territorial nomination is 600 points.

The second round of invitations selected candidates who are eligible to apply for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class. 3,294 candidates were invited to apply, and the minimum score selected was 464. In previous draws, IRCC invited candidates to apply under both the Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class programs. Because only Canadian Experience Class candidates were invited in this draw, the minimum score required was the lowest that we have seen so far this year. To qualify for selection under the Canadian Experience Class, candidates must have at least one year of skilled work in Canada within the past three years, and must meet minimum language proficiency requirements.

Canada has a diverse range of immigration programs at both the federal and provincial level. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada continues to accept and process applications for permanent residence under both federal and provincial immigration programs, including Express Entry.