The first draw in March where 7,000 candidates were invited was the largest-ever all-program draw in Express Entry history. There was a draw on March 1st where 667 invitations to apply were issued but only to Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates.
When you add the 7,000 ITAs sent in the other two draws in March, it brings the total invitations to 21,667 in a single month.
Therefore, there were four draws in March by Express Entry, which is an average of one every week. It is quite unusual considering the typical schedule is bi-weekly on Wednesdays.
What is Express Entry?
Express Entry is Canada’s immigration application system which was established in 2015. Its purpose is to appraise and rate candidates from the country’s three economic class immigration programs.
These programs include the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).
The candidates from these three programs are considered to be highly skilled professionals who can establish themselves economically in Canada.
Express Entry utilizes the Comprehensive Ranking System to assess the candidates and give them a ranking.
The ranking is based on human capital factors such as work experience, academic credentials, and language ability. Only those candidates with the highest CRS scores can receive an invitation to apply for Express Entry in the next draw.
Candidates who get an invitation to apply have sixty days to submit their final application to IRCC so they can become permanent residents of Canada. An immigration officer will review the application and determine if the candidate is approved to become a permanent resident.
