May 26, 2017 – Canadian Immigration authorities have taken the unprecedented step of conducting two Canada Express Entry draws simultaneously.
The 13th and 14th rounds of invitations in 2017, the 63rd and 64th overall, invited a total of 543 applicants for permanent residence.
The 63rd draw saw 143 invites issued under Provincial Nominee Programs, with a lowest Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 775.
The 64th draw saw 400 invites issued under the Federal Skilled Trades Program, with a lowest CRS score of 199.
The CRS score of 199 although less than half of the previous record for the lowest score, is unrelated to past draws.
By aiming a draw specifically at the Federal Skilled Trades Program, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has opened a pathway to permanent residence for hundreds of candidates who would previously have had no chance to receive an invitation. Canadian employers face ongoing challenges to source skilled trades. Permanent residence is a valuable retention tool.
Meanwhile, a draw aimed specifically at Provincial Nominee Program candidates has been seen before. These are the highest scoring candidates in the Express Entry Pool, due to the 600 points awarded for a provincial nomination.
These were the 16th and 17th draws since immigration authorities substantially modified the Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System in November 2016.
Express Entry is an immigration system implemented by Canadian immigration authorities (IRCC) on January 1, 2015 which manages skilled worker applications under Federal Economic programs. This includes the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Skilled Trades Program the Canada Experience Class and certain parts of the Provincial Nominee Programs.
Stakeholders expect to see more than 15 draws and up to 50,000 invitations during the first six months of 2017, with CRS scores well below 450 to enable Canadian immigration authorities to meet targeted annual immigration levels for 2017.
Read our 2016 Express Entry Year-End report, here.
What this means for employers
Employers are encouraged to consider securing an LMIA or nomination under provincial nomination programs (PNPs) to ensure long term retention of employees.
We provide Canadian employers with unparalleled immigration legal services and recruitment of foreign nationals through our in-house enterprise SkilledWorker (www.skilledworker.com). We bring approved candidates to Canada in the shortest time possible. Employers in a wide range of industries can directly benefit from our unique position as one of Canada’s leading online immigration firms in the industry to meet both their recruitment and immigration requirements.
Interested employers wishing to seek our assistance are invited to contact us here for further information.
What this means for candidates
It is expected that the majority of applicants to be issued (ITAs) under Canada’s Express Entry Immigration system in 2017 will require a CRS score well under 450 points, enabling a significant number of applicants to receive permanent admission to Canada without a job offer or nomination under a provincial immigration program. However, securing an approved offer of employment is highly recommended. Watch our Facebook Live video on how to find jobs in Canada from overseas.
Find out whether you qualify to Canada by completing our free online evaluation. We will provide you with your evaluation results within 1-2 business days.
Resources:
- Immigration.ca News Articles – A daily news source outlining the latest developments in immigration, employment and the economy with commentaries by Attorney Colin Singer.
- At SkilledWorker we are dedicated to developing long-term strategic alliances with client companies and candidates alike. We strictly adhere to our guiding principles of honesty, integrity and confidentiality.
Colin R. Singer is immigration counsel for www.immigration.ca and Managing Partner of SkilledWorker. He is one of Canada’s foremost senior corporate immigration attorneys. Colin is internationally recognized as an experienced and recommended authority on Canadian immigration and foreign recruitment. In addition to being licensed human resources professional, he is a licensed Canadian lawyer in good standing with the Quebec Law Society for more than 25 years and is authorized by the Canadian government in all immigration matters.
Determine your Eligibility for Immigration to Canada:
Find out whether you qualify to Canada by completing our free on-line evaluation. We will provide you with our evaluation within 1-2 business days.
Interested employers: Kindly contact us here to receive further information.
Interested candidates: Find out whether you qualify to Canada by completing our free on-line evaluation. We will provide you with our evaluation within 1-2 business days.
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