Express Entry, Canadian’s federal immigration stream, has issued 21,200 invitations for permanent residence during the first quarter of 2019, surpassing the first quarter of 2018 by 3,700 invitations.
2018 set the record for most Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued ever issued since Express Entry was introduced in 2015, with 89,800. 2019 is expected to be an even bigger year for immigration, as part of the federal government’s three-year immigration plan.
The plan includes rising annual immigration target, peaking with 350,000 admissions in 2021. These higher admission targets means more ITAs may be issued in 2019 than ever before.
The federal government uses Express Entry as their primary immigration stream for several programs, mostly for skilled workers. They are assessed and chosen using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).
The Government of Canada regularly conducts draws where a pool of eligible candidates with the highest scores are invited to apply for permanent residence.
2019 saw the largest-ever first draw of a year, since Express Entry began in 2015.
Lowest minimum CRS required since 2017
The first quarter of 2019, the minimum CRS score required dropped to 438, the lowest seen since 2017, when it was 436.
CRS score requirement can depend on the time between draws. Less time between draws means less profiles have been submitted into the Express Entry system, which means less high-scoring candidate are entered into the pool. This can result in a lower CRS cut-off at the time of the draw.
CRS score cut-offs can also depends on the draw size. If IRCC continues to have larger and more frequent draws, then we can expect the minimum CRS requirement to be reduced.
For more information on Express Entry draws, contact Green Light Immigration.
