Home / Ontario’s first immigration lottery invites 1,600 tech workers with low CRS scores

Ontario’s first immigration lottery invites 1,600 tech workers with low CRS scores

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Ontario held its first draw for tech workers on July 12, inviting 1,623 Express Entry candidates with technological work experience to apply for a provincial nomination for permanent residence.

Those invited in the July 12 draw had a CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) score of 439 to 459, with an Express Entry profile created between July 12, 2018 to July 12, 2019.

The Ontario Nomination Program (OINP) announced that it would begin holding Tech Draws to meet the growing demand for workers in the province’s tech sector.

Ontario is home to several tech companies, located in cities such as Waterloo, Toronto, and Ottawa.

According to GBRE Group, tech companies in Toronto alone created more jobs in 2017, than in the San Francisco Bay area.

First step: Apply for Express Entry

Candidate to wish to be considered for a tech draw invitation must be registered until the federal Express Entry system, under the Federal Skilled Worker Class or Canadian Experience Class.

Candidates in the Express Entry are assessed by various factors under the CRS scoring system.

A provincial nomination is very helpful as it gives candidates 600 more CRS points, which can guarantee permanent residence.

Usually, the minimum score required to receive an invitation from Express Entry draws range from 438 to 470 as of this year, with 450 being the most common.

It has only occurred once this year, that candidates in the Federal Skilled Worker Class and Canadian Experience Class streams have made the cut-off in an Express Entry draw with a CRS score of 439.

How do Tech Draws work?

Tech Draws are run by the province’s Human Capital Priorities immigrant stream, which allows the OINP to search for Express Entry candidates who meet the stream’s requirements.

A job is not required to be eligible, however, candidates must have one year of full-time experience (or equivalent part-time experience) in one of the following six tech fields:

  • Software engineers and designers (NOC 2173)
  • Computer programmers and interactive media developers (NOC 2174)
  • Computer engineers (NOC 2147)
  • Web designers and developers (NOC 2175)
  • Database analysts and data administrators (NOC 2172)
  • Computer and information systems managers (NOC 0213)

NOC means “National Occupational Classification”, a system of classification for all job types in the Canadian labour market.

For more information on how to be eligible for tech draws, contact Green Light Canada.

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