Canada has invited 2,000 candidates to apply for permanent residency in the latest Express Entry draw held on August 3, 2022. Express Entry is one of Canada’s most prominent immigration pathways for skilled newcomers.
Invitations were issued to candidates who had Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores of at least 533. There was no program specified for this draw which means that candidates from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) were eligible to be invited.
The minimum CRS requirement for this draw was nine points lower than the previous draw that occurred on July 20. Additionally, 250 more candidates received invitations in this draw compared to the previous draw, when 1,750 candidates received an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
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Since all-program draws resumed on July 6, 5,250 Express Entry candidates have received ITAs. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) had paused these draws for over 18 months, and only invited candidates eligible for permanent residence under the CEC or the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
Canada plans to welcome 55,900 permanent residents through Express Entry in 2022 and this number will dramatically increase to 111,500 by the end of 2024.
Expired PGWP holders will now be able to apply for a new open work permit.
Due to a pause in invitations to Express Entry CEC candidates between September 2021 and July 2022, thousands of Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) holders have seen their work permit status expire. In the absence of CEC invitations, they were unable to apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit while waiting for IRCC to process their permanent residence application. Yesterday, IRCC announced special measures that will enable expired PGWP holders to extend their open work permit status by an additional 18 months. This measure aims to help these candidates transition to permanent residence and will allow them to continue working while they wait.
Distance learning now temporarily eligible for Express Entry
Over the past two years, a number of international students have been forced to complete their education online because of restrictions caused by the pandemic. In response, IRCC has recently announced that learning credentials for students who completed Canadian educational programs online between March 2020 and August 2022 will now be able to use these credentials as part of their overall CRS score. This means that students can use education completed online as part of their education credentials when uploading their online Express Entry profile.
As pandemic restrictions are loosening around the world, this measure will only be temporary. Normally, if 50% of the education program was completed through distance learning, students would not be eligible for CRS points for educational credentials. However, If you earned a Canadian degree, diploma or certificate and completed any part of your program of study or training between March 2020 and August 2022, you’re now eligible for Canadian educational credential points if you completed your program entirely:
- through distance learning;
- from outside Canada; or
- through part-time studies.
Candidates who are already in the Express Entry pool may have already received a letter from IRCC advising them that they need to update their education information in their online profile. According to the letter, there are three new questions in the education history section that must be answered or candidates’ risk having a lower CRS score.
The questions ask how much in-person study, study in Canada and full time studying the candidate completed in order to get the credential. When the letter was released, IRCC advised candidates to update their profile by August 2 to ensure they maintained their CRS score and remained eligible in the current draw.
What is Express Entry?
The Express Entry application management system was established in 2015. It was developed to streamline processing for skilled workers who apply under three economic immigration programs: the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).
Express Entry uses a points-based system, the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), to evaluate and rank candidates’ profiles. Candidates who meet or exceed the minimum cut-off score for a given draw will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency.
After the candidate applies, an IRCC officer reviews the application and makes a decision. Once approved, the applicant gets a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR).
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