1,517 Candidates Invited to Apply for Canadian Permanent Residence in Sixteenth Express Entry Draw

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has performed the sixteenth, and latest, draw from the Express Entry pool on September 8, 2015, issuing 1,517 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to candidates in the pool with 459 or more Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points.

The fact that the draw took place on a Tuesday surprised many candidates who received the good news of having received an ITA. These candidates are now in a position to submit an application for Canadian permanent residence. Every previous draw since the Express Entry system was launched in January, 2015 had taken place on a Friday.

The sixteenth Express Entry draw was the seventh in succession in which a number of candidates without a qualifying job offer or an enhanced provincial nomination certificate were selected. It is also the seventh draw in a row in which more than 1,400 candidates were selected.

How are people getting invitations to apply?

(The following scenarios are hypothetical and do not represent real people who have received an Invitation to Apply. They are representative of how people may have improved their CRS score and ranking within the pool over recent weeks and months.)

Ghassan is a H-1B visa holder, which allows him to work in the United States. He is 30 years old, single, and wants to continue his career in Canada. He has a Master’s degree, and has been working in the United States for three years as an IT Manager. He works through English and has an initial advanced (CLB 9) English language proficiency in all language abilities. With 464 CRS points, he would have been drawn in this week’s Express Entry draw.
Chris is 30 years old, married, and has two post-secondary degrees. He has been working as a teacher in Singapore for four years and has demonstrated an advanced English (CLB 10) language proficiency. Chris’ wife has an intermediate (CLB 7) English language proficiency and a bachelor’s degree. His profile would be awarded 462 points, good enough to receive an ITA this week.
Jasmine is currently working in Canada as an engineer. She is 29, and has two years of Canadian work experience, as well as three years of work experience before coming to Canada. She has a bachelor’s degree and a high-intermediate English language proficiency, giving her 463 CRS points.
Marie is 44 years old. She recently completed a year of skilled work experience in Canada as a manager in communications, and her job in Canada is supported by a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment. Before working in Canada, she had completed five years of skilled work experience abroad. With advanced French ability and a bachelor’s degree, her CRS score recently increased to 990.

Express Entry quick facts, from January 1 to September 9 (All dates are for 2015)

Launch date: January 1
First draw from the pool: January 31
Most recent draw from the pool: September 8
Minimum CRS points required for selection in any one draw: 451 (July 17)
Largest number of invitations to apply issued in any one draw: 1,637 (March 27)
Fewest invitations to apply issued in any one draw: 715
Largest decrease in CRS points required between two consecutive draws: 273 (from May 22 to June 12 draws)
Smallest decrease in CRS points required between two consecutive draws: 6 (from June 27 to July 10 draws)
Largest increase in CRS points required between two consecutive draws: 302 (from April 17 to May 22 draws)
Smallest increase in CRS points required between two consecutive draws: 3 (from August 21 to September 8 draws)
Longest gap between two consecutive draws: 35 days (from April 17 to May 22 draws)
Shortest gap between two consecutive draws: 7 days (on five occasions)
Total number of invitations to apply issued: 20,467

Click here to learn more about all Express Entry draws that have taken place so far.

Important information for all candidates and applicants

Once an Invitation to Apply has been issued to a candidate, he or she has 60 days to file a complete application with all supporting documents; no extensions will be granted. Candidates who have been issued an invitation to apply are encouraged to submit their complete applications in good time to avoid missing their opportunity, while those who have not yet been selected from the Express Entry pool are encouraged to gather documents in advance.

Moreover, it is important that the information provided and documents submitted are completely accurate in order to avoid being penalised for misrepresentation. Penalties for misrepresentation may include a five-year ban on applying to immigrate to, or even visit, Canada.

Express Entry is not an immigration program in itself, but rather a system used by CIC to select candidates for immigration to Canada using the following economic immigration programs:

Federal Skilled Worker Program
Federal Skilled Trades Program
Canadian Experience Class
a portion of the Provincial Nominee Programs

To find out if you are eligible for any of over 60 Canadian immigration programs, including the federal economic programs that are processed under Express Entry, please fill out a free online assessment today.