Today, Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted its bi-weekly Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw. This is the 195th Express Entry (EE) draw, as well as the thirteenth PNP draw of 2021. Moreover, a total of 627 Invitation to Apply (ITA) were issued, and the lowest score is 760.

The specifics of the 195th EE PNP draw are as the following:

As part of the federal Express Entry system, the PNP is designed for workers who contribute to specific provinces or territories with their relevant talents. Simultaneously, each province and territory offers its own provincial nominee program according to area-specific demands. Unlike other skilled worker streams, PNP candidates are almost always guaranteed to receive ITAs based on their pronounced skills.

Compared to the previous PNP draw, the minimum CRS score has increased by 18 points. Although this number is incomparable to the highest score (813) at the beginning of the year, it manifests gradual increase. The upward trend may indicate IRCC’s tightening grip on EE candidates. One possible reason could be their effort to assure the quality of applicants, especially those of PNP.

The EE draw pool, as of July 5, contains 166,851 candidates, which 595 of them falls under the 601-1200 score range. Considering the number of invitations issued by the 195th draw, everyone who applied before the tie-breaking point are invited to apply. With that said, for those who qualify for PNP, the program is the most expedited path to obtain permanent residence in Canada.

As vaccine rollouts and inoculation rates continue to rise, Canadians are ready to bid a farewell to the pandemic. Meanwhile, we ought to prepare for a new post-pandemic immigration landscape. There will be a foreseeable rise in skilled immigration, accompanied by an influx of talented personnel. Please contact Thomas Wang & Associates (TWA) directly for any inquiries on provincial nominations.