Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued more invitations to apply (ITAs) in a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Express Entry draw.
The department issued 471 ITAs to candidates with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 793.
This draw is the first Express Entry selection of the year and follows two PNP draws and a French language proficiency draw in December. Last month, the immigration department issued a total of 2,561 ITAs to candidates.
IRCC largely held to the pattern of inviting candidates in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program, PNP candidates, and French-language category candidates in 2024. The immigration department emphasized these three selections more than others, and are expected to continue to do so in 2025.
Candidates with French-language proficiency, along with candidates who have professional experience in healthcare and trades occupations form IRCC’s “Federal Economic priorities” category under Express Entry, as detailed in the newest Immigration Levels Plan. Meanwhile, candidates under the CEC, and PNP, (and possibly candidates from the two other Express Entry programs) form the “In-Canada Focus” category. These two categories are expected to occupy the grand majority of IRCC’s admissions allocation (124,680 landings) under Express Entry, at least for the coming year.
What is Express Entry?
Express Entry is an applicant management system that oversees three federal economic immigration programs:
- The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP);
- The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP); and
- The CEC.
Cumulatively these three programs form the largest economic immigration pathway to Canada.
To be considered under Express Entry, newcomers must submit a candidate profile to the Express Entry pool, where they will be ranked according to the CRS. Each eligible candidate receives a CRS score based on human capital factors such as education, age, work experience, etc.
Candidates with the highest CRS scores are routinely invited to apply for Canadian PR through the issuance of ITAs. If a candidate receives an ITA they will have 60 days from the day they received the invitation to submit a complete application for PR to IRCC.
If an application is complete and meets all requirements, IRCC will aim to process it within six months. Candidates who complete this process successfully are given Canadian PR and may live, work, and settle in Canada permanently, and even build eligibility to apply for Canadian citizenship.
