Express Entry: Canada invites 2,000 immigration candidates

Canada has invited 2,000 candidates to apply for permanent residency in the latest 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 (CRS) scores of at least 533. There was no program specified for this draw which means that candidates from the (CEC) and (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 (ITA).

Since all-program draws resumed on July 6, 5,250 candidates have received ITAs. (IRCC) had paused these draws for over 18 months, and only invited candidates eligible for permanent residence under the CEC or the (PNP).

Canada 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 holders have seen their work permit status expire. In the absence of invitations, they were unable to apply for a while waiting for IRCC to process their permanent residence application. Yesterday, IRCC announced special measures that will enable expired PGWP holders to extend their 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 application management system was established in 2015. It was developed to streamline processing for skilled workers who apply under three economic immigration programs: the (CEC), the (FSWP) and the (�󳧰ձ�).��

Express Entry uses a points-based system, the (CRS), to evaluate and rank candidates’ profiles. Candidates who meet or exceed the minimum cut-off score for a given draw will receive an (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).