In the past, the IRCC had focused, during the Express entry draws, to send invitations to those individuals who were in-Canada Express Entry candidates. This means the focus was on sending invitations to those immigrants who were already living in Canada. But this is set to change in the third quarter of the Express Entry 2021. In the last two-quarters of the program, a large number of invitations were sent, making the 3rd quarter a little slow. From July to September, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada sent out around 20,900 ITAs to candidates in the Express Entry pool so that they could further apply to gain permanent residency in Canada. This number is quite low, the only number lower than that was during the fourth quarter in 2019, where the invitations sent out equaled around 18,000.
The total count of the invitations sent out in 2021 exceeded the number issued in 2020. By now, the total number of invitations issued by the end of September draws stands at around 109,696. A total of 12 Express Entry draws were held in the last 3rd quarter of this year. They were primarily held for candidates who had applied to the various Provincial Nominee Programs as well as for those immigrants who had applied to the Canadian Experience Class stream of the Federal Express Entry system. Around 81% of the invitations issued were for candidates of the CEC stream.
No draws have been held for immigrants who have applied to the FSWP or the FSTP streams of the Express Entry Program. The last draws held this year for these streams were in July, and they also saw an update of the proof of funds eligibility criteria by the IRCC and other immigration authorities.
IRCC And The Q3 Express Entry Draws
The operations team of the IRCC devised a plan that would enable them to achieve the immigrants’ admissions target set for the year 2021. The concentrated attention would be on candidates who were already in Canada. The plan also included that they would hold draws sending out a large number of Invitations To Apply, around 6000 invitations in 2 months were issued beginning in April.
The IRCC predicted that the Canadian Experience Class will be the mainstream for immigrants to enter Canada through the Express Entry system in 2021. The draw round in February was what helped in meeting the 141,000 candidates quota in the CEC stream. 25,000 applicants of the CEC stream were accepted by July, with the candidates applying during this period having a high chance of getting an invitation and a chance to immigrate.
The Canadian Experience Class of Express Entry Program
This stream was introduced by the Canadian government to grant permanent residency to those candidates who were skilled workers and had worked in Canada in the previous years. The eligibility criteria of this program are discussed below:
Education
This program does not require you to meet educational criteria to be eligible. But you must mention any and all educational credentials and qualifications in your application as it can help you increase your CRS score and have a higher chance of getting an invitation to apply by the IRCC. This education should include your time spent in the Canadian education system, whether till the secondary or the post-secondary level. If you completed your education from outside Canada, you can get an ECA, pricing your education level in accordance with the Canadian education system.
Work Experience
You must have done skilled work in Canada for a duration of at least one year in the last three years from the time of submitting the application for this program. This one year of work can be one year of full-time work or 2 years of part-time work. The work must have been in jobs classified as Skill Type 0, A, or B or in a combination of the three skill types as classified by the NOC.
Language Ability
You must have taken an approved language proficiency and skills test in any one language, English or French. The test must have checked your ability to understand, write, speak and read the language. You must have scored a CLB 7 equivalent if you are applying as a skill type A or skill type 0 immigrant and the score must be CLB 5 if you are applying as a skill type B immigrant. The results of this test will have to be submitted in a column while submitting the application. The results of a language test remain valid for a time period of 2 years and you must ensure that your test results are valid at the time of submission of your application.
Provincial Nominee Programs
These programs were designed by the immigration authorities of Canada to help and encourage the immigration of skilled workers, international students as well as graduates who would help boost the economy of Canada. It welcomes immigrants who wish to live in a particular province of Canada and grants them a chance to gain Canada permanent residency.
Each province in Canada has and operates its own provincial nominee program. Depending on the immigration needs of the area, the program can include streams for international students, business people, entrepreneurs, semi-skilled and skilled workers, etc.
The process for applying depends on which province and which stream under their Provincial Nominee Programs you are applying through. You can apply through the paper-based system or submit your application through an online portal. The process also includes you passing a medical exam as well as submitting a police clearance certificate. These are necessary regardless of where you wish to settle down in Canada.
