08/04/2022
3rd August 2022 witnessed the 3rd consecutive “No Program Specific” draw since they were restarted in July of this year in the post-Covid era. This further confirmed what Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Sean Fraser had been hinting at since the beginning of this year.
2000 Invitations to Apply (ITA) were issued to applicants having a Comprehensive Ranking Score (CRS) of 533 or higher.
Ever since COVID was declared to be a pandemic in March 2020, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) had resorted to, very effectively, using the individual Express Entry programs (primarily Canadian Experience Class) to take care of Canada’s Immigration needs. This was a departure from the pre-COVID era “No Program Specific” draws that helped aspirants from all over the world to become Permanent Residents (PR) of Canada. Before July of 2022, the last time this kind of a draw was held was in December of 2020 and since September 2021 no draws were held for any of the 3 Express Entry programs (Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades, Canadian Experience Class) and for almost 9 months the only applicants who received an invite through Express Entry were those who had already received a 600-point assist from a Provincial Nomination.
The restart of the “No Program Specific” draws is a welcome change that thousands of applicants had been looking forward to, but the high Cut-Offs have become a point of worry for a lot of those applicants who would have fared better if the Cut-Offs were closer to the Cut-Offs that we were used to back in 2020. Back in 2019-2020 the “No Program Specific” draw Cut-Offs mostly stayed within the range of 450 to 475 whereas the 3 recent Cut-Offs have been 557, 542 and 533, in that order. Considering the Immigration levels Plan announced earlier this year, the backlog of applications with IRCC waiting to be processed, The CRS Score distribution of Candidates on the Express Entry Pool, and the addition of new or existing applicants at higher CRS scores before every new draw is announced, the Cut-Offs are likely to remain high for many more months to follow.
In such unprecedented times, when Canada’s economy is also going through a very challenging phase, a mere improvement of one’s IELTS scores may also, sometimes, not be enough to receive an ITA. It is critical to look at past data and assess one’s chances of receiving an ITA and take measures to improve one’s score. These measures could include a Job Offer supported by a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), Learning Canada’s second official language and obtaining a Language Proficiency Score, gaining more Canadian Work Experience, acquiring a Canadian Education credential, gaining 600 points through an Express Entry aligned PNP etc.
What is most important in such a scenario is the realization that no two individuals are the same and no two profiles are the same. What worked for my roommate may not necessarily work for me because I do not have the same credentials as him/her. Also, Express Entry is the foremost tool for becoming a PR but its not the only tool for becoming a PR. Various (Expression of Interest based) Provincial Nominee Programs and Pilot programs are currently available that can be effectively used by Immigration applicants and especially Temporary Residents who are already inside Canada. Moreover, your Express Entry profile can also be shaped and modeled in a way that is likely to improve your chances of getting picked by a province to receive a nomination.
To summarize, if you don’t know what you are doing, it is imperative to seek professional help and plan your pathway to becoming a PR. For help with your Express Entry Application or to discuss your profile for Canadian Immigration contact today.
Call +1 (905) 418 - 2500 or email [email protected].
You can schedule an appointment with us at your convenience at https://engageimmigration.ca/book-appointment
