Express Entry: Canada holds the largest PNP-only draw in history

Canada held a new Express Entry draw, inviting 940 candidates to apply for permanent residency.

All of the invited candidates had previously been nominated by a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Because all PNP candidates in the Express Entry pool automatically receive 600 points, the score cutoff was relatively high at 711.

In the previous PNP-only draw, Canada invited 500 candidates, with a minimum score of 713 points. The number of invites nearly doubled as a result of this draw, and the cutoff score dropped two points.

The pandemic is still having an impact on Express Entry draws.

Since the beginning of 2021, the IRCC has only held Express Entry draws for candidates who are most likely already in Canada. This strategy serves two purposes: one is to meet Canada's annual immigration targets, and the other is to avoid coronavirus-related travel restrictions and other service closures that affect international candidates.

Canada has issued more invitations this year than at the same time last year, thanks to the 27,332 principal applicants invited on February 13. In an email to CIC News, IRCC stated that approximately 87% of these candidates submitted applications within the 90-day deadline. Canada has issued 75,713 invitations so far in 2021.

PNP and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates can be found in large numbers in Canada. This is due to the fact that PNPs frequently require work experience or education in the nominating province, whereas CEC candidates must have at least one year of Canadian work experience.

Because of the 600-point award, PNP draws will always have much higher score requirements. Due to large draw sizes in a relatively small pool of candidates, CEC draws will have lower score cutoffs.