Express Entry Draw #211
The latest Express Entry Draw #211 took place on December 10, 2021, which was the 211th Express Entry Draw. This draw was targeted towards the Provincial Nominee Program candidates only. The draw offered 1032 ITA to those with a cut-off score of 698. This is the first Express Entry draw of December. Canada is inviting thousands of immigrants to apply for Permanent Residency every month.
The next express entry draw #212 is expected to occur on December 22nd, 2021.
Draw Summary
Draw Number: 211
Date of Draw: December 10, 2021
Number of Invitations Issued: 1,032
Minimum CRS: 698
Program Specified: Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
Tie-breaking rule: September 10, 2021
As all-program draws remain suspended, provinces continue to invite foreign workers directly from the Express Entry pool.
This year, Canada has invited over 14,000 PNP candidates under the Express Entry system. As Canada pauses all-program draws, provinces continue to use the Express Entry pool to select nominee candidates that fill local labour market gaps.
Candidates that receive a nomination through an Express Entry-aligned nominee program receive an additional 600 points toward their CRS score. For this reason, the CRS cut-off for PNP-specific draws is typically much higher than draws for other federal programs.
Prior to receiving a provincial nomination, the lowest-ranking candidate had a CRS score of just 98.
Why hasn’t Canada held an all-program Express Entry draw?
According to data from Immigration, Refugee, Citizenship Canada (IRCC), as of October 27, Canada had a backlog of close to 1.8 million immigration applications.
Much of this backlog is attributed to travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. IRCC was postponing the finalization of applications as COPR holders were unable to confirm their status for much of the pandemic.
In addition, 75% of IRCC staff were on leave at the height of the pandemic, contributing to the severe backlog and furthering processing delays.
To mitigate further delays, an internal memo from IRCC has revealed that the department plans to pause Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) draws until they have tackled the immense backlog of applications. Instead, Canada has been holding Express Entry draws for Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates only. This will help to limit the number of new applications IRCC needs to process until the backlog is under control.
With more efficient processing measures in place, IRCC is processing applications at a faster rate than ever seen before.
As Canada remains on track to meet ambitious targets for the year, the post-COVID-19 immigration landscape becomes increasingly promising for Express Entry candidates.
Invitations issued in 2021
Canada aims to welcome a record-breaking 401,000 immigrants in 2021. Included in this total, Canada plans to target 232,500 economic newcomers, including:
- 108,500 Federal Skilled Workers, Federal Skilled Trades, and Canadian Experience Class candidates
- 80,800 Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates
So far this year, Canada has issued a total of 113,685 invitations.