On September 15, Canada welcomed 521 Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residency. All of the invited candidates had already been nominated through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), which resulted in an automatic 600-point boost to their Express Entry score. Candidates needed a score of at least 732 to be invited as a consequence of the award. Candidates who were selected through Express Entry today have 60 days to apply for permanent residency. This is the year’s 18th PNP-specific draw.
On September 7, Alberta invited 500 Express Entry candidates to file for a provincial nomination. The Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) staged its largest draw to date in September, following two large draws in August. The previous high was 473 in March of this year. Candidates that were invited had to be in the Express Entry system and have a minimum score of 300 to be eligible for the Alberta Express Entry stream. Since the invitation rounds commenced in January 2021, Alberta has invited 4,507 Express Entry candidates to file for a provincial nomination. In the latter months of 2020, it went on a brief halt. In 2021, Alberta will be able to award 6,250 nomination certificates.
The Alberta Express Entry program is a more advanced version of the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). It enables the provincial government to scan the federal government’s Express Entry pool of candidates for candidates who might be qualified for a provincial nominee program. Applicants must have work experience in a relevant occupation to be eligible for a provincial nomination under the Alberta Express Entry stream. The AINP does not provide a list of professions that are qualified for the stream; instead, it provides a list of occupations that are not. Foodservice supervisors, transport truck drivers, and cooks are among the jobs available to those who apply under this stream.
The profile of the candidate for Express Entry should reflect the desire to relocate to Alberta. Certain characteristics, such as work experience or a job opportunity in Alberta, boost chances of getting considered. Canadian education is also beneficial. Having a parent, kid, or sibling who is a permanent resident or citizen of Alberta is also a plus.
On September 14, 2021, British Columbia’s Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) held two draws. In a general draw, 365 Skilled Worker and International Graduate candidates were selected to seek a provincial nomination under the Express Entry BC (EEBC) and Skills Immigration categories. Candidates’ minimum necessary scores differed by category. For the Express Entry BC (EEBC) subcategories of Skilled Workers, the cut-off score was 86, and for International Graduates, it was 75.
Candidates in this bracket have to have already submitted profiles through the Express Entry system of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada. Qualified candidates will earn an additional 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points once they obtain their invitation letter to apply for a provincial nomination from B.C., effectively ensuring that they will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence under IRCC’s Express Entry system. For the three Skills Immigration (SI) subcategories, the cut-off scores were 90 for Skilled Worker, 77 for International Graduate, and 69 for Entry Level and Semi-Skilled.
The BC PNP has sent over 8,500 invitations to submit for provincial nominations so far this year. Weekly invites are sent out by British Columbia, with some aimed exclusively at candidates in the technology sector.
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