integrativeimmigration

03/03/2025

10/10/2024

(IRCC) has issued invitations to apply (ITAs) in the most recent Express Entry draw.

The department issued 1,000  ITAs in a category-based selection draw for French-speaking proficiency.

Candidates required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 444 to be considered.

This was the third Express Entry draw of the week. Earlier  the department invited 1,613 Express Entry candidates with Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) nominations. They required a minimum score of 743. A draw also took place on October 9 inviting 500 candidates from the Canadian Experience Class with a minimum score of 539.

Before this week, the most recent draw occurred on September 19 and invited 4,000 candidates from the Canadian Experience Class -only. These candidates needed a minimum CRS score of 509 to be considered, marking a slight increase over the previous CEC draw on August 27 (507).

In recent months, IRCC has reduced the number of category-based selection draws and there hasn't been a category-based selection draw for any category other than French language proficiency since a draw for candidates in healthcare occupations on July 5.

In contrast, Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draws have been increasingly common over the summer with IRCC issuing 21,800 ITAs to CEC candidates since July. This is line with IRCC’s stated intention to increase the number of “domestic” draws and reduce the number of temporary residents in Canada. This strategy also aims to help the department meet its permanent resident targets for the year.

Today’s draw is the third of the month. Last year, IRCC held four draws throughout October, inviting 9,173 candidates.

09/19/2024

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued invitations to apply (ITAs) in the latest Express Entry draw.

The department issued 4,000 ITAs in a draw for candidates in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC)-only.

Candidates required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 509 to be considered.

Today's draw was the third of the month and follows two last week in which 911 candidates were invited from the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) and 1,000 candidates were invited in a category-based selection draw for French-language proficiency.

This was the largest CEC draw since 5,000 candidates were issued ITAs in a draw on July 31.

The draw today features a slight increase in CRS score over the last CEC draw. In the most recent one, on August 27, candidates needed a minimum score of 507.

09/18/2024

“The international student cap is here to stay” according to Canada's Immigration Minister, Marc Miller.  

Specifically, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will issue just 437,000 study permits in 2025. According to the department, this number is based on a 10% reduction from the 2024 target of 485,000 new study permits issued, and then stabilizing the intake cap for 2026.  

IRCC expects this to result in 300,000 fewer study permits being issued to international students over the next few years.

The updated cap will now include master’s and doctoral students, who will no longer be exempt from obtaining a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL).  

The department says it will be reserving approximately 12% of allocation spaces for these students “in recognition of the benefits they bring to the Canadian labour market.” 

PALs were introduced earlier this year for many college and undergraduate students to help IRCC verify that their applications are genuine and stabilize the number of study permits issued. 

Changes to PGWP eligibility 

Additionally, more changes have been made to eligibility requirements for a Post Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). Applicants will now be required to demonstrate a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score of 7 for university graduates and a CLB of 5 for college graduates who apply after November 1. 

Miller says he expects this will result in 175,000 fewer PGWPs being issued over the next three years.  

Limits for Spousal Open Work Permits 

IRCC is also limiting work permit eligibility, later this year, to spouses of master’s degree students whose program is at least 16 months in duration. This is expected to result in 50,000 fewer spousal work permits being issued over the next three years. 

Unrelated to the international student program, Spousal Open Work Permits will also be limited to the spouses of Canadians or permanent residents who are employed in critical work sectors.

07/05/2024

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued invitations to apply (ITAs) in the third Express Entry draw of the week.

The department issued 3,750 ITAs in a category-base selection draw for healthcare occupations.

Candidates required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 445 to be considered

This was the second category-based draw of the week. It follows a draw on July 4  which was a category-based selection draw for 1,800 candidates in trade occupations.

IRCC also held a draw earlier this week on July 2 which considered only candidates in the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). The 920 invited candidates required a minimum CRS score of 739. 

This brings the total number of ITAs issued this week to 6,470, the highest number of ITAs issued since April.

The recent trend of program specific draws began earlier this year. Since May 30, IRCC has held four program-specific draws, with three of them for PNP candidates.  

Program-specific draws only consider candidates in the Express Entry pool who have applied through an Express Entry program such as the CEC, the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) or the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). In the case of a PNP-only draw, candidates are only considered if they have been successfully nominated through an Express Entry aligned stream of a PNP, a process known as enhanced nomination.

Until recently, this type of draw had not occurred since the introduction of category-based selection draws in May 2023. However, since January this year, IRCC has been working to stabilize the high levels of temporary residents in Canada. One method of doing so is offering temporary residents, those in Canada on a work or study permit or a visitor visa, more options to become permanent residents (PR).

Many temporary residents who have applied for permanent residence, and are currently living in Canada or have experience living in Canada, apply for PR through the CEC.

07/02/2024

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued invitations to apply (ITAs) in Canada’s most recent Express Entry draw.

The department issued 920 ITAs in a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw.

Candidates required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 739 to be considered

Today's draw comes on the heels of three program-specific draws over the past month. Most recently, IRCC invited 1,499 candidates in another Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)-only draw on June 19. They needed a minimum CRS score of 663.

There was also a PNP-only draw on May 30 that invited 2,985 Express Entry candidates. It was the first such draw, and the first program specific draw, since May 10 2023. Another draw on May 31 invited 3,000 candidates from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

Program-specific draws only consider candidates in the Express Entry pool who have applied through an Express Entry program such as the CEC, the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) or the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). In the case of a PNP-only draw, candidates are only considered if they have been successfully nominated through an Express Entry aligned stream of a Provincial Nominee Program, a process known as enhanced nomination.

Until recently, this type of draw had not occurred since the introduction of category-based selection draws in May 2023. However, since January this year, IRCC has been working to stabilize the high levels of temporary residents in Canada. One method of doing so is offering temporary residents, those in Canada on a work or study permit or a visitor visa, more options to become permanent residents (PR).

Many temporary residents who have applied for permanent residence, and are currently living in Canada or have experience living in Canada, apply for PR through the CEC. The same is also true of candidates in the PNP. This means IRCC can meet its yearly target for "Federal High Skilled Workers" (Express Entry) as outlined in the Immigration Levels Plan, while also reducing the number of temporary residents in Canada.

07/01/2024

05/30/2024

(IRCC) has issued invitations to apply (ITAs) in Canada’s most recent Express Entry draw.

The department issued 2,985  ITAs in a program-specific  draw for candidates in the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

Candidates required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 676 to be considered

This was the first program-specific Express Entry draw since the introduction of category-based selection draws in June 2023.  Program-specific draws consider only candidates from the Express Entry pool who have applied through a specific permanent residency program rather than inviting applicants from all programs, such as occurs in a general draw.

Today’s draw is also is the first since April 24 and follows a month-long pause in draws.

IRCC has not confirmed a reason for the pause. However, in a recent Access to Information Request, the department said all draws this year will occur on a predetermined schedule. IRCC has not made that schedule public. It also said draw size and frequency will be determined based on admissions targets in 2024 and 2025. Processing capacity may also influence draw frequency.

Before the pause, there were four draws throughout April. The first April draw invited 1,280 candidates in a general draw on April 10. The following day the department issued 4,500 ITAs to Express Entry candidates in a category-based selection draw for STEM occupations.

The remaining two draws took place on April 23 and 24. On the 23rd, IRCC invited 2,095 candidates in a general draw and 1,400 candidates in a French proficiency category-based selection draw on the 24th.

According to a recent Access to Information Request, French proficiency is expected to lead category-based selection draws in 2024. IRCC says this is due to the high rate of employment for bilingual candidates. The department also said French proficiency generally means these candidates have a higher CRS score and therefore a better chance of overall successful economic integration.

05/09/2024

Canada’s Immigration Minister, Marc Miller, has approved a request by the government of Manitoba to extend temporary resident status for some nominees identified in the province's Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) says the nominees all have work permits that are set to expire in 2024 and are mainly Post Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) holders. These individuals currently have applications in the pool for the Manitoba Skilled Worker Program, an immigration pathway aimed at filling key job vacancies within the province.

The temporary measure means that 6,700 temporary workers may continue working while the province continues to process their PNP application. The province expects that “eligible foreign nationals will receive an official nomination from Manitoba and eventually become permanent residents” within two years

IRCC says it is open to working with other Canadian provinces and territories to help transition more temporary residents into permanent residents to address national labour market needs. More information may be available following a meeting of the Federation of Ministers Responsible for Immigration (FMRI) on May 10.