Canada invites 627 candidates from the Express Entry system with PNP nomination

Express Entry Canada: In a new cutoff, Canada draws 627 PNP candidates with a minimum CRS score of 760

In another round of invitations being issued, candidates with a CRS score of 760 can now pack their bags to move to Canada in 2021.

Canada picks 627 candidates from the EE pool who have received a PNP nomination through its recent Express Entry draw.

The chosen 627 candidates can apply for a Canada permanent residence starting today, July 8, 2021.

The invitation round was focused on the candidates in the Express Entry pool who have received a provincial or territorial nomination from one of Canada's PNP pathways. The minimum score at which the candidates were chosen is estimated to be 760 in the CRS scores calculator. 

If you look at this cutoff from a general perspective, it may seem relatively high, considering the fact that a provincial nomination gives 600 additional points to your existing CRS scores which is quite a low score for cutoff.

Thus, we consider that the lowest-scoring candidate in the Express Entry pool would have the least CRS of 160 without the PNP additional points.

IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) also proclaimed on its government portal about the tie-breaking rule. Which doesn't mean that there was a tie. But if there existed one, then the candidates with the minimum CRS points are given the invite-only if they have submitted their profile on Express Entry on or before June 14, 2021 - 07:44:05 UTC.

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More and more candidates being invited through PNPs this year.

We have been witnessing an increase in the numbers of PNP candidates invited for a Canada PR in the recent draws. This is primarily due to the disruption of the workforce caused by the pandemic. IRCC since 2020 has been sanctioning invites to candidates registered under the PNP- and Canadian Experience Class (CEC). 

So as not to violate the pandemic protocols, which is why Canada preferred candidates who were most likely in Canada during these times. However, in the recent draws focusing on the provincial nominee program, Canada has been letting a high number of candidates receive a nomination for its coveted PR status. This may be a strategy to fill the manpower cap of 2021 (as stated in the 3-year immigration plan to fill the overall cap of million immigrants by the end of 2023).

Evidence, June 23 saw the state invite 1,000 PNP candidates for the first time as compared to the previous slab of 940 candidates being invited to Canada.

As compared to 2020, 2021 has been promising with double the invites being issued to candidates this year. History was rewritten when a majority of candidates came from Feb 13's draw where the country accepted almost all of the applicants in the CEC category, totalling 27,332 foreign talents. 90% of them successfully applied for permanent residence before the deadline ended, sources from the IRCC website.

Only PNP and CEC draws have a different scoring pattern. PNPs have a higher cutoff due to the leverage of 600 additional points rewarded for nomination, while CEC has lower cutoffs because the candidates are not urged by other Canadian immigration programs to be invited. 

Meaning, the Canadian government would let the scores stoop to lower levels for intake of more CEC candidates in the nearer times.