First Canada Express Entry CEC Draw held for September 2021

Nearly 2,000 Express Entry candidates were invited to apply for PR on September 14, 2021. The CEC draw's cut off was kept at 462 by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) visa category. The candidates who received an ITA now have 60 days to apply for permanent residency. 

The recent CEC draw came later than expected. It was supposed to open on 2nd September, 2021. However, IRCC held the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) on Wednesday which delayed the Express Entry CEC draw. The draw was hence held one day prior to the PNP specific Express Entry draw. 

IRCC piled-up with processing CEC application 

The Department of IRCC prompts expected delays in all Express Entry applications as they are jammed to currently finalising January CEC applications. The department has pushed its resources to process CEC application for now, according to the government webpage. 

Preference is given to candidates who are applying for the Express Entry CEC form within Canada. Amidst the current travel restrictions, IRCC is focussing on the candidates who are already living in Canada to meet their 2021 immigration target. Since Canadian experience is the eligibility criteria to apply for the CEC category, preference is given to candidates having at least one year of working experience in a skilled profession. 

The minimum score requirement has also been fluctuating due to CEC and PNP- only draws. Latest trends show that the CEC draws are kept at lower cut-offs as they are targeted for a specific set of applicants. This can be achieved as the applicants are not competing in a general set like the Federal Skilled Worker Program. Therefore, lowering the cut-off score would mean bigger size of the draw thus inviting more candidates to complete the number of immigration target. 

The Provincial Nominee Program draw's cut-off are recently seen to be place between 740s to 760. The PNP draws will mostly be higher than any other Federal draw as the candidates automatically get 600 points when they apply through any PNP category.

Get a Free Express Entry Assessment

Express Entry Explained:  

Express Entry is one of Canada's Federal programs offering permanent residency to immigrants around the world. The Express Entry System uses a Comprehensive Ranking System giving a ranking score to each applicant's profile. The candidates who score equal to or above the cut-off score (maintained at every Express Entry draw) are then sent an ITA (Invitation to Apply), which is an official invite by the Canadian government to apply for a PR. 

Once the applicant receives an ITA, he or she is asked to submit the biometrics followed by an interview. The application is finally reviewed by a Canadian officer upon whose decision the candidate is granted the PR. 

Once the application is fully approved, the candidate is issued an COPR (Confirmation of Permanent Residence) by the IRCC. The candidate is then to land in Canada. People living outside Canadian borders can apply for pre-landing services to help their settlement in Canada.