Ontario PNP Draw: 818 Fresh Express Entry Applicants Invited

For the second time in two days, Express Entry candidates did not have a CRS cap in the new Ontario PNP draw wherein Ontario invited 818 Express Entry candidates to apply for a provincial nomination on February 24.

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) invited candidates who may be eligible for the Ontario Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream. These candidates needed to have a profile in the Express Entry System with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of at least 359. Ontario invited candidates who had created an Express Entry profile between the dates of February 24, 2021, and February 24, 2022.

For the second time in a row, Ontario removed its CRS cap. The maximum number of points an Express Entry candidate can get without a provincial nomination is 600. Prior to the February 22 draw, candidates whose CRS score was above the maximum range would not be eligible to apply for the nomination.

Since September 2021, Canada has not done an Express Entry draw for anybody other than PNP applicants. Immigration Minister Sean Fraser has not said when draws for Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) candidates would restart, but has previously stated that they will be most certainly conducted in the "near future."

Express Entry applicants in Ontario with scores more than 467 were not asked to submit for a nomination in 2021. As a result, several contenders attempted to lower their pool ratings in order to receive an Ontario nomination.

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According to the revised Immigration Levels Plan for 2022-2024, Canada expects to admit 83,500 immigrants this year through both Express Entry-aligned and basic PNP categories. The new objectives are higher than what the government predicted in the previous levels plan, which called for 81,500 PNP immigrants in 2022 and 83,000 in 2023.

On January 27, Ontario held its largest draw of the year, inviting 1,032 Skilled Trades Stream candidates. On February 23, Ontario hosted its largest HCP draw of the year, attracting 773 applicants.

For Federal Skilled Worker Program and Canadian Experience Class applicants, Ontario's Express Entry-linked Skilled Trades Stream provides a road to permanent residency. The OINP welcomes qualified people to submit an application for a provincial nomination.

Candidates must be residents of Ontario with a valid work permit to be eligible. They must also have one year of full-time job experience or the equivalent in part-time work. They must have performed this work experience in the province in a skilled trade recognised in Canada's National Occupational Classification (NOC) as Minor Group 633 or Major Group 72, 73, or 82.

There is no need for a job offer to apply for the Skilled Trades Stream, but candidates must fulfill all federal and provincial standards. To be considered for a provincial nomination, you must first submit a profile to the Express Entry system. Express Entry is an application management system that allows persons to apply directly to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residency. It is not an immigration programme in and of itself, but it is in charge of managing applications for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Canadian Experience Class, and Federal Skilled Worker Program.

If you meet the requirements for one or more of these programmes, you can build an Express Entry profile. After uploading all of your papers, you will be assigned a score based on your job experience, education, age, and language skills in English or French, among other factors. Candidates with the best scores are given ITAs, which allow them to seek for permanent residency.

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