Last Updated on November 18, 2020

Canada’s largest-ever Express Entry draw saw it surpass the annual record for Invitations to Apply with well over a month to spare.

The 5,000 ITAs issued on November 18 is a record for an individual draw and brings the total for 2020 to 92,350, beating 2018’s record of 89,800 and passing 90,000 in a calendar year for the first time.

Candidates required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 472 to qualify, six points lower than the previous draw.

In a year marred by the coronavirus crisis, such a high number of ITAs is even more remarkable.

It shows Canada’s commitment to skilled worker immigration, put forth in the federal government’s plan to power the economic recovery from COVID-19 by welcoming more than 400,000 newcomers per year from 2021.

The latest draw was also the second since Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) moved to increase the points available for French speaking and bilingual candidates.

It saw the tie-breaking rule implemented on October 27, 2020 at 2.18am EST. If more than one candidate had the minimum CRS score, only those who submitted their Express Entry profiles before this date and time received invitations.

This was the 34^th round of invitations under Express Entry in 2020 and 167^th overall.

What is Express Entry?

Express Entry is an immigration system implemented by Canadian immigration authorities (IRCC) on January 1, 2015 which manages skilled worker applications under Federal Economic programs. This includes the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program the Canada Experience Class and parts of the Provincial Nomination Programs.

Stakeholders expect to see continued high numbers of invitations issued as Canada builds towards its target of more than 400,000 new permanent residents in 2021, with a majority of draws featuring CRS scores around 470. 

With the coronavirus crisis striking in March, Canada switch to program-specific draws aimed at Canadian Experience Class and Provincial Nominee Program candidates. This had the affect of significantly increasing the number of individual draws beyond previous years.

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What Can Employers Do to Recruit Foreign Workers?

Employers are encouraged to consider securing an LMIA or nomination under provincial nomination programs (PNPs) to ensure long term retention of employees.

At immigration.ca we provide Canadian employers with unparalleled immigration legal services and recruitment of foreign nationals through our in-house Global Recruiters of Montreal, GRNMontreal.com and skilledworker.com. We bring qualified candidates to Canada in the shortest time possible. Employers in a wide range of industries can directly benefit from our unique position as one of Canada’s leading immigration firms in the industry, with a strong online presence, to meet both their recruitment and immigration requirements.

Interested employers wishing to seek our assistance are invited to contact us here for further information.

What Should Candidates Do Next?

It is expected that the majority of applicants to be issued ITAs in 2020 will require a CRS score around 470 points, enabling a significant number of applicants to receive permanent admission to Canada without a job offer or nomination under a provincial immigration program. However, securing an approved offer of employment is highly recommended. Watch our Facebook livestream video on how to find jobs in Canada from overseas.

We offer all our individual clients with excellent employment services as well as a 60-minute Live, Face-to-Face LinkedIn tutorial on how to find jobs in all areas of Canada.

Find out whether you qualify to Canada by completing our free online evaluation. We will provide you with your evaluation results within 1-2 business days.

Resources:

• Immigration.ca News Articles – A daily news source outlining the latest developments in immigration, employment and the economy with commentaries by Attorney Colin Singer.
• At skilledworker.com we are dedicated to developing long-term strategic alliances with client companies and candidates alike. We strictly adhere to our guiding principles of honesty, integrity and confidentiality.

Colin R. Singer is immigration counsel for www.immigration.ca and Managing Partner of Global Recruiters of Montreal, GRNMontreal.com, as well as skilledworker.com. He is one of Canada’s foremost senior corporate immigration attorneys. Colin is internationally recognized as an experienced and recommended authority on Canadian immigration and foreign recruitment. In addition to being licensed human resources professional, he is a licensed Canadian lawyer in good standing with the Quebec Law Society for more than 25 years and is authorized by the Canadian government in all immigration matters.