Express Entry Draw #218 | Canada Invites 924 in New PNP Draw

Immigration, Refugees, Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held its latest Express Entry draw on March 16, 2022.

Canada issued 924 invitations to candidates with a profile in the Express Entry pool.

The 218^th Express Entry draw targeted candidates with a provincial nomination certificate.

Draw Number: 218
Date of Draw: March 16, 2022
Number of Invitations Issued: 924
Minimum CRS: 754
Program Specified: Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
Tie-breaking rule: February 10, 2022

Canada’s latest Express Entry draw invited candidates that had been nominated under a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Recipients of a provincial nomination receive an additional 600 points toward their CRS score. That means that the lowest ranking candidate in today’s draw had a CRS score of just 154 before being nominated by a province.

The Canadian government put a temporary pause on Federal High Skilled Worker (FHS) draws as they work at eliminating a backlog of applications. Instead, Canada has been holding PNP-specific draws for candidates that have been nominated by a province.

Provinces are continuing to use the Express Entry pool to invite overseas candidates to apply for nomination. By nominating these candidates for permanent residence, provinces can fill labour and demographic gaps while FHS draws remain suspended.

PNPs provide an immigration option to candidates that may not have otherwise been invited in a federal draw. Provincial programs often target individuals with experience and skills that would benefit their province.

Immigration levels in 2022

Canada’s immigration levels plan aims to welcome 431,645 newcomers in 2022. This is an increase of over 20,000 from Canada’s previous record-breaking targets for the year, and the highest level ever targeted in Canadian history.

Included in this total, Canada plans to target 241,850 economic newcomers, including:

• 55,900 Federal Skilled Workers, Federal Skilled Trades, and Canadian Experience Class candidates
• 83,500 Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates

How can I be nominated by a province?

Each province operates several nominee programs, each with unique eligibility requirements; many require a connection to the province to apply (work experience, a job offer, a family member, or education in the province).

There are also several provincial immigration programs available to overseas workers without any connections to Canada. Certain provincial nominee programs target individuals in the Express Entry pool with in-demand skills or work experience. These requirements usually change from draw to draw in response to labour market needs. For this reason, just by having an active Express Entry profile, there is always a possibility of receiving an invitation to apply for a nomination.

Interested in learning more about your options to immigrate to Canada through a PNP? Complete our free online assessment today!