IRCC holds third PNP-only draw of the year, inviting 667 candidates IRCC has held the third PNP-only draw of the year.

Today, the IRCC held the sixth Express Entry draw for 2023.

667 individuals with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 748 received invites from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Following the results of the PNP-only draw on February 15, this was the fourth program-specific draw of 2023. Three of the program-specific drawings were for the PNP, and one was for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP).

All-program Express Entry drawings were stopped for 18 months between January 2021 and July 2022 owing to border closures and limitations induced by the COVID-19 epidemic. After July, all 2022 draws were all-program.

Since the beginning of 2023, IRCC has only held two all-program draws, which means that candidates from all three Express Entry managed programmes have been invited based on their minimal CRS score. These drawings, which were held one week apart on January 11 and 18, each attracted 5,000 contestants.

After that, IRCC had to wait two weeks for the next draw, which was the first PNP-only draw since June 2022. The next day, IRCC held another draw, this time inviting only 3,300 individuals from the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP). IRCC held an FSWP-only draw for the first time since Express Entry began in 2015. The FSWP is a well-known Express Entry programme that is open to people from all around the world who meet the work experience, language, and educational experience requirements.

The immigration minister and the IRCC have complete control over Express Entry draws. The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act contains no provisions dictating when draws will take place, the number of candidates, or the minimum CRS cut-off score.

The IRCC has launched an application tracking system for Express Entry programmes.
Candidates in the Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) will now be able to track their applications online, according to an announcement made by IRCC on February 8. Candidates in Provincial Nominee Programs would also be affected (PNPs).

Clients will be able to monitor their application and stay up to date on any updates on activities that may be required to keep their file moving with the use of these status trackers. According to data from January 31, there are 47,868 candidates for Express Entry programmes and 66,214 for PNPs in the line.

These trackers were created by IRCC in order to boost transparency and improve access to information. An identical mechanism was implemented last year for family class permanent residency applicants, sponsors, and their agents.