Posted on April 04 2020

2020 starts off as a big year for Express Entry

By 

Anshul Singhal

, Editor

Updated May 10 2023

More Express Entry candidates were invited to apply for Canada permanent residence in the first quarter of 2020 than in the first quarters of the last two years.  2020 has indeed started off as a big year for Express Entry.  The Express Entry system of Canada continues to go strong despite the restrictions and limitations imposed in view of COVID-19.  The 2020-2022 Immigration Levels Plan was announced on March 12, that is, about a week before the implementation of coronavirus prevention measures.  In 2020, Canada plans on inviting 341,000 new immigrations. Of the total number of immigrants to be given Canadian PR in 2020, Federal High Skilled workers have been allocated 91,800 spaces. Another 67,800 are expected to settle in Canada in 2020 through the Provincial Nominee Program [PNP]. The first Express Entry draw of the year was held on January 8, 2020. After the first draw on January 8, Express Entry draws were held every two weeks.  Two draws have been held through the Express Entry system after the COVID-19 special measures have been implemented by Canada. Details of the Express Entry draw held on March 18 were revealed on March 20 by the Government of Canada. The March 18 draw – Express Entry Draw #139 – only included those candidates with provincial nominations in alignment with the federal Express Entry system. As a provincial nomination gives an additional 600 points to be added to the CRS score, the minimum CRS cut-off in this provincial-nominee-only draw was 720.  CRS stands for Comprehensive Ranking System. Profiles in the Express Entry pool are ranked against each other based on various factors. The higher the CRS that you have, the sooner that you can be expected to be invited to apply for Canada PR.  Only five days later, that is, on March 23, another draw – Express Entry Draw # 140 – was held. This was another exceptional draw, inviting only Canadian Experience Class candidates.  So far in 2020, as many as 22,600 principal applicants with their profiles in the Express Entry pool have been issued Invitations to Apply [ITAs]. By the same time in 2019, Canada had issued 21,200 ITAs. In 2018, on the other hand, the number of ITAs issued by this time were 17,500.  When compared to the number of ITAs issued in the last quarter of 2019, there is a 25.5% increase in the ITAs issued in this quarter. In Q4 2019, Canada invited 18,000. In Q1 2020, the number stands at 22,600.  If you are looking to Migrate, Study, Invest, Visit, or Work Overseas, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No. 1 Immigration & Visa Company. If you found this blog engaging, you may also like … PNP can get you to Canada even with CRS as low as 300