VO Visas Express Entry Canada holds first draw of 2022

In the first Express Entry draw of the year, IRCC invited only PNP candidates to apply for permanent residence.

Canada is starting the new year inviting 392 Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residence.


In the January 5 draw, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) only invited Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score cutoff was 808. PNP candidates get an automatic 600 points added to their score when they receive their nomination, which is why the score seems high compared to other invitation rounds.

IRCC has only been holding PNP draws since September. According to an internal briefing memo, IRCC has been focusing on PNP candidates as immigration officers are processing a backlog in applications. The immigration department wants to cut Express Entry backlogs in at least half before inviting candidates from other programs.