Ontario Removes CRS cap in new PNP draw

Currently, Canada is taking new steps to speed up the immigration process that has taken a back step due to the pandemic. From the last two years there have been a number of travel restrictions to international travel and all the countries are facing severe consequences due to it. Canada has also faced a number of consequences due to a halt in immigration process. Now, the authorities are speeding up the process through various ways. So, those who are interested to shift and immigrate can consult with Auzcan and look for the suitable opportunity and way to immigrate to Canada. Lately, Ontario’s newest Human Capital Priorities draw invited candidates with CRS scores of 455 and up. On February 22, Ontario invited 773 Express Entry candidates working in targeted occupations to apply for a provincial nomination. The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) invited candidates who may be eligible for the Express Entry Human Capital Priorities Stream (HCP). These candidates needed to have a profile in the Express Entry system with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score between 455 and 600. The maximum of 600 is the most points Express Entry candidates can get without a provincial nomination. Before this draw, candidates whose CRS score was above the maximum range would not be eligible to apply for the nomination. Ontario also invited candidates who had created an Express Entry profile between the dates of February 22, 2021, and April 29, 2021. This means those who got themselves listed last year. To be eligible for the nomination, candidates need at least one year of work experience in the following targeted occupations listed in the NOC code. You can check the codes on a suitable website. As per the rule, those who received an invitation now have 45 calendar days to submit their application for Ontario’s Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

High-scoring Ontario candidates can now apply

Canada has been carrying forward Express Entry draws for anyone but PNP candidates since September 2021. Immigration Minister Sean Fraser has not shared a proper date as to when draws for Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) candidates will resume, but recently told business leaders that it would be in the “near future.” Since then, only PNP candidates have been invited. In all of 2021, Express Entry candidates in Ontario with scores of more than 467 were not invited to apply for a nomination. As a result, some candidates were trying to reduce their scores in the pool in order to get a nomination from Ontario. According to the new 2022-2024 Immigration Levels Plan Canada is expecting to bring in 83,500 immigrants through both Express Entry-aligned and base PNP categories this year. This will help to boost the country’s economy. The new targets are greater than what the government projected in the last levels plan, which was 81,500 PNP immigrants for 2022, and 83,000 for 2023. This is Ontario’s biggest HCP draw of the year, and it has the largest range of eligible Express Entry scores. There is a 145-point difference between the minimum score of 455 and the maximum of 600. Ontario’s biggest draw overall was on January 27, when the province invited 1,032 Skilled Trades Stream candidates, another Express Entry stream.

Small Employer Job Offer Draw- 

Well, to speed up the process and also fill the vacant positions. Ontario also issued eight invitations under the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream. Now, the ones covered under this stream do not have Express Entry profiles, but they have submitted an Expression of Interest to Ontario’s system. This draw was targeted for Economic Mobility Pathways Project candidates, which was created to allow about 10-15 skilled refugees to immigrate to Canada through a PNP or another federal economic program.

What is the benefit of having a PNP?

PNPs allow Canadian provinces to invite immigration candidates who meet the needs of their regional labour markets. Through Express Entry candidates who receive a provincial nomination are sure to get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence. With a provincial nomination, candidates get 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points added to their base score, which is more than enough to receive an ITA in a subsequent Express Entry draw.