Invitations to apply for Canadian Permanent Residence have been issued to 4,500 Express Entry candidates in the largest draw ever held by the Government of Canada on February 19.

The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score in this latest invitation round was 470, a decrease of 2 points over the previous draw held February 5.

The Express Entry system manages the pool of candidates for three of Canada’s main skilled labour immigration categories — the Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class and Canadian Experience Class.

Eligible candidates are entered into the Express Entry pool and are ranked based on a CRS score that considers factors such as age, education, skilled work experience and proficiency in English or French.

A job offer is not required in order to be eligible for an Express Entry Invitation to Apply (ITA), though additional CRS points are awarded if a candidate has one.

A set number of the highest-ranked candidates are issued an ITA for Canadian permanent residence through regular draws from the pool. These invitation rounds typically take place every two weeks and the vast majority involve candidates from all three Express Entry-managed categories.

The Government of Canada has a processing standard of six months for permanent residence applications filed through the Express Entry system. #casansaar (Source - CIC News)