Bengaluru
Canada invited 183 provincial nominees in the Express Entry draw #178
On March 17, 2021, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted a new Express Entry draw. Draw #178 targeted candidates under the Provincial Nominee Program. IRCC invited 183 provincial candidates, and the cut-off score in this round was 682 points, 57 points less compared to the previous PNP-specific draw that occurred on March 8. The tie-breaking rule for this round March 04, 2021, at 16:56:20 UTC. As of March 15, 2021, there are 162,120 profiles registered in the pool, 14,432 profiles more compared to the previous update. Such a great increase shows a dramatic increase in the interest tot Express Entry. Since the largest draw in history a month ago, when IRCC invited over 27,000 candidates, the number of profiles became even bigger than it was prior to the historic record draw. For instance, on February 8, there were 152,714 profiles in the pool. This means from February 8 to March 15, there were over 36,000 new registrations. In total, Canada issued 38,840 ITAs to foreign nationals through Express Entry in 2021.
#Express_Entry, #IRCC, #ITA, #PNP
Ontario nominated 2,261 candidates in the OINP in 2021
On March 17, 2021, the Ontario government published a new update on the issuance of nomination certificates under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). As of March 12, Ontario issued 2,261 certificates of nomination, 742 more compared to the previous update on February 11. Last year, Ontario issued 8,050 nominations. The quota for 2021 has not been released yet by the federal government. During 2019 and 2020, Ontario consistently requested IRCC to increase the allocation for Ontario, as the demand for OINP has been increasing for several years.
#Ontario, #OINP, #provincial_nomination, #PNP
IRCC updated temporary regulations for high-performance amateur athletes entry
On March 17, 2021, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has updated instructions related to the entry to Canada of the high-performance amateur athletes during the pandemic. The exemptions for travel restrictions and mandatory quarantine for such athletes have been modified to ensure their participation in the designated international single-sport events. To enter Canada, those athletes must obtain the letter of authorization issued solely by the Deputy Minister of Canadian Heritage (PCH).
#COVID_19, #IRCC, #travel_restrictions
Processing times in the OINP have been updated
On March 17, 2021, Ontario has updated the average processing time in the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). At the moment, the processing time in Ontario’s Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream, Master Graduates Stream, and Ph.D. Graduates Stream is 30-60 days. As for Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities Stream and the Employer Job Offer Foreign Worker Stream, the processing time is 60-90 days. The processing time for applications in the Ontario’s Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream, Employer Job Offer International Student, and Employer Job Offer In-Demand Skills is 90-120 days. The Expression of Interest (EOI) Assessment in the Entrepreneur Stream requires less than 30 days, while the application processing depends on the complexity of the application.
#OINP, #Ontario, #processing_times, #PNP, #nomination_certificate