IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? Canada has conducted its 17th Express Entry draw of 2016, issuing 754 invitations to apply. The lowest qualifying score was 490.

What does the change mean? The number of invitations to apply and the lowest qualifying score have changed little in the past seven draws, though invitations to apply are down considerably compared with earlier this year.

Implementation time frame: Ongoing.

Visas/permits affected: Permanent residency through Express Entry.

Who is affected: Canadian companies sponsoring foreign nationals through one of four skilled migration programs: Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades, Canadian Experience Class and a portion of the Provincial Nominee Program.

Business impact: The minimum qualifying score has remained less than 600 in all draws this year, indicating that some candidates continue to be issued invitations to apply without having an LMIA-supported job offer or provincial nomination.

Background: Last year, Canada issued 31,063 invitations to apply through Express Entry. Officials had projected a greater number for 2016, but have issued just 17,542 so far this year. If recent trends continue, Canada may fall short of last year’s total.

Express Entry Draws in 2016:

Date Invitations Score Date Invitations Score
Jan. 6 1,463 461 May 6 799 534
Jan. 13 1,518 453 May 18 763 484
Jan. 27 1,468 457 June 1 762 483
Feb. 10 1,505 459 June 15 752 488
Feb. 25 1,484 453 June 29 773 482
March 9 1,013 473 July 13 747 482
March 23 1,014 470 July 27 755 488
April 6 954 470 Aug. 10 754 490
April 20 1,018 468

BAL Analysis: The latest draw indicates that the minimum score to obtain an invitation to apply remains low; still, fewer candidates have been selected and offered invitations to apply in the past several rounds.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group and our network provider located in Canada. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.

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