Canada's April 3rd Express Entry Draw Invites 3,350 Candidates to Apply for Permanent Residency

In a draw held on Wednesday, April 3rd for the Express Entry program, the government of Canada has invited 3,350 Invitations to Apply (ITAs). This follows a similar draw held two weeks ago (March 20th) in which a similar number, 3,350 ITAs, were issued. Individuals who enter the drawing and are selected for ITA get a chance to apply for Canadian permanent residency.

The government sets a minimum score needed to qualify for each draw - Comprehensive Ranking system (CRS) score, which is based on such factors as age, education, skilled work experience, family ties in Canada, and fluency in either English or French.  The minimum score for the April 3rd draw was 451, a reduction of 2 points over the minimum score for the March 20th draw.

Canada has target to issue 81,400 ITAs in 2019 through the Express Entry program. In 2018, the government issued a record 89,800 Express Entry ITAs.

Candidates who are issued ITAs are given 60 days to submit a complete application permanent residency as the first step towards moving to or remaining in Canada as a permanent resident.

Candidates who apply for Express Entry remain the the selection pool for 12 months if they are not immediately invited to apply. The government says while in the selection pool, the candidate can continue to improve his or her score by among other things gaining more relevant work experience, improving education level, improving language score, or getting a job offer in Canada.

You can check if you meet the minimum score and also apply for Express Entry here.