The first quarter of 2019 has officially surpassed the first quarter of 2018 with 21,200 invitations to apply for permanent residence issued to candidates in Canada’s Express Entry system.
This is a 3,700 increase from 2018’s first quarter that ended at 17,500 invitations issued.
The year 2018 set an all-time record of 89,800 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued. This is the highest number of invitations issued for any one year since Express Entry was introduced in 2015. This year is expected to be an even bigger year based on Canada’s three-year immigration levels plan.
When comparing the total number of Express Entry ITAs issued in the initial quarter of 2018 and 2019, it is evident that the first quarter of this year beat last year in terms of ITAs issued.
So far this year, Express Entry draw sizes were set at 3,350 ITAs for four out of the six Express Entry draws with the exception of the first two draws when 3,900 ITAs were issued in both occasions.
Draw sizes may increase again over the course of 2019 as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the Government of Canada’s division responsible for Canadian immigration matters, works to reach the admissions target for 2019.
If IRCC moves toward possible larger or more frequent draws, we may also witness a more dynamic – or even reduced – minimum CRS requirement in upcoming quarters.
Canadian provinces have been exceptionally busy in the first quarter of the year with Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and other provinces using their Provincial Nominee Programs to select Express Entry candidates through dedicated streams.
Other provinces like Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Prince Edward Island have been publicly announcing draws through their unique Express Entry-aligned immigration streams. The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) held three Express Entry draws with a cumulative 515 invitations issued to Express Entry candidates registered in the province’s unique Expression of Interest (EOI) pool.
