IRCC invited only 668 candidates in the new Express Entry draw

IRCC invited only 668 candidates in the new Express Entry draw

IRCC invited only 668 candidates in the new Express Entry draw
On March 18, 2020, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted the sixth Express Entry invitation round in 2020, however, due to issues related to Covid-19, the results were published two days after. In round #139, Canada sent only 668 Invitations to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. The lowest Comprehensive Ranking System score in this draw was 720 points. Such a serious increase in the score is caused by a very small number of ITAs. Canada invited only candidates who were nominated by one of the provinces. The tie-breaking rule for this round was March 19, 2020 at 02:04:06 UTC. As of March 13, 2020, there are 146,881 profiles registered in the pool, 1,445 more compared to the previous round. In total, Canada invited 19,368 candidates to apply for permanent residence through the Express Entry in 2020.

#Express_Entry, #IRCC, #ITA

Immigration to Canada will not stop
Despite many updates and several contradicting news published earlier by the government officials, on March 20, 2020, released a new update on exemptions to travel restrictions. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) clarified the exemptions to air travel restrictions and explained that foreign nationals who have already committed to working or studying in Canada, as well as those whose application for permanent residence in Canada has been approved, will be considered as essential travel for land border restrictions. In addition, IRCC has modified the regulations for the LMIAs process for agriculture and food processing employers as well as increased the maximum work duration for the low-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) from 1 to 2 years.

#IRCC, #travel_ban, #Covid_19, #PR, #SP, #WP, #LMIA, #TFWP, International_students, #foreign_workers, #newcomers

Newfoundland and Labrador updated its immigration rules and procedures
On March 20, 2020, the Newfoundland and Labrador Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism (OIM) published the updated set of regulations regarding immigration to the province. The province will continue to accept online applications in the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP) but will not accept the paper applications. Additionally, the OIM will not accept paper applications in the Atlantic Pilot (AIPP). Employers must scan and send AIPP applications by email.

#Newfoundland_and_Labrador, #NLPNP, #PNP, #AIPP, #Atlantic_pilot, #Covid_19

IRCC suspended biometric data collection
For the safety of staff and applicants during the new coronavirus outbreak, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) decided to suspend all biometric data collection services until April 13, 2020. Applicants do not need to go to Service Canada to submit biometric data and are advised to wait for updates about reopening. IRCC has extended applicants’ biometric data collection time to 90 days and applicants will not be required to bring a biometric data collection notification letter. Applicants are asked to reschedule their appointments when Service Canada resumes normal work. From now until April 13, all domestic landing interviews will be cancelled. If the applicant has booked a domestic landing interview, they will be notified by telephone to change the appointment time. Similarly, all refugee application interviews have been cancelled. If the applicant has already scheduled an interview, they will be notified by telephone to change the appointment time.

#IRCC, #biometrics, #Covid_19