In the 187th Express Entry draw, IRCC issued 4,147 invitations to Express Entry candidates. This draw was specific to Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates with a minimum CRS cut-off score of 401.
Draw Summary
Draw Number: 187
Draw Date: May 13, 2021
Number of Invitations Issued: 4147
Minimum CRS: 401
Program Specified: Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
Tie-breaking rule: April 29, 2021
The 187th draw represents the first CEC draw from the Express Entry pool since the launch of the temporary resident to permanent resident pathway, specifically the streams targeting applicants in an essential occupation.
Canadian Experience Class or Essential Worker Stream?
By virtue of the Canadian work experience requirement, this stream holds much resemblance to the CEC eligibility criteria, with applicants often torn between which is the best program to apply to. However, upon review of the intake quota for the essential occupation pathway, it appears that many may be opting to apply under the temporary resident to permanent resident pathway over entering Express Entry pool.
At the time of writing, the temporary resident to permanent resident pathway streams targeting essential occupations have received almost 10,000 applications in the 1 week it has been open. This means almost 10,000 applicants with Canadian experience have applied under an essential occupation stream in the last week. Compared to the Express Entry pool where roughly 20,000 new profile have been submitted in the last month.
This maybe because the new pathways are marked, accelerated pathways to permanent residency although Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada have only committed to processing 40,000 of these applications in 2021, with the rest being processed in 2022.