published on 21 May 2021 @ 4:15 pm · COMMENT

Immigration Update

Canada-U.S. border restrictions extended another month to June 21, 2021

The Canada-U.S. border will remain closed to non-essential travel for at least another month, just days before the current agreement was set to expire.

Non-essential travel restrictions have been in place between the two countries since March 21, 2020. The provision exempts the flow of trade and commerce, as well as vital health-care workers such as nurses who live and work on opposite sides of the border.

On Tuesday of this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau indicated that lifting social restrictions more generally will be dependent on vaccination rates and consistently low community transmission of the COVID-19 virus.

Canada Experience Class Draws Remain Facilitative

On May 20, 2021, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued a new round of invitations to apply for permanent residence under the Express Entry system.

The May 20, 2021 draw invited candidates who qualify for selection under the Canadian Experience Class. The minimum score selected was 397 and 1,842 candidates were invited to apply. While Express Entry draws are generally held on a bi-weekly basis, this draw was held only one week after the May 13, 2021 Canadian Experience Class draw, in which 4147 candidates were invited to apply.

The cut off score of 397 in this draw is the lowest we have seen since the unprecedented February 13, 2021 draw, which invited over 27,000 candidates. The decrease in minimum scores required to be selected under this category makes this an excellent time for candidates with skilled work experience in Canada to apply for permanent residence.  To qualify for selection under the Canadian Experience Class, candidates must have at least one year of skilled work experience in Canada within the last three years.