Alberta held a selection with a record low passing score
The province has been doing a lot more immigration shenanigans than in the second half of last year.
On February 10, the Alberta Immigration Program sent 200 invitations to eligible applicants for those who have an active Express Entry profile and received an invitation to apply (Alberta Express Entry Stream).
In this selection, the eligibility requirements were very reduced — the minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score had to be at least 301, almost 60 points lower than in the previous draw.
Candidates were required to have a profile on Express Entry in order to receive an invitation to qualify.
Express Entry is the system the federal government of Canada uses to process permanent residence applications for the three federal immigration programs:
- for Skilled Workers (Federal Skilled Worker);
- for people who have already worked in Canada (Canadian Experience Class);
- for working professionals (Federal Skilled Trades).
Candidates in Express Entry have the opportunity to be invited to apply for provincial nomination. They need to have experience in a relevant profession that supports the province's economic development and diversification priorities.
The highest ranked candidates are then invited to apply for permanent residency through regular Express Entry drawings. Candidates who receive a provincial nomination are awarded an additional 600 CRS points. This effectively guarantees that they will receive an invitation to apply for a subsequent Express Entry.
Points are awarded for human factors such as the candidate's age, education, work experience, knowledge of English or French, and others.
To maximize your chances of receiving an invitation to submit a nomination, we recommend keeping an eye on history of passing scores and number of invitations.