January 14, 2016 – Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has invited 1,518 candidates to apply for Permanent Residence in Canada through Express Entry. The lowest qualifying score for this round was 453, close to the lowest scores of all draws since the program was launched in January of 2015. The minimum score has declined steadily in the last seven draws, from a high of 489 in October.

In 2015, Canada issued 31,063 invitations to apply through Express Entry. It is expected that this number will be significantly higher in 2016 as Express Entry become the principal source of immigration to Canada. So far in 2016, Canada has issued 2,981 invitations to apply.

Express Entry uses a comprehensive scoring system to rank prospective immigrants to Canada. Candidates are awarded up to 600 points based on a variety of factors meant to assess their ability to succeed in Canada, including age, language skill, education and work experience. An additional 600 points are awarded for holding a valid job offer supported by a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

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