January 6, 2019

Express Entry, which manages the pool of candidates for Canada’s three Federal High Skilled immigration programs, issued a record 89,800 invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence in 2018 — the most issued in a single year since Express Entry’s introduction in January 2015.

Among the other key Express Entry developments in 2018 was the rising number of candidates with a provincial nomination.

Nine Canadian provinces and two territories participate in Canada’s Provincial Nominee Program, or PNP, which they use to nominate a set number of economic immigrants for Canadian permanent residence each year. Some of these allocations are assigned for ‘enhanced’ provincial programs that nominate candidates through the Express Entry system.

An “enhanced” provincial nomination is the single most valuable factor within Express Entry’s CRS and results in an Express Entry candidate receiving an additional 600 points towards their overall Express Entry ranking score — effectively guaranteeing an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence.