Ottawa held the third healthcare-targeted Express Entry draw of 2024
On November 20, 2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the third occupation-specific Express Entry draw of the year for candidates working in healthcare occupations and issued 3,000 Invitations to Apply (ITA). In round #327, the cut-off score was 463 points, 18 points more than in the previous healthcare-targeted Express Entry draw. The tie-breaking rule for this round was October 21, 2024, at 16:12:39 UTC. Canada invited 96,342 candidates in 49 Express Entry draws this year, including 10,250 healthcare professionals.
British Columbia invited skilled professionals and tech workers
On November 20, 2024, the Government of British Columbia held new invitation draws under the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) and issued invitations to apply to qualified candidates in tech, healthcare, childcare, construction, and veterinary care occupations. In the tech draw, the province invited four candidates. The minimum score for candidates invited in this draw was 141 points. BC issued three ITAs to candidates under the childcare-targeted draw for early childhood educators (NOC 42202) who scored 102 points and more. British Columbia issued four ITAs to candidates in the Healthcare-targeted draw with a minimum score of 116 points. The province also issued four invitations to candidates working in the construction sector. To receive an ITA, candidates must score at least 107 points. Furthermore, up to five invitations have been issued to candidates working in veterinary care occupations. British Columbia issued only up to 20 ITAs in this draw. This year, the province has already invited up to 6,152 candidates.
ESDC updated LMIA processing times
On November 20, 2024, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) updated the processing times for the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications under various streams. Based on statistics from all processing centers, this update provides a view of the current average LMIA processing times. It is important to note that the processing times have increased for all streams except the Global Talent and Agricultural streams.
