Ontario issued invitations to 115 bilingual Express Entry candidates on July 21.

Selected candidates may be eligible to immigrate to Canada through Ontario’s Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker (FSSW) stream. Candidates needed to have a profile in the Express Entry system with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score between 461 and 467.

The FSSW is an enhanced Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) stream, which means it is aligned with the Express Entry system. Candidates who received a Notification Of Interest (NOI) in this draw had to have an Express Entry profile created after July 21, 2020.

Invited candidates will be contacted by the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), and have 45 days to apply online for their provincial nomination.

This is the fourth FSSW draw of the year and it brings the total number of NOIs issued through this stream to 489.

Eligibility for FSSW

The first step is to have a profile in the Express Entry system. This program is for people who meet the eligibility requirements for the Canadian Experience Class or the Federal Skilled Worker Program.

Candidates need a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of at least 7 in French, and 6 in English. Among other eligibility criteria, the OINP will also want to see that candidates have enough funds to cover settlement costs in Ontario.

What is the benefit of having a PNP?

Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) allow Canadian provinces to invite immigration candidates who may be a good match for their regional labour markets.

Express Entry candidates who receive a provincial nomination are effectively guaranteed to get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence in a subsequent draw at the federal level. With a provincial nomination, candidates get an automatic reward of 600 CRS points. More than enough to receive an ITA in the average all-program Express Entry draw, or a PNP-only draw.

Since the people invited in today’s draw have profiles in the federal Express Entry system, receiving the provincial nomination from Ontario would give them an additional 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points towards their overall score.