Canada holds first Express Entry draw under new Immigration Minister
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued more invitations to apply (ITA) through the Express Entry system.
The immigration department issued 277 ITAs to candidates in a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw.
To be considered in this draw, candidates needed to have:
A minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 726; and
Created an Express Entry candidate profile before 3:46 p.m., Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) on 24 September 2024.
See your eligibility for all Express Entry streams
Summary of Express Entry draws in 2025
DateDraw TypeNumber of ITAsCut-off CRS score
June 3Provincial Nominee Program277726
May 13Canadian Experience Class500547
May 12Provincial Nominee Program511706
May 2Healthcare and social services 500510
May 1Education1,000479
April 28Provincial Nominee Program421727
April 14Provincial Nominee Program825764
March 21French language proficiency7,500379
March 17Provincial Nominee Program536736
March 6French language proficiency4,500410
March 3Provincial Nominee Program 725667
February 19French language proficiency 6,500428
February 17Provincial Nominee Program 646750
February 5Canadian Experience Class4,000521
February 4Provincial Nominee Program455802
January 23 Canadian Experience Class4,000527
January 8Canadian Experience Class1,350542
January 7Provincial Nominee Program471793
Today’s Express Entry draw is the first of the month and follows a Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw on 13 May, and two category-based selections (under the healthcare and education categories).
Thus far, IRCC has issued 34,717 ITAs through the Express Entry system in 2025.
This year, the Express Entry system has primarily held draws focused on PNP candidates, with the remainder of Express Entry ITAs dedicated to Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates, candidates with French-language proficiency, and those in Express Entry’s priority categories:
Draw TypeNumber of Draws
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)9
Canadian Experience Class (CEC)4
French-language proficiency3
Education1
Healthcare and social services1
Why does Canada use the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)?
Canada uses the CRS to select skilled worker candidates most likely to succeed in its job market.
The CRS benefits both Canada and the immigrants it admits. The CRS is a detailed and evidence-based scoring and ranking method that allows IRCC to welcome immigrants who are most likely to contribute strongly to Canada’s labour market.
The CRS is based on decades of Canadian government research into the labour market outcomes of immigrants. This research shows that newcomers who are young or middle-aged and possess strong work experience, education, and language skills tend to integrate successfully into Canada’s workforce.
Further evidence supports the government’s research and confirms that the CRS is the right tool for selecting Express Entry candidates. In 2020, IRCC published a report examining how Express Entry immigrants have fared in the labour market since the system was launched in 2015. The report found that Express Entry immigrants enjoy high employment rates, strong earnings, and low unemployment—outcomes facilitated by the scoring structure of the CRS.
