Canada Holds Third Express Entry Draw of March, Invites 536 PNP Candidates
Canada Holds Third Express Entry Draw of March, Invites 536 PNP Candidates
In a significant development for Canadian immigration, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted its third Express Entry draw of the month on March 17, 2025. The latest draw focused on candidates in the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), issuing a total of 536 Invitations to Apply (ITAs). Candidates needed to have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 736 to be considered.
This draw reflects Canada’s ongoing strategy to align immigration with labor market needs and meet regional workforce demands through targeted PNP invitations. The latest draw adds to a busy start to the year for Express Entry, with multiple large-scale draws held across different categories, including French-language proficiency and Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
Results: Rounds of invitations
- Number of ITAs: 536
- Date and time of round: March 17, 2025 at 15:33:36 UTC
- CRS score of lowest-ranked candidate invited: 736
- Tie-breaking rule: March 12, 2025 at 14:02:14 UTC
If more than one candidate has the lowest score, the cut-off is based on the date and time they submitted their Express Entry profiles.
Invitations to apply to the Provincial Nominee Program may be issued through this round of invitations.
Details of the March 17 Draw
The Express Entry draw on March 17 invited 536 candidates through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). To qualify, candidates needed to meet the following criteria:
- Minimum CRS score of 736
- An active Express Entry profile was created before 2:02 pm (UTC) on March 12, 2025
Candidates who receive a provincial nomination under the PNP category are awarded an additional 600 CRS points, which significantly increases their chances of receiving an ITA in an Express Entry draw.
The March 17 draw follows two earlier Express Entry draws in March:
- March 6: 4,500 candidates were invited in a French-language proficiency draw with a CRS cut-off of 410.
- March 3: 725 candidates were invited in a PNP draw with a CRS cut-off of 667.
Breakdown of Express Entry Draws in 2025
Canada has maintained an active immigration strategy throughout 2025, with multiple Express Entry draws conducted across different categories. Below is a summary of the draws held so far:
Additionally, Provincial Nominee Program candidates may receive an “enhanced nomination” through Express Entry, amplifying their CRS scores and improving their chances of selection.
Candidates are evaluated using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which scores factors such as age, education, work experience, and language proficiency. Candidates with provincial nominations receive 600 additional CRS points, significantly boosting their chances of receiving an ITA.
Summary Of Express Entry Draws In 2025
Below is a summary of Express Entry draws conducted so far in 2025: 10 draws held, with 23,183 ITAs issued
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC) : 9,350
- Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) : 2833
- French language proficiency: 11,000
| Draw | Date | Draw Type | Number of ITAs | Minimum CRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 340 | March 17 | PNP | 536 | 736 |
| 339 | March 06 | French language | 4,500 | 410 |
| 338 | March 03 | PNP | 725 | 667 |
| 337 | February 19 | French language | 6,500 | 428 |
| 336 | February 17 | PNP | 646 | 750 |
| 335 | February 05 | CEC | 4,000 | 521 |
| 334 | February 04 | PNP | 455 | 802 |
| 333 | January 23 | CEC | 4,000 | 527 |
| 332 | January 8 | CEC | 1,350 | 542 |
| 331 | January 7 | PNP | 471 | 793 |
The March 17 draw demonstrates IRCC’s focus on inviting high-scoring candidates who have already secured a provincial nomination, reinforcing the importance of regional labor market needs.
Express Entry Draw Reports
2024 Draw List
2023 Draw List
2022 Draw List
2021 Draw List
2020 Draw List
2019 Draw List
2018 Draw List
2017 Draw List
2016 Draw List
2015 Draw List
2024 Draw List
| Draw | Date | Number of invitations | Minimum CRS points | Article Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 330 | December 16 | 1,085 | 727 | Provincial Nominee Program #330 |
| 329 | December 03 | 800 | 466 | French language proficiency #329 |
| 328 | December 02 | 676 | 705 | Provincial Nominee Program #328 |
| 327 | November 20 | 3000 | 463 | Healthcare occupations #327 |
| 326 | November 19 | 400 | 539 | Canadian Experience Class #326 |
| 325 | November 18 | 174 | 816 | Provincial Nominee Program #325 |
| 324 | November 15 | 800 | 478 | French language proficiency (Version 1) #324 |
| 323 | November 13 | 400 | 547 | Canadian Experience Class #323 |
| 322 | November 12 | 733 | 812 | Provincial Nominee Program #322 |
| 321 | October 23 | 1,800 | 433 | Trade occupations (Version 1) #321 |
| 320 | October 22 | 400 | 539 | Canadian Experience Class #320 |
| 319 | October 21 | 648 | 791 | Provincial Nominee Program #319 |
| 318 | October 10 | 1,000 | 444 | French language proficiency (Version 1) #318 |
| 317 | October 9 | 500 | 539 | Canadian Experience Class #317 |
| 316 | October 7 | 1,613 | 743 | Provincial Nominee Program #316 |
| 315 | September 19 | 4,000 | 509 | Canadian Experience Class #315 |
| 314 | September 13 | 1,000 | 446 | French language proficiency (Version 1) #314 |
| 313 | September 09 | 911 | 732 | Provincial Nominee Program #313 |
| 312 | August 27 | 3,300 | 507 | Canadian Experience Class #312 |
| 311 | August 26 | 1,121 | 694 | Provincial Nominee Program #311 |
| 310 | August 15 | 2,000 | 394 | French language proficiency (Version 1) #310 |
| 309 | August 14 | 3,200 | 509 | Canadian Experience Class #309 |
| 308 | August 13 | 763 | 690 | Provincial Nominee Program #308 |
| 307 | July 31 | 5,000 | 510 | Canadian Experience Class #307 |
| 306 | July 30 | 964 | 686 | Provincial Nominee Program #306 |
| 305 | July 18 | 1,800 | 400 | French language proficiency (Version 1) #305 |
| 304 | July 17 | 6,300 | 515 | Canadian Experience Class #304 |
| 303 | July 16 | 1,391 | 670 | latest PNP-only draw #303 |
| 302 | July 8 | 3,200 | 420 | French language proficiency (Version 1) Draw #302 |
| 301 | July 5 | 3,750 | 445 | Healthcare occupations (Version 1) Draw #301 |
| 300 | July 4 | 1,800 | 436 | Latest Express Entry Trade occupations (Version 1) Draw #300 |
| 299 | July 2 | 920 | 739 | Latest Express Entry Provincial Nominee Program Draw #299 |
| 298 | June 19 | 1499 | 663 | Latest Express Entry Provincial Nominee Program Draw #298 |
| 297 | May 31 | 3,000 | 522 | Latest Express Entry Draw Canadian Experience Class Applicants to Canada #297 |
| 296 | April 24 | 1400 | 410 | Provincial Nominee Program Express Entry Draw #296 |
| 295 | April 24 | 1400 | 410 | French language proficiency (2024-1) Express Entry Draw #295 |
| 294 | April 23 | 2095 | 529 | General Category Express Entry Draw #294 |
| 293 | April 11 | 4,500 | 491 | STEM Occupations Express Entry Draw #293 |
| 292 | April 10 | 1280 | 549 | General Express Entry Draw #292 |
| 291 | March 26 | 1500 | 388 | lowest CRS Score 388 – Latest Express Entry Draw #291 |
| 290 | March 25 | 1,980 | 524 | lowest CRS Score 524 – Latest Express Entry Draw #290 |
| 289 | March 13 | 975 | 430 | lowest CRS Score – Latest Express Entry Draw #289 |
| 288 | March 12 | 2850 | 525 | Latest Express Entry Draw #288 – lowest CRS Score |
| 287 | February 29 | 2500 | 336 French language proficiency (2024-1) | Latest Express Entry Draw Today #287 – lowest CRS Score |
| 286 | February 28 | 1470 | 534 General | 1,470 Invited in Latest Express Entry General Draw |
| 285 | February 16 | 150 | 437 Agriculture and agri-food occupations (2023-1) | Canada invites 150 Express Entry candidates for agriculture and agri-food workers |
| 284 | February 14 | 3500 | 422 Healthcare occupations (2023-1) | Express Entry Healthcare draw |
| 283 | February 13 | 1490 | 535 General Draw | latest Express Entry General Draw |
| 282 | February 1 | 7,000 | 365 French language proficiency (2023-1) | Express Entry Latest Draw French language proficiency (2023-1) |
| 281 | January 31 | 730 | 541 All Program | Express Entry Latest Draw |
| 280 | January 23 | 1,040 | 543 All Program | Second Express Entry Draw Of 2024 |
| 279 | January 10 | 1,510 | 546 All Program | First Express Entry Draw Of 2024 |
2023 Draw List
2022 Draw List
| Draw | Date | Number of invitations | Minimum CRS points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 236 | November 23 | 4,750 | 491 *All programs considered |
| 235 | November 09 | 4,750 | 494 *All programs considered |
| 234 | October 26 | 4,750 | 496 *All programs considered |
| 233 | October 12 | 4,250 | 500 *All programs considered |
| 232 | September 28 | 3,750 | 504 *All programs considered |
| 231 | September 14 | 3,250 | 510 *All programs considered |
| 230 | August 31 | 2,750 | 516 *All programs considered |
| 229 | August 17 | 2,250 | 525 *All programs considered |
| 228 | August 03 | 2,000 | 533 *All programs considered |
| 227 | July 20 | 1,750 | 542 *All programs considered |
| 226 | January 11 | 1,500 | 557 *All programs considered |
| 225 | June 22 | 636 | 752 *PNP-specific draw |
| 224 | June 08 | 932 | 796 *PNP-specific draw |
| 223 | May 25 | 589 | 741 *PNP-specific draw |
| 222 | May 11 | 545 | 753 *PNP-specific draw |
| 221 | April 27 | 829 | 772 *PNP-specific draw |
| 220 | April 13 | 787 | 782 *PNP-specific draw |
| 219 | March 30 | 919 | 785 *PNP-specific draw |
| 218 | March 16 | 924 | 754 *PNP-specific draw |
| 217 | March 2 | 1,047 | 761 *PNP-specific draw |
| 216 | Feb 16 | 1,082 | 710 *PNP-specific draw |
| 215 | Feb 2 | 1,070 | 674 *PNP-specific draw |
| 214 | Jan 19 | 1,036 | 745 *PNP-specific draw |
| 213 | Jan 5 | 392 | 808 *PNP-specific draw |
2021 Draw List
| Draw # | Date of Draw | Number of invitations | Minimum CRS Score Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| 212 | December 22, 2021 | 746 | 720 (*Provincial nominees only) |
| 211 | December 10, 2021 | 1,032 | 698 (*Provincial nominees only) |
| 210 | November 24, 2021 | 613 | 737 (*Provincial nominees only) |
| 209 | November 10, 2021 | 775 | 685 (*Provincial nominees only) |
| 208 | October 27, 2021 | 888 | 744 (*Provincial nominees only) |
| 207 | October 13, 2021 | 681 | 720 (*Provincial nominees only) |
| 206 | September 29, 2021 | 761 | 742 (*Provincial nominees only) |
| 205 | September 15, 2021 | 521 | 732 (*Provincial nominees only) |
| 204 | September 14, 2021 | 2,000 | 462 (*Canadian Experience Class only) |
| 203 | September 1, 2021 | 635 | 764 (*Provincial nominees only) |
| 202 | August 19, 2021 | 3,000 | 403 (*Canadian Experience Class only) |
| 201 | August 18, 2021 | 463 | 751 (*Provincial nominees only) |
| 200 | August 5, 2021 | 3,000 | 404 (*Canadian Experience Class only) |
| 199 | August 4, 2021 | 512 | 760 (*Provincial nominees only) |
| 198 | July 22, 2021 | 4,500 | 357 (*Canadian Experience Class only) |
| 197 | July 21, 2021 | 462 | 734 (*Provincial nominees only) |
| 196 | July 8, 2021 | 4,500 | 369 (*Canadian Experience Class only) |
| 195 | July 7, 2021 | 627 | 760 (*Provincial nominees only) |
| 194 | June 24, 2021 | 6,000 | 357 (*Canadian Experience Class only) |
| 193 | June 23, 2021 | 1,002 | 742 (*Provincial nominees only) |
| 192 | June 10, 2021 | 6,000 | 368 (*Canadian Experience Class only) |
| 191 | June 9, 2021 | 940 | 711 (*Provincial nominees only) |
| 190 | May 31, 2021 | 5,956 | 380 (*Canadian Experience Class only) |
| 189 | May 26, 2021 | 500 | 713 (*Provincial nominees only) |
| 188 | May 20, 2021 | 1,842 | 397 (*Canadian Experience Class only) |
| 187 | May 13, 2021 | 4,147 | 401 (*Canadian Experience Class only) |
| 186 | May 12, 2021 | 557 | 752 (*Provincial nominees only) |
| 185 | April 29, 2021 | 6,000 | 400 (*Canadian Experience Class only) |
| 184 | April 28, 2021 | 381 | 717 (*Provincial nominees only) |
| 183 | April 16, 2021 | 6,000 | 417 (*Canadian Experience Class only) |
| 182 | April 14, 2021 | 266 | 753 (*Provincial nominees only) |
| 181 | April 1, 2021 | 5,000 | 432 (*Canadian Experience Class only) |
| 180 | March 31, 2021 | 284 | 778 (*Provincial nominees only) |
| 179 | March 18, 2021 | 5,000 | 449 (*Canadian Experience Class only) |
| 178 | March 17, 2021 | 183 | 682 (*Provincial nominees only) |
| 177 | March 8, 2021 | 671 | 739 (*Provincial nominees only) |
| 176 | February 13, 2021 | 27,332 | 75 (*Canadian Experience Class only) |
| 175 | February 10, 2021 | 654 | 720 (*Provincial nominees only) |
| 174 | January 21, 2021 | 4,626 | 454 (*Canadian Experience Class only) |
| 173 | January 20, 2021 | 374 | 741 (*Provincial nominees only) |
| 172 | January 7, 2021 | 4,750 | 461 (*Canadian Experience Class only) |
| 171 | January 6, 2021 | 250 | 813 (*Provincial nominees only) |
2020 Draw List
| Draw # | Date of Draw | Number of invitations | Minimum CRS Score Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| 170 | December 23, 2020 | 5,000 | 468 |
| 169 | December 9, 2020 | 5,000 | 469 |
| 168 | November 25, 2020 | 5,000 | 469 |
| 167 | November 18, 2020 | 5,000 | 472 |
| 166 | November 5, 2020 | 4,500 | 478 |
| 165 | October 14, 2020 | 4,500 | 471 |
| 164 | September 30, 2020 | 4,200 | 471 |
| 163 | September 16, 2020 | 4,200 | 472 |
| 162 | September 2, 2020 | 4,200 | 475 |
| 161 | August 20, 2020 | 3,300 | 454 Canadian Experience Class |
| 160 | August 19, 2020 | 600 | 771 Provincial Nominee Program |
| 159 | August 6, 2020 | 250 | 415 Federal Skilled Trades |
| 158 | August 5, 2020 | 3,900 | 476 |
| 157 | July 23, 2020 | 3,343 | 445 |
| 156 | July 22, 2020 | 557 | 687 |
| 155 | July 8, 2020 | 3,900 | 478 |
| 154 | June 25, 2020 | 3,508 | 431 |
| 153 | June 24, 2020 | 392 | 696 |
| 152 | June 11, 2020 | 3,559 | 437 |
| 151 | June 10, 2020 | 341 | 743 |
| 150 | May 28, 2020 | 3,515 | 440 |
| 149 | May 27, 2020 | 385 | 757 |
| 148 | May 14, 2020 | 3,371 | 447 |
| 147 | May 13, 2020 | 529 | 718 |
| 146 | April 30, 2020 | 3,311 | 452 |
| 146 | April 29, 2020 | 589 | 692 |
| 144 | April 16, 2020 | 3,782 | 455 |
| 143 | April 15, 2020 | 118 | 808 |
| 142 | April 9, 2020 | 3,294 | 464 |
| 141 | April 9, 2020 | 606 | 698 |
| 140 | March 23, 2020 | 3,400 | 473 |
| 134 | January 8, 2020 | 3,232 | 467 |
| 139 | March 18, 2020 | 668 | 720 |
| 138 | March 4, 2020 | 3,900 | 471 |
| 137 | February 19, 2020 | 4,500 | 470 |
| 136 | February 5, 2020 | 3,500 | 472 |
| 135 | January 22, 2020 | 3,400 | 471 |
| 134 | January 8, 2020 | 3,400 | 473 |
2019 Draw List
| Draw # | Date of Draw | Number of invitations | Minimum CRS Score Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| 133 | December 19, 2019 | 3,200 | 469 |
| 132 | December 11, 2019 | 3,200 | 472 |
| 131 | November 27, 2019 | 3,600 | 471 |
| 130 | November 13, 2019 | 3,600 | 472 |
| 129 | October 30, 2019 | 3,900 | 475 |
| 128 | October 16, 2019 | 500 | 357 |
| 127 | October 2, 2019 | 3,900 | 464 |
| 126 | September 18, 2019 | 3,600 | 462 |
| 125 | September 4, 2019 | 3,600 | 463 |
| 124 | August 20, 2019 | 3,600 | 457 |
| 123 | August 12, 2019 | 3,600 | 466 |
| 122 | July 24, 2019 | 3,600 | 459 |
| 121 | July 10, 2019 | 3,600 | 460 |
| 120 | June 26, 2019 | 3,350 | 462 |
| 119 | June 12, 2019 | 3,350 | 465 |
| 118 | May 29, 2019 | 3,350 | 470 |
| 117 | May 15, 2019 | 500 | 332 |
| 116 | May 1, 2019 | 3,350 | 450 |
| 115 | April 17, 2019 | 3,350 | 451 |
| 114 | April 3, 2019 | 3,350 | 451 |
| 113 | March 20, 2019 | 3,350 | 452 |
| 112 | March 6, 2019 | 3,350 | 454 |
| 111 | February 20, 2019 | 3,350 | 457 |
| 110 | January 30, 2019 | 3,350 | 438 |
| 109 | January 23, 2019 | 3,900 | 443 |
| 108 | January 9, 2019 | 3,900 | 449 |
2018 Draw List
| Draw # | Date of Draw | Number of invitations | Minimum CRS Score Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| 107 | December 19, 2018 | 3,900 | 439 |
| 106 | December 12, 2018 | 3,900 | 445 |
| 105 | November 28, 2018 | 439 | 445 |
| 104 | November 15, 2018 | 3900 | 449 |
| 103 | October 29, 2018 | 439 | 442 |
| 102 | October 15, 2018 | 3900 | 440 |
| 101 | October 3, 2018 | 3900 | 445 |
| 100 | September 24, 2018 | 400 | 284 (*Federal Skilled Trades candidates only) |
| 99 | September 19, 2018 | 3,500 | 441 |
| 98 | September 5, 2018 | 3,900 | 440 |
| 97 | August 22, 2018 | 3,750 | 440 |
| 96 | August 8, 2018 | 3,750 | 440 |
| 95 | July 25, 2018 | 3,750 | 441 |
| 94 | July 11, 2018 | 3,750 | 442 |
| 93 | June 25, 2018 | 3,750 | 442 |
| 92 | June 13, 2018 | 3,750 | 451 |
| 91 | May 30, 2018 | 700 | 902 (*Provincial nominees only) 288 (*Federal Skilled Trades candidates only) |
| 90 | May 23, 2018 | 3,500 | 440 |
| 89 | May 9, 2018 | 3,500 | 441 |
| 88 | April 25, 2018 | 3,500 | 441 |
| 87 | April 11, 2018 | 3,500 | 444 |
| 86 | March 26, 2018 | 3,000 | 446 |
| 85 | March 14, 2018 | 3,000 | 456 |
| 84 | February 21, 2018 | 3,000 | 442 |
| 83 | February 7, 2018 | 3,000 | 442 |
| 82 | January 24, 2018 | 2,750 | 444 |
| 81 | January 10, 2018 | 2,750 | 446 |
2017 Draw List
| Draw # | Date of Draw | Number of invitations | Minimum CRS Score Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | December 20, 2017 | 2,750 | 446 |
| 79 | December 6, 2017 | 2,750 | 452 |
| 78 | November 15, 2017 | 2,750 | 439 |
| 77 | November 8, 2017 | 2,000 | 458 |
| 76 | November 1, 2017 | 505 | 241 (*Federal Skilled Trades candidates only) |
| 75 | November 1, 2017 | 290 | 673 (*Provincial nominees only) |
| 74 | October 18, 2017 | 2,757 | 436 |
| 73 | October 04, 2017 | 2,801 | 438 |
| 72 | September 20, 2017 | 2,871 | 433 |
| 71 | September 6, 2017 | 2,772 | 435 |
| 70 | August 23, 2017 | 3,035 | 434 |
| 69 | August 9, 2017 | 2,991 | 433 |
| 68 | August 2, 2017 | 3,264 | 441 |
| 67 | July 12, 2017 | 3,202 | 440 |
| 66 | June 28, 2017 | 3,409 | 449 |
| 65 | May 31, 2017 | 3,877 | 413 |
| 64 | May 26, 2017 | 400 | 199 (*Federal Skilled Trades candidates only) |
| 63 | May 26, 2017 | 143 | 775 (*Provincial nominees only) |
| 62 | May 17, 2017 | 3,687 | 415 |
| 61 | May 4, 2017 | 3,796 | 423 |
| 60 | April 19, 2017 | 3,665 | 415 |
| 59 | April 12, 2017 | 3,923 | 423 |
| 58 | April 5, 2017 | 3,753 | 431 |
| 57 | March 24, 2017 | 3,749 | 441 |
| 56 | March 1, 2017 | 3,884 | 434 |
| 55 | February 22, 2017 | 3,611 | 441 |
| 54 | February 8, 2017 | 3,644 | 447 |
| 53 | January 25, 2017 | 3,508 | 453 |
| 52 | January 11, 2017 | 3,334 | 459 |
| 51 | January 4, 2017 | 2,902 | 468 |
2016 Draw List
| Draw # | Date of Draw | Number of invitations | Minimum CRS Score Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | December 22, 2016 | 2,878 | 475 |
| 49 | December 16, 2016 | 1,936 | 497 |
| 48 | November 30, 2016 | 559 | 786 (*Provincial nominees only) |
| 47 | November 16, 2016 | 2,427 | 470 |
| 46 | November 2, 2016 | 2,080 | 472 |
| 45 | October 19, 2016 | 1,804 | 475 |
| 44 | October 12, 2016 | 1,518 | 484 |
| 43 | September 21, 2016 | 1,288 | 483 |
| 42 | September 7, 2016 | 1,000 | 491 |
| 41 | August 24, 2016 | 750 | 538 |
| 40 | August 10, 2016 | 754 | 490 |
| 39 | July 27, 2016 | 755 | 488 |
| 38 | July 13, 2016 | 747 | 482 |
| 37 | June 29, 2016 | 773 | 482 |
| 36 | June 15, 2016 | 752 | 488 |
| 35 | June 1, 2016 | 762 | 483 |
| 34 | May 18, 2016 | 763 | 484 |
| 33 | May 6, 2016 | 799 | 534 |
| 32 | April 20, 2016 | 1,018 | 468 |
| 31 | April 6, 2016 | 954 | 470 |
| 30 | March 23, 2016 | 1,014 | 470 |
| 29 | March 8, 2016 | 1,013 | 473 |
| 28 | February 24, 2016 | 1,484 | 453 |
| 27 | February 10, 2016 | 1,505 | 459 |
| 26 | January 28, 2016 | 1,468 | 457 |
| 25 | January 13, 2016 | 1,518 | 453 |
| 24 | January 6, 2016 | 1,463 | 461 |
2015 Draw List
| Draw # | Date of Draw | Number of invitations | Minimum CRS points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | December 18, 2015 | 1.503 | 460 |
| 22 | December 4, 2015 | 1,451 | 461 |
| 21 | November 27, 2015 | 1,559 | 472 |
| 20 | November 13, 2015 | 1,506 | 484 |
| 19 | October 23, 2015 | 1,502 | 489 |
| 18 | October 2, 2015 | 1,530 | 450 |
| 17 | September 18, 2015 | 1,545 | 450 |
| 16 | September 8, 2015 | 1,517 | 459 |
| 15 | August 21, 2015 | 1,523 | 456 |
| 14 | August 7, 2015 | 1,402 | 471 |
| 13 | July 17, 2015 | 1,581 | 451 |
| 12 | July 10, 2015 | 1,516 | 463 |
| 11 | June 26, 2015 | 1,575 | 469 |
| 10 | June 12, 2015 | 1,501 | 482 |
| 9 | May 22, 2015 | 1,361 | 755 |
| 8 | April 17, 2015 | 715 | 453 |
| 7 | April 10, 2015 | 952 | 469 |
| 6 | March 27, 2015 | 1,637 | 453 |
| 5 | March 20, 2015 | 1,620 | 481 |
| 4 | February 27, 2015 | 1,187 | 735 |
| 3 | February 20, 2015 | 849 | 808 |
| 2 | February 7, 2015 | 779 | 818 |
| 1 | January 31, 2015 | 779 | 886 |
Express Entry Trends in 2025
Express Entry draws in 2025 have shown a clear pattern of alternating between Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), and French-language proficiency draws. IRCC’s approach reflects its commitment to supporting Canada’s labor market and encouraging diversity through targeted immigration streams.
Notably, the French-language proficiency draws have been some of the largest so far this year, with the February 19 draw inviting 6,500 candidates and the March 6 draw inviting 4,500 candidates. This aligns with IRCC’s ongoing goal of strengthening the Francophone population outside Quebec.
New Priority Categories for 2025
On February 27, 2025, IRCC announced updates to its list of priority categories for Express Entry. These categories aim to address specific labor market shortages and boost the participation of French-speaking immigrants in the Canadian economy.
The 2025 priority categories include:
- French-language proficiency
- Healthcare and social services occupations
- Trade occupations
- Education occupations
The addition of education occupations to the priority list highlights Canada’s need for qualified educators and support staff in the education sector. IRCC has reaffirmed its goal of maintaining a balanced approach to immigration by targeting both skilled professionals and French-speaking candidates.
What is Express Entry?
Express Entry is Canada’s primary system for managing applications for economic immigration. It oversees three key federal immigration programs:
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC): Targets skilled workers with Canadian work experience.
- Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP): Targets skilled trade workers with specific qualifications.
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP): Targets skilled professionals with international work experience and educational qualifications.
Candidates are ranked based on their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, which is calculated based on factors such as:
- Age
- Education
- Language proficiency in English and French
- Work experience
- Adaptability and connections to Canada
Candidates who receive a provincial nomination through a PNP stream are awarded an additional 600 CRS points, significantly increasing their chances of receiving an ITA.
Changes to CRS Scoring in 2025
IRCC has confirmed that it plans to remove additional CRS points for job offers under arranged employment starting in Spring 2025. Currently, candidates with a valid job offer can receive an additional 50 to 200 CRS points, depending on the type of position.
This change may shift the CRS distribution in future draws and could impact candidates relying on job offers to boost their scores.
Why Provincial Nominations Matter
Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) are becoming increasingly important in Canada’s immigration landscape. Provinces and territories have the authority to select candidates who meet their local labor market needs. Candidates who receive a provincial nomination benefit from:
- An additional 600 CRS points
- Increased chances of receiving an ITA in an Express Entry draw
- Faster processing times for permanent residency applications
In 2025, IRCC plans to increase the number of provincial nominations issued to align with Canada’s long-term economic and demographic goals.
Looking Ahead
The March 17 draw underscores IRCC’s strategic approach to immigration, targeting high-scoring candidates with provincial nominations. As the year progresses, Express Entry is expected to continue focusing on labor market demands, with more targeted draws for healthcare, trade, education, and French-speaking professionals.
For prospective immigrants, securing a provincial nomination remains one of the most effective ways to boost their CRS score and receive an invitation in future draws.
With additional changes to CRS scoring on the horizon, staying updated on Express Entry trends and provincial program updates will be key to securing permanent residence in Canada.
Recent News
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- Manitoba PNP Draw Issues 111 Invitations to Skilled Workers
