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IRCC Conducts Second Express Entry Draw of the Week, Issuing 7,500 ITAs

IRCC Conducts Second Express Entry Draw of the Week, Issuing 7,500 ITAs

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    IRCC invites 7500 Express Entry candidates in second draw of the week

    In a significant move to boost immigration numbers, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued 7,500 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) in its latest Express Entry draw held on March 21, 2025.
    This draw, targeting candidates with strong French language proficiency, marks the second invitation round of the week and the fourth of the month.
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    Summary of Express Entry Draws in 2025

    Results: Rounds of invitations

    • Number of ITAs: 7,500
    • Date and time of round: March 21, 2025 at 14:41:58 UTC
    • CRS score of lowest-ranked candidate invited: 379
    • Tie-breaking rule: March 06, 2025 at 02:53:27 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 Federal Skilled Worker Program, Canadian Experience Class and Federal Skilled Trades Program may be issued through this round of invitations.
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    Express Entry Draw Highlights

    The latest Express Entry draw had a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off score of 379, making it the lowest CRS requirement in over a year. To qualify, candidates needed to have created an Express Entry profile before 2:53 AM Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) on March 6, 2025.
    This round follows a previous Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw on March 17, where 536 candidates were invited with a higher CRS cut-off of 736. The focus on French-speaking candidates in the latest draw underscores IRCC’s continued efforts to promote linguistic diversity and encourage Francophone immigration outside of Quebec.

    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: 11 draws held, with 30,683 ITAs issued

    • Canadian Experience Class (CEC) : 9,350
    • Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) : 2833
    • French language proficiency: 18,500
    Draw Date Draw Type Number of ITAs Minimum CRS
    341 March 21 French language 7,500 379
    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

    So far in 2025, IRCC has issued a total of 30,683 ITAs through various Express Entry draws, demonstrating Canada’s commitment to maintaining strong immigration levels.

    Express Entry Draw Reports

    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

    IRCC's Strategy: Emphasis on Francophone and In-Canada Candidates

    IRCC has consistently focused on inviting candidates already residing in Canada, aligning with policies that prioritize domestic applicants. This approach aims to address labor shortages more efficiently by selecting candidates who are already integrated into the workforce. The continued emphasis on French-speaking applicants also supports the government’s goal of increasing Francophone immigration outside of Quebec.
    Although Prime Minister Mark Carney has yet to release a Mandate Letter for newly appointed Immigration Minister Rachel Bendayan, early trends indicate that these policies will likely continue. Carney has previously expressed strong support for attracting skilled workers who can contribute to the economy and help Canada meet its ambitious immigration targets.

    Understanding the Express Entry Process and Tie-Breaking Rules

    For candidates participating in Express Entry, maintaining an active profile is crucial. Express Entry profiles remain valid for up to one year, after which they expire. If a candidate does not receive an ITA within this period, they must create a new profile to remain in the pool.

    Additionally, IRCC uses a tie-breaking rule to select candidates when multiple applicants meet the CRS cut-off. In such cases, priority is given to those who submitted their profiles before the specified cut-off date and time. For example, in the latest draw, only candidates who submitted their profile before 2:53 AM UTC on March 6, 2025, were eligible for an ITA.

    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.

    What’s Next for Express Entry Candidates?

    With multiple draws expected in the coming months, candidates should continue monitoring CRS trends and improving their scores where possible. Potential applicants can enhance their eligibility by:
    • Improving their language test scores (IELTS or TEF for French)
    • Gaining additional work experience
    • Pursuing further education credentials
    • Securing a Provincial Nomination, which significantly boosts CRS scores

    As IRCC continues to refine its immigration policies, Express Entry remains one of the most efficient pathways for skilled workers to obtain Canadian permanent residency. Candidates who meet eligibility criteria and remain proactive in the pool have promising opportunities ahead.

    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.

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