The latest draw in the Express Entry system for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) has seen Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issue 471 invitations to apply (ITAs). The applicants who were selected had a minimum CRS score of 793.
This is the first Express Entry draw of the year and comes after two PNP draws and one for French skills in December. Altogether, 2,561 ITAs were issued last month.
In 2024, IRCC mainly operated in the CEC, PNP, and French skills selection categories. This trend is expected to continue into 2025. Those who are fluent in French and those with work experience in the health care and trade sectors are in the Federal Economic Priorities category as per the new Immigration Levels Plan of IRCTC. However, the “In-Canada Focus” category consists of CEC and PNP candidates and all the candidates from the Express Entry programs. These categories are expected to account for the largest number of admissions under Express Entry in 2025 with a target of 124,680 landings.
Summary of Express Entry draws in 2024
| Date | Draw Type | Number of ITAs | Minimum CRS |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 16 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,085 | 727 |
| December 3 | French language proficiency | 800 | 466 |
| December 2 | Provincial Nominee Program | 676 | 705 |
| November 20 | Healthcare occupations | 3,000 | 463 |
| November 19 | Canadian Experience Class | 400 | 539 |
| November 18 | Provincial Nominee Program | 174 | 816 |
| November 15 | French language proficiency | 800 | 478 |
| November 13 | Canadian Experience Class | 400 | 547 |
| November 12 | Provincial Nominee Program | 733 | 812 |
| October 23 | Trade occupations | 1,800 | 433 |
| October 22 | Canadian Experience Class | 400 | 539 |
| October 21 | Provincial Nominee Program | 648 | 791 |
| October 10 | French language proficiency | 1,000 | 444 |
| October 9 | Canadian Experience Class | 500 | 539 |
| October 7 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,613 | 743 |
| September 19 | Canadian Experience Class | 4,000 | 509 |
| September 13 | French language proficiency | 1,000 | 446 |
| September 9 | Provincial Nominee Program | 911 | 732 |
| August 27 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,300 | 507 |
| August 26 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,121 | 694 |
| August 15 | French language proficiency | 2,000 | 394 |
| August 14 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,200 | 509 |
| August 13 | Provincial Nominee Program | 763 | 690 |
| July 31 | Canadian Experience Class | 5,000 | 510 |
| July 30 | Provincial Nominee Program | 964 | 686 |
| July 18 | French language proficiency | 1,800 | 400 |
| July 17 | Canadian Experience Class | 6,300 | 515 |
| July 16 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,391 | 670 |
| July 8 | French proficiency | 3,200 | 420 |
| July 5 | Healthcare occupations | 3,750 | 445 |
| July 4 | Trade occupations | 1,800 | 436 |
| July 2 | Provincial Nominee Program | 920 | 739 |
| June 19 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,499 | 663 |
| May 31 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,000 | 522 |
| May 30 | Provincial Nominee Program | 2,985 | 676 |
| April 24 | French proficiency | 1,400 | 410 |
| April 23 | General | 2,095 | 529 |
| April 11 | STEM occupations | 4,500 | 491 |
| April 10 | General | 1,280 | 549 |
| March 26 | French language proficiency | 1,500 | 388 |
| March 25 | General | 1,980 | 524 |
| March 13 | Transport occupations | 975 | 430 |
| March 12 | General | 2,850 | 525 |
| February 29 | French language proficiency | 2,500 | 336 |
| February 28 | General | 1,470 | 534 |
| February 16 | Agriculture and agri-food occupations | 150 | 437 |
| February 14 | Healthcare occupations | 3,500 | 422 |
| February 13 | General | 1,490 | 535 |
| February 1 | French language proficiency | 7,000 | 365 |
| January 31 | General | 730 | 541 |
| January 23 | General | 1,040 | 543 |
| January 10 | General | 1,510 | 546 |
What is Express Entry?
Express Entry is a system used to manage applications for three main federal economic immigration programs:
- The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
- The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
- The Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
Together, these programs form the largest economic immigration pathway to Canada.
To be eligible under Express Entry, candidates must create a profile in the Express Entry pool, where they are ranked based on their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. This score is determined by factors such as age, education, and work experience.
Candidates with the highest CRS scores receive invitations to apply for permanent residency (PR) through ITAs. Once an ITA is received, candidates have 60 days to submit a complete PR application. If the application meets all requirements, IRCC aims to process it within six months. Successful applicants will be granted Canadian PR, allowing them to live, work, and settle in Canada permanently, with the possibility of applying for Canadian citizenship.
