As 2025 draws to a close, reviewing the Express Entry draws conducted throughout the year provides a clear picture of the types of candidates Canada prioritized for permanent residence (PR).
In 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) hosted a total of 58 Express Entry draws, spanning across various categories (as of December 22). This article highlights hypothetical candidate profiles that most likely received an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for PR through the Express Entry system this year.
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Key Insights from the 2025 Draws:
- Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws were the most frequent, with 24 out of the 58 draws focused on this stream. However, these only accounted for 9,775 ITAs, which represents a small portion (roughly 8%) of the total 117,998 invitations issued across all draw types.
- French-Language Proficiency was a strong asset, with draws for French speakers having the lowest Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-offs. These draws issued the most ITAs in 2025, totaling 48,000. This indicates that French speakers had a significant advantage in securing an ITA for PR.
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draws, with 15 rounds held throughout the year, issued 35,850 ITAs. CRS cut-offs for these draws ranged from 515 to 547, suggesting that candidates with Canadian work experience needed strong overall profiles, including solid language skills, education, and additional experience.
- Healthcare and Social Service Occupations stood out, with 14,500 ITAs issued. These draws had lower CRS cut-offs than CEC draws, highlighting that medical professionals were more likely to receive an ITA for PR compared to other skilled workers.
Based on these trends, here are four fictional profiles of candidates who were most likely to receive an ITA in 2025:
Example 1: Felix, a French-Speaking Banking Professional from Cameroon
Felix Hamadou, a 32-year-old banking operations manager from Cameroon, holds a two-year diploma in finance and has three years of foreign work experience. Felix is fluent in French (NCLC 9) and has adequate English skills (CLB 7).
Despite having no Canadian work experience or education, Felix’s French language proficiency makes him eligible for French-language Express Entry draws, where the CRS cut-off ranged between 379 and 481 in 2025.
CRS Breakdown:
- Age: 32 (94 points)
- Education: 2-year post-secondary diploma (98 points)
- Official Languages: French (NCLC 9) + English (CLB 7) (136 points)
- Canadian Work Experience: 0 (0 points)
- Skill Transferability: Education + French language (25 points) + Foreign work experience (50 points)
- Additional Factors: NCLC 9 (50 points)
Total CRS Score: 453
Felix’s score would have qualified him for several of the French-language draws held in 2025.
Example 2: Anjana, a Data Analyst with Canadian Work Experience
Anjana Patel, originally from India and raised in Beirut, completed a Bachelor’s degree in Data Science in Canada and secured a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). She worked for over two years as a data analyst in Canada before submitting her Express Entry profile at the age of 26.
Anjana’s strong English proficiency (CLB 10) and her Canadian work experience make her an ideal candidate for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) stream.
CRS Breakdown:
- Age: 26 (110 points)
- Education: Bachelor’s degree (120 points)
- Official Languages: English (CLB 10) (136 points)
- Canadian Work Experience: 2 years (53 points)
- Skill Transferability: Education + Canadian work experience + Bachelor’s degree (50 points) + Foreign work experience (50 points)
- Additional Factors: 3-year post-secondary education in Canada (30 points)
Total CRS Score: 549
With her score of 549, Anjana would have easily qualified for the CEC draws in 2025, likely receiving an ITA for PR.
Example 3: Marie, a Social Worker from Brazil
Marie Silva, a 28-year-old social worker from Brazil, holds a Master’s degree and has four years of foreign work experience in social services. She speaks English fluently (CLB 9) but does not speak French.
Marie, motivated by the addition of social service occupations to the healthcare category, submits her Express Entry profile to take advantage of the new category-based selection in 2025.
CRS Breakdown:
- Age: 28 (100 points)
- Education: Master’s degree (126 points)
- Official Languages: English (CLB 9) (116 points)
- Canadian Work Experience: 0 (0 points)
- Skill Transferability: Master’s degree + CLB 9 (50 points) + Foreign work experience (50 points)
- Spousal Factors: Husband with PhD (10 points) + English proficiency (20 points)
Total CRS Score: 472
Marie would have likely received an ITA through the healthcare and social service occupations draws, which occurred three times in 2025.
Example 4: Jack, a UX Designer from England
Jack Andrews, a 35-year-old UX designer from Reading, England, holds a two-year post-secondary diploma and has three years of foreign work experience. After receiving a job offer from a fintech company in Alberta, Jack moved to Canada and worked there for a year. He then received a provincial nomination, adding 600 CRS points to his total.
CRS Breakdown:
- Age: 35 (77 points)
- Education: 2-year post-secondary degree (98 points)
- Official Languages: English (CLB 7) (68 points)
- Canadian Work Experience: 1 year (40 points)
- Skill Transferability: Education + language + Canadian work experience (26 points) + Foreign work experience (50 points)
- Additional Factors: Provincial nomination (600 points)
Total CRS Score: 959
Jack’s CRS score of 959 ensures that he would have received an ITA through any of the Express Entry PNP draws held in 2025.
These examples demonstrate how different factors, such as language proficiency, work experience, and education, played key roles in a candidate’s chances of receiving an ITA for Canadian permanent residence through the Express Entry system in 2025.
