Canada holds first CEC draw of the year
Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has invited more candidates to apply for permanent residence (PR) through the Express Entry system.
The department issued 1,350 invitations to apply (ITAs) to candidates in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program, who had a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 542.
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Today's draw is the second of the week and follows a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw on January 7, which invited 471 candidates who had a minimum CRS score of 793. This draw was the first of the year and follows a slower month for Express Entry.
Summary of Express Entry draws in 2025
| Date | Draw Type | Number of ITAs | Cut-off CRS score |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 8 | Canadian Experience Class | 1,350 | 542 |
| January 7 | Provincial Nominee Program | 471 | 793 |
Patterns and trends in Express Entry draws
IRCC issued comparatively fewer ITAs (2,561) in December and held fewer draws than in November and October which both saw more than 5,000 ITAs issued through six draws.
Throughout last year IRCC regularly followed a pattern of inviting candidates through Express Entry from the following programs and categories:
- The Canadian Experience Class (CEC);
- Enhanced (Express Entry-aligned )PNPs; or
- The French-language proficiency category.
In their latest Immigration Levels Plan, the department dedicated the majority of their landings allocation through the Express Entry system to candidates who were already in Canada, and those who have professional or language skills to meet the country's labour market and demographic goals.
Under the Levels Plan, IRCC will prioritize candidates already in Canada through the "In-Canada Focus" allocation, which includes CEC and PNP candidates (with the potential to invite candidates from two other Express Entry programs). Candidates who help meet labour market and demographic goals are prioritized under the "Federal Economic Priorities" allocation and will be invited through category-based selections within the Express Entry system.
IRCC has also changed the groups that it will prioritize under category-based selections. In 2025 priority categories include:
- Healthcare occupations;
- Trades occupations; and
- French-language proficiency.
The department has not publicly stated that it will end draws for the remaining three categories, only that the above categories will be prioritized. As of this writing, all six original categories remain.
What is Express Entry?
Founded 10 years ago, Express Entry is an applicant management system that manages three programs for economic immigration to Canada:
- The CEC;
- The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP); and
- The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP).
In addition to these programs, candidates in enhanced PNPs can also be nominated through the Express Entry system in a process known as "enhanced nomination".
In 2023 IRCC also introduced category-based selections, so that candidates who already qualified for an Express Entry program could be more selectively chosen based on their professional skills or French language abilities.
In 2025, the programs encompassed within Express Entry will cumulatively form the largest pathway of immigration to Canada. According to the 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan, IRCC hopes to welcome 124,680 new immigrants to Canada this year.
Express Entry works on a candidate-applicant system, wherein newcomers must first submit a candidate profile to the system. If eligible for one of Express Entry's three programs, the newcomer's candidate profile will be entered into the system and scored according to CRS criteria. They are now a candidate. If drawn in an Express Entry selection, the candidate will then receive an ITA and have 60 days from the date of issuance to prepare and submit a complete application for PR to IRCC. At this point, they are now an applicant.
If the application is successful, the newcomer will receive Canadian PR status and must land (either virtually or in-person) in Canada, where they can complete the PR process. Permanent residents of Canada are free to live, work, and settle in the country indefinitely.
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