Express Entry 2025: Key Trends, Shifting Priorities, and What to Expect Next

Vikrant Gungash
Jul 29
4 min read

By Vikrant Singh, July 29 2025

As Canada’s immigration landscape continues to evolve, 2025 has offered revealing insights into the priorities, trends, and direction of the Express Entry system. From the types of draws conducted to shifts in invitation volumes and CRS scores, the first half of the year has marked a strategic shift in how Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) manages skilled immigration.

Here’s a breakdown of what we’ve seen so far and what it might signal for the remainder of the year.

Draw Frequency Remains High—But Focus Has Shifted

Between January 1 and July 24, 2025, Canada held 27 Express Entry draws, mirroring the number of draws seen during the same period in 2024, and slightly more than 2023's 22. While the pace has remained consistent, draw composition has shifted significantly.

The first half of 2025 has been dominated by Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws, which accounted for nearly half of all draws—a notable increase compared to prior years.

Year	Draws (Jan–24 July)
2025	27
2024	27
2023	22

Fewer Invitations Overall

Despite steady draw frequency, IRCC has issued fewer Invitations to Apply (ITAs) in 2025:

Year	ITAs Issued (Jan–24 July)
2025	49,403
2024	62,615
2023	69,148

This decline is consistent with the government’s objective to slow immigration growth temporarily to address housing and affordability concerns.

Breakdown of Draw Types: CEC and French Language Dominate

Here’s how ITAs were distributed across draw types:

Draw Type	Number of Draws	ITAs Issued
Canadian Experience Class (CEC)	7	18,850
French Language Proficiency	3	18,500
PNP	13	6,053
Healthcare and Social Services	3	5,000
Education Occupations	1	1,000

Key observations:

French draws, despite only three rounds, accounted for 37.4% of all ITAs this year—likely a strategic move to meet francophone immigration targets.
CEC draws were frequent and large, representing 38.1% of all ITAs issued.
PNP draws, though most frequent, contributed just 12.2% of total invitations.
Occupational category draws (Healthcare, Education) were infrequent and smaller in size, together accounting for about 12.1%.

CRS Cut-Off Scores Trend Down in Some Categories

Here's a snapshot of CRS score ranges by draw type:

Draw Type	Lowest CRS	Highest CRS
CEC	518	547
French Language	379	428
Healthcare	475	510
Education	479	—

Takeaways:

CEC cut-offs began trending downward from mid-May onwards as draw sizes increased.
French-language draws had the lowest CRS scores, driven by large, back-to-back rounds.
Healthcare and education draws had higher thresholds, consistent with targeted profiles.

Trends to Watch for the Rest of 2025

1. Continued Focus on Priority GroupsIn February 2025, IRCC reaffirmed its commitment to drawing from the following key groups:

CEC applicants
French-language speakers
Workers in healthcare, education, and trades

Interestingly, while trades are designated a priority category in 2025, no trade-specific draw has occurred to date—something to watch in the second half of the year.

2. Possible Increase in Draw Volume and SizeAn internal IRCC memo (from July 2024) explained that ITAs issued from mid-year onwards count toward next year’s permanent residence admission targets. That suggests IRCC may ramp up draw size or frequency in the coming months to meet the 2026 Express Entry target of 123,320 admissions.

3. July Activity as an IndicatorJuly 2024 was one of the most active months in Express Entry history—with 25,125 ITAs across nine draws. If history repeats, the second half of 2025 may see a similar surge in activity.

4. Express Entry Category ChangesEarlier this year, IRCC introduced notable changes to Express Entry categories:

New Education category added
Transport category removed
Multiple occupational changes within Healthcare, STEM, and Trades

Category	Occupations Added	Removed
Healthcare	8	6
STEM	6	19
Trades	19	4
Agri-food	0	2

While STEM and Agriculture remain active, they’re no longer priority categories in 2025 selections.

Final Thoughts

So far, Express Entry in 2025 reflects a measured, strategic recalibration—a system still functioning at full speed, but more focused in scope. CEC and French-speaking candidates have emerged as clear beneficiaries, while occupational categories are slowly gaining traction.

With IRCC expected to accelerate draws in the second half of the year to meet 2026 targets, candidates aligned with program priorities—especially in healthcare, trades, education, or those with French proficiency—may have strong chances ahead.

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