Canada has held its second Express Entry draw of 2025, which focused on the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) category. Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 1,350 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to eligible candidates.
The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score required in this draw was 542 points. This is a slight increase from the CRS cut-off for the last CEC draw on November 16, 2024, which was 539 points.
The previous Express Entry draw, which took place on January 7, 2025, targeted candidates in the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) category. In the PNP draw, 471 ITAs were issued to candidates with a minimum CRS score of 793 points.
Canada has continued to hold regular draws through the Express Entry system. In 2024, IRCC conducted multiple draws targeting specific categories. There were nine all-program draws, in addition to targeted draws for French speakers, transport jobs, and agricultural occupations. Moreover, there were draws for healthcare, STEM fields, and trade jobs. IRCC also organized 14 PNP draws and ten CEC-specific draws in 2024.
A total of 98,903 ITAs were issued through Express Entry in 2024, down from 110,266 ITAs issued in 2023. However, this figure is significantly higher compared to the 45,115 ITAs issued in 2022.
In 2021, IRCC set a record by issuing 114,431 ITAs. That year, all invitations targeted CEC and PNP candidates, exceeding the previous record of 107,350 ITAs issued in 2020.
The tie-breaking rule for the most recent draw was established on December 7, 2024, at 8:10 PM EST. Only candidates who submitted their profiles before that date and time were invited if they met the minimum CRS score.
This draw represents the second round of Express Entry invitations in 2025 and the overall 332nd. Candidates who obtained ITAs are now required to submit their complete applications for permanent residence within 60 days. These applications should be processed in the standard six-month timeframe.
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