After a January that saw Express Entry draws return to some semblance of normalcy, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has already held two draws in the month of February.
January saw the issuance of 5,821 Invitations to Apply (ITAs): candidates includes those in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and those in enhanced Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs). Last month was also the first month since June of 2024 that the immigration department did not hold an Express Entry draw for candidates with French-language proficiency.
While January and December only saw three Express Entry draws each, IRCC has already held two draws in February, surpassing the number of invitations issued in December.
This article will delve into the Express Entry draws that were conducted in January, the current composition of the pool as of early February, and how scores of candidates currently rank against each other.
What draws took place in January 2025?
The immigration department conducted a total of three draws in January, focusing on candidates in the CEC and PNPs.
January saw more than double the number of ITAs that were issued in December, with 5,821 candidates receiving ITAs.
The lack of French-proficiency draws deviates from the established pattern of consistent selections for this group by IRCC in 2024. French-proficiency draws are expected to continue in 2025 as IRCC maintains its commitment to increasing the number of Francophone newcomers outside the province of Quebec.
The number of ITAs issued in January more closely resembles the issuances of ITAs in months prior to December:
| Month | ITAs issued |
|---|---|
| October | 5,961 |
| November | 5,507 |
| December | 2,561 |
| January | 5,821 |
The following table is a summary of the Express Entry draws that occurred in January 2025:
| Draw number | Date of draw | Draw type | ITAs issued | CRS cut-off score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 331 | January 7, 2025 | Provincial Nominee Program | 471 | 793 |
| 332 | January 8, 2025 | Canadian Experience Class | 1,350 | 542 |
| 333 | January 23, 2025 | Canadian Experience Class | 4,000 | 527 |
These draw types are a direct result of the In-Canada focus allocation for CEC and PNP candidates, as per the 2025-27 Immigration Levels Plan, highlighting Canada’s commitment to meeting their established permanent residence landing targets, while targeting a negative population growth for Canada.
The In-Canada Focus admissions category primarily consists of CEC and PNP admissions, with the option of inviting candidates in the FSTP and FSWP, though this has not occurred to date. For 2025, this group has been allocated 82,980 permanent residence admissions to Canada. This category, alongside the Federal Economic Priorities allocation, makes up the majority of landings allocations under the Express Entry system in 2025.
What is the current distribution of scores in the Express Entry pool?
The following table depicts the composition of the Express Entry pool as of February 5, 2025.
| CRS Score Range | Number of Candidates |
|---|---|
| 601-1200 | 173 |
| 501-600 | 23,165 |
| 491-500 | 13,487 |
| 481-490 | 13,003 |
| 471-480 | 15,652 |
| 461-470 | 13,815 |
| 451-460 | 12,953 |
| 441-450 | 12,567 |
| 431-440 | 13,621 |
| 421-430 | 12,432 |
| 411-420 | 12,833 |
| 401-410 | 12,055 |
| 351-400 | 51,079 |
| 301-350 | 21,576 |
| 0-300 | 5,641 |
| Total | 234,052 |
The above data is also presented below as a bar graph for easier comprehension and comparison.
Of note is the slight reduction in candidate profiles in the 501 to 600 CRS score range, despite the addition of 6,289 new candidate profiles in the Express Entry pool since the start of January.
How do scores in the Express Entry pool rank against each other?
The following table showcases the current Express Entry pool score distribution as of February 5, 2025. It also features the percentile range, as well as the percentage makeup of the total number of candidates in each score range relative to the total number in the pool.
You can reference this table to get a better understanding of where you stand in comparison to other candidates currently in the Express Entry pool.
Understanding the composition of the current pool can help provide a better idea of what the cut-off score may be for the next Express Entry draw. This is relevant because the higher your CRS score is relative to those of other candidates, the greater chance you have at receiving an ITA.
Methodology: The percentile scores featured were calculated for the upper boundary of each CRS score range, detailing the proportion of total candidates at or below that score. Percentiles are presented as a range rather than a singular score for easier comprehension.
