IRCC Invites 3,000 CEC Candidates with Lowest CRS since September, 2024

IRCC Invites 3,000 CEC Candidates with Lowest CRS since September, 2024

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[Published 09 Jul, 2025 | 06:48 AM]
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) extended invitations to 3,000 applicants who were already enrolled in the Express Entry system's Canadian Experience Class (CEC) stream on July 8, 2025. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off score in this Express Entry latest draw was 518, the lowest CRS score of CEC candidates since September 2024.

Details of the July 8 Draw

To be eligible for this invitation round, the candidates needed to:

  • Draw Number: #355
  • Draw Type: Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
  • Number of ITAs Issued: 3,000
  • Minimum CRS Score: 518
  • Tie-Breaking Rule: October 02, 2024 at 1:48:36 UTC

The tie-breaking rule will guarantee that, when there are two or more candidates with the identical lowest score, the winner is the one who sent their profile first.

This new round follows a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw held on July 7, which issued 356 ITAs with a significantly higher CRS cut-off range of 750. The trend indicates that IRCC is still trying to switch between CEC and PNP draws to meet provincial interests and experienced in-Canada candidates.

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An Overview of 2025's Recent Express Entry Draws

DateDraw TypeNumber of ITAsMinimum CRS score
July 8, 2025Canadian Experience Class3,000518
July 7, 2025Provincial Nominee Program356750
June 26, 2025Canadian Experience Class3,000521
June 23, 2025Provincial Nominee Program 503742
June 12, 2025Canadian Experience Class 3,000529
June 10, 2025Provincial Nominee Program 125784
June 4, 2025Healthcare and social services occupations 500504
June 2, 2025Provincial Nominee Program277726
May 13, 2025Canadian Experience Class500547
May 12, 2025Provincial Nominee Program511706
May 2, 2025Healthcare and social services occupations500510
May 1, 2025Education occupations1,000479
April 28, 2025Provincial Nominee Program421727
April 14, 2025Provincial Nominee Program825764
March 21, 2025French language proficiency7,500379
March 17, 2025Provincial Nominee Program536736
March 6, 2025French language proficiency4,500410
March 3, 2025Provincial Nominee Program725667
February 19, 2025French language proficiency6,500428
February 17, 2025Provincial Nominee Program646750
February 5, 2025Canadian Experience Class4,000521
February 4, 2025Provincial Nominee Program455802
January 23, 2025Canadian Experience Class4,000527
January 8, 2025Canadian Experience Class1,350542
January 7, 2025Provincial Nominee Program471793

The draw is part of the regular trend of the IRCC issuing CEC and PNP draws every two weeks or so, alternating between the two. There have been 7 CEC draws and 12 PNP draws already in 2025, and other draws targeting French-language, healthcare and social services, and education.

2025 Express Entry Trends

The IRCC has invited 45,201 people to apply through Express Entry so far in 2025. Of these, the majority have gone to:

  • Provinces Nominee Program (PNP) candidates
  • Canadian experience class (CEC) applicants
  • French-speaking candidates

Targeted occupational category applicants

Canadian Experience Class also remains a primary category of immigration, and both temporary foreign workers and international graduates who are living and working in Canada have an opportunity. CEC becomes an appealing option to foreigners with Canadian work experience since the minimum CRS score is relatively lower than in PNP draws.

What This Means for Candidates

The decline of the CRS score to 518 in this round gives hope to numerous candidates who have been very near past cut-offs. The consistency of Canada's reaction to admitting skilled individuals through domestic experience pathways is also demonstrated by the 3,000 ITAs that were accepted in recent CEC draws.

The candidates interested in improving their Express Entry ranking may consider:

  • Improving the language achievements (IELTS/ CELPIP)
  • To have more Canadian work experience
  • Pursuing further education
  • Obtaining a provincial nomination, which raises the CRS score by 600

Looking Ahead

As Canada is still dealing with skilled labor shortages in many industries, likely, the IRCC will increase Express Entry invitations, particularly in the required categories and for skilled Canadian workers. The government seems determined to achieve its lofty immigration goals, with over 45,000 ITAs already released by 2025, having balanced the regional and national economic interests.

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Source: canada.ca



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