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

Nationwide Visas
[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

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