Canada invites 291 for permanent residency, cut-off score rises to 855

Canada invited 291 foreign nationals for permanent residency under its latest Express Entry draw, with the CRS cut-off rising to 855

Canada has invited 291 foreign nationals to apply for permanent residency through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) in its latest Express Entry draw.

 

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the draw on September 29, 2025, under Express Entry draw number 369. The lowest-ranked candidate to receive an invitation had a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 855. The cut-off score rose sharply—by 106 points—compared to the previous PNP draw on September 15, when the minimum score was 746 and 228 invitations were issued.

 

The tie-breaking rule for the latest round was set at April 8, 2025, at 01:25:29 UTC. This means candidates with scores of 855 or higher were invited, and in cases where multiple candidates had the same score, those who submitted their profiles earlier were given priority.

 

What the provincial nominee program offers

 

The PNP allows provinces and territories to nominate candidates for permanent residency. Successful applicants can live, work and study in a specific region of Canada. Permanent residents are not Canadian citizens but hold PR status, often continuing as citizens of other countries.

 

Provinces design their own immigration streams to attract talent across categories such as students, entrepreneurs, skilled workers, or semi-skilled workers. Some streams focus on job offers in high-demand occupations, provincial work or study experience, or even investment in local businesses.

 

Patterns in 2025 draws

 

This year has already seen over 39 draws across Express Entry categories. Trends show:

 

• Category-specific and PNP rounds are frequent

• French-language rounds deliver larger invitation volumes with lower cut-offs

• General rounds are rare, while Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and PNP draws remain tightly capped

 

Why scores remain high

 

Officials and experts point to several factors keeping CRS thresholds elevated:

 

• Strong candidate profiles in the pool with advanced education, Canadian work experience and high language scores

• Limited nomination allocations in some provinces, pushing more candidates into the federal pool

• Category-based rounds targeting specific groups, without lowering scores for others

 

Staying competitive

 

Applicants preparing for nomination or federal rounds are encouraged to keep profiles updated and responsive. Key strategies include:

 

• If nomination-ready: Track provincial streams linked to your NOC, keep Expression of Interest (EOI) profiles current, and respond quickly to provincial notices

• If eligible for category rounds: Retake French tests (TEF/TCF) to move up to the next Canadian Language Benchmark band, or align National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes with documentation in healthcare, trades, transport or STEM fields

• If leaning toward CEC: Maintain valid status, secure updated work reference letters, and maximise continuous skilled work weeks

 

CRS boosters

 

Ways to strengthen CRS scores include:

 

• Higher language scores: 6–50+ points

• Spousal language or educational credential assessment: 5–20 points

• Second official language points: 6–50 points

• Provincial nomination: +600 points

• Canadian education: 15–30 points

• Valid job offer: 50–200 points