Canada Express Entry: 646 foreigners invited to work & settle in a province

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has invited 646 candidates to apply for permanent residency through its latest Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw under the Express Entry system. Those who receive an invitation can take the next step towards settling, working, and building their future in a specific Canadian province or territory.

 

  Candidates needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 750 and had to have created an Express Entry profile by July 23, 2024, to be considered.

 

This was the third draw of the month, following a PNP draw on February 4, which invited 455 candidates, and a Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw on February 5, which issued 4,000 ITAs.

 

 

Express Entry focus in 2025

 

Since the start of 2025, IRCC has focused its Express Entry draws on either PNP or CEC candidates. The latest CEC draw sizes have returned to levels more in line with those seen in 2024.

 

Express Entry is a system for skilled workers seeking permanent residency in Canada. It is managed by IRCC and includes programmes such as:

 

Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)

Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)

Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)

 

The PNP allows provinces and territories to nominate individuals based on their skills and experience. Each province sets its own criteria, targeting different groups such as students, business owners, skilled and semi-skilled workers.

 

Express Entry candidates are ranked using the CRS, which considers factors such as age, education, work experience and language ability. If multiple candidates have the lowest CRS score in a draw, the cut-off is based on the date and time their profile was submitted.

 

How Express Entry ranks candidates

 

Candidates are assessed using the CRS, with points awarded for factors such as:

 

Age

Language proficiency

Education

Work experience

Adaptability

 

Additional points can be given for:

 

Having a sibling in Canada

Applying with a spouse or partner

Canadian education and work experience combined with foreign qualifications

Indians eligible

Indians are eligible for Entry Entry. In fact, they are among the largest groups obtaining permanent residency in Canada through the Express Entry system.  In the first seven months of 2024, 86,855 Indian citizens were granted permanent resident status. In 2023, Indians received 52,106 ITAs, accounting for 47.2% of total invitations under the Express Entry route.

 

Between 2013 and 2023, the number of Indians immigrating to Canada rose from 32,828 to 139,715, an increase of 326%.

 

Changes to Express Entry in 2025

 

The federal government has increased its target for admissions under Federal economic programmes to 124,590 in 2025, up from 110,770 in 2024. At the same time, overall immigration levels will be reduced by 20% compared to 2024 targets.

 

With fewer admissions processed through provincial and regional pathways, Express Entry will play a greater role in Canada’s immigration system this year. The Federal High-Skilled (FHS) allocation, which falls under Express Entry, accounted for 22.8% of planned permanent resident admissions in 2024. In 2025, the category has been split into "In-Canada Focus" and "Federal Economic Priorities," making up 31.5% of overall admissions.

 

Meanwhile, the PNP allocation has been scaled back from 110,000 planned admissions in 2024 to 55,000 in 2025. This means a larger share of economic immigrants will be selected through Express Entry.

 

CRS changes: Job offer points removed

 

In December 2024, Minister of Immigration Marc Miller announced that from spring 2025, Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points will no longer be awarded for valid job offers.

 

Currently, candidates can receive 50 or 200 additional points based on the level of their job offer. The removal of these points is described as a "temporary measure," though IRCC has not specified when it will end.

 

This change will only affect candidates in the Express Entry pool at the time it takes effect. It is expected to lower CRS scores for many applicants.