Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that it has issued 2,500 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence to candidates in a targeted draw through the Express Entry immigration management system on August 19.
According to details released by IRCC, this round was a category-based draw targeting candidates with work experience in "Healthcare and social services" occupations. To receive an invitation, candidates must have met the following two criteria:
- A minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 470;
- An Express Entry profile created before 8:08 p.m. Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) on April 23, 2025.
Notably, this is the second-largest draw for the healthcare category this year. It also marks the fifth Express Entry draw of the month and the second of the week, indicating an accelerated pace of invitations from IRCC.
Analysts point out that since May of this year, IRCC has consistently held one category-based draw per month for the healthcare and social services category. This follows a period from January to April 2025 where no such draws occurred, signaling a significant strategic shift towards prioritizing these candidates to meet domestic labour market needs.
Prior to this draw, IRCC conducted several other draws this month, including a draw for Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates on August 18, a draw for French-language proficiency candidates on August 8, and a draw for Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates on August 7.
To date, IRCC has issued a total of 55,820 ITAs through the Express Entry system in 2025. Throughout the year, draws have predominantly focused on the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), with the remaining ITAs allocated to candidates in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), those with French-language proficiency, and other priority occupation categories. The distribution of draws by type is as follows:
- Provincial Nominee Program (PNP): 15
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC): 8
- French-language proficiency: 4
- Healthcare and social services: 4
- Education: 1
Summary of Express Entry draws in 2025
Date | Draw Type | Number of ITAs | Cut-off CRS score |
---|---|---|---|
August 19 | Healthcare and social services | 2,500 | 470 |
August 18 | Provincial Nominee Program | 192 | 800 |
August 8 | French language proficiency | 2,500 | 481 |
August 7 | Canadian Experience Class | 1,000 | 534 |
August 6 | Provincial Nominee Program | 225 | 739 |
July 22 | Healthcare and social services | 4,000 | 475 |
July 21 | Provincial Nominee Program | 202 | 788 |
July 8 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,000 | 518 |
July 7 | Provincial Nominee Program | 356 | 750 |
June 23 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,000 | 521 |
June 26 | Provincial Nominee Program | 503 | 742 |
June 12 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,000 | 529 |
June 10 | Provincial Nominee Program | 125 | 784 |
June 4 | Healthcare and social services | 500 | 504 |
June 3 | Provincial Nominee Program | 277 | 726 |
May 13 | Canadian Experience Class | 500 | 547 |
May 12 | Provincial Nominee Program | 511 | 706 |
May 2 | Healthcare and social services | 500 | 510 |
May 1 | Education | 1,000 | 479 |
April 28 | Provincial Nominee Program | 421 | 727 |
April 14 | Provincial Nominee Program | 825 | 764 |
March 21 | French language proficiency | 7,500 | 379 |
March 17 | Provincial Nominee Program | 536 | 736 |
March 6 | French language proficiency | 4,500 | 410 |
March 3 | Provincial Nominee Program | 725 | 667 |
February 19 | French language proficiency | 6,500 | 428 |
February 17 | Provincial Nominee Program | 646 | 750 |
February 5 | Canadian Experience Class | 4,000 | 521 |
February 4 | Provincial Nominee Program | 455 | 802 |
January 23 | Canadian Experience Class | 4,000 | 527 |
January 8 | Canadian Experience Class | 1,350 | 542 |
January 7 | Provincial Nominee Program | 471 | 793 |









