IRCC Holds Another Provincial Nominee Program Draw, Inviting 302 Candidates
Draw Details
According to information released by IRCC, this draw targeted candidates who had received a provincial nomination under the PNP stream. To qualify, applicants were required to meet the following criteria:
- Minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score: 761
- Profile creation deadline: Before 2:14 a.m. UTC on September 26, 2025
This indicates that only candidates with a provincial nomination and a highly competitive CRS score were invited in this round.
Frequent Draws in October Cover Multiple Categories
This latest draw is IRCC’s fifth Express Entry draw in October 2025. Previous rounds included:
- October 15: Healthcare and Social Services category
- October 14: Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
- October 6: French-Language Proficiency category
These consecutive draws suggest IRCC is accelerating its selection pace toward year-end to balance labor market needs and ensure immigration level targets are met.
Year-to-Date Overview
So far in 2025, IRCC has issued 73,485 ITAs through the Express Entry system. The breakdown of draws by category is as follows:
| Draw Category | Number of Draws |
|---|---|
| Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) | 20 |
| Canadian Experience Class (CEC) | 10 |
| French-Language Proficiency | 6 |
| Healthcare and Social Services | 5 |
| Education | 2 |
| Trade | 1 |
In terms of total ITAs issued, French-language and Canadian Experience Class draws dominate, reflecting IRCC’s emphasis on domestic experience and bilingual proficiency:
| Draw Category | ITAs Issued to Date |
|---|---|
| French-Language Proficiency | 30,000 |
| Canadian Experience Class (CEC) | 21,850 |
| Healthcare and Social Services | 9,792 |
| Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) | 7,249 |
| Education | 3,500 |
| Trade | 1,250 |
Policy Trend Analysis
The 2025 Express Entry system demonstrates a clear targeted draw strategy, with IRCC focusing on:
- Supporting regional labor needs: Using PNP draws to address skill shortages across provinces;
- Prioritizing domestic experience: Maintaining a strong share of invitations for CEC candidates;
- Enhancing language and skill alignment: Increasing draw frequency for French-speaking and sector-specific categories such as healthcare, education, and trades.
This multi-tiered approach allows Canada to allocate immigration more strategically, ensuring newcomers align with both national and provincial labor market demands.
Conclusion
As 2025 draws to a close, IRCC continues to advance its Express Entry strategy with steady momentum. Based on current trends, the PNP and CEC streams are expected to remain dominant, while language- and occupation-based draws will likely play an increasingly significant role in shaping Canada’s immigration landscape.
Summary of Express Entry draws in 2025
| Date | Draw Type | Number of ITAs | Cut-off CRS score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 27 | Provincial Nominee Program | 302 | 761 |
| Oct 15 | Healthcare and social services | 2,500 | 472 |
| Oct 14 | Provincial Nominee Program | 345 | 778 |
| Oct 6 | French language proficiency | 4,500 | 432 |
| Oct 1 | Canadian Experience Class | 1,000 | 534 |
| Sept 29 | Provincial Nominee Program | 291 | 855 |
| Sept 18 | Trade | 1,250 | 505 |
| Sept 17 | Education | 2,500 | 462 |
| Sept 15 | Provincial Nominee Program | 228 | 746 |
| Sept 4 | French language proficiency | 4,500 | 446 |
| Sept 3 | Canadian Experience Class | 1,000 | 534 |
| Sept 2 | Provincial Nominee Program | 249 | 772 |
| 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 |
Canada Immigration Levels Plan 2026–2028 Q&A: Understanding the Impact, Priorities, and Opportunities
On November 4, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) officially released the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, maintaining annual permanent resident targets at 380,000 for the next three years while gradually reducing the number of temporary residents—including international students and foreign workers. The plan aims to balance population growth with Canada’s housing, healthcare, and infrastructure capacity, while increasing the share of economic and francophone immigrants. This Q&A explains the plan’s key points, policy direction, and what it means for prospective applicants.
11/06/2025
Canada Announces 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan: Permanent Resident Targets Stabilized, Temporary Resident Numbers Tightened
On November 4, 2025, the Government of Canada officially released the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, setting an annual target of 380,000 permanent residents for each of the next three years. The plan aims to maintain steady immigration growth while tightening the inflow of temporary residents—including international students and foreign workers. Announced as part of the 2025 federal budget, the plan marks a policy shift from “expansion” to “stabilization,” emphasizing the balance between immigration growth and the country’s capacity in housing, healthcare, and infrastructure.
11/05/2025
Canada Updates Immigration Medical Exam Requirements for Temporary Residence Applicants — Four Countries Added, Six Removed
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced an update to the list of countries whose citizens must complete an Immigration Medical Exam (IME) when applying for temporary residence in Canada. Effective November 3, 2025, Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, and Venezuela have been added to the list, while Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iraq, Latvia, Lithuania, and Taiwan have been removed. Applicants from newly added countries will now need to complete an IME, whereas those from the removed regions will no longer be required to do so. The new rules apply to individuals who have lived in or traveled to these countries for six consecutive months within the year before their intended arrival in Canada.
11/04/2025
Manitoba PNP issues 29 invitations to skilled workers, focusing on candidates with special work permits
On October 31, 2025, Manitoba issued 29 Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs) under the Skilled Worker Stream of the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP). This draw primarily targeted candidates already working in the province on facilitated work permits. Of the total invitations, 19 were issued under the Temporary Public Policy (TPP), while the rest were distributed among Francophone, regional, and employer-based recruitment initiatives.
11/03/2025
Prince Edward Island Holds Surprise PNP Draw Targeting International Graduates
On October 27, 2025, the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) conducted an unannounced draw, issuing 159 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to eligible candidates. The selection specifically targeted international graduates from the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI), Holland College, and Collège de l’Île who are currently living and working in the province. The move breaks from PEI’s regular draw schedule, signaling the province’s intention to accelerate its intake of skilled talent with local education and employment experience.
11/01/2025
Newfoundland and Labrador issues 100 invitations in latest 2025 draw
On October 22, 2025, Newfoundland and Labrador issued a total of 100 invitations through its Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP) and the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) — the lowest number of invitations in a single draw so far this year. Of these, 55 invitations were issued under the NLPNP and 45 under the AIP. The province did not disclose which specific NLPNP streams were included in this round, but as of now, Newfoundland and Labrador has held 12 selection rounds across both programs in 2025.
10/31/2025
Canada Holds Third-Largest Express Entry Draw of 2025, Issuing 6,000 ITAs to French-Speaking Candidates
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted the third-largest Express Entry draw of 2025 on October 29, issuing 6,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to candidates with French-language proficiency. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score required for this draw was 416. This result highlights IRCC’s continued commitment to supporting French-speaking communities across Canada through its language-focused immigration policies. So far, French-speaking candidates have received the most invitations this year, underscoring the federal government’s priority on promoting bilingualism and balanced demographic growth.
10/30/2025
IRCC Invites 1,000 Canadian Experience Class Candidates in Latest Express Entry Draw
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted a new round of Express Entry invitations on October 28, 2025, issuing 1,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to candidates in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) category. To be eligible for this draw, candidates needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 533 and must have created their Express Entry profile before 4:16 a.m. UTC on March 21, 2025. This was the 11th CEC-specific draw of 2025, and the fourth consecutive CEC draw with a consistent invitation size of 1,000 and CRS cut-off around 533–534 points — demonstrating continued stability in this program’s selection trend.
10/29/2025
IRCC Holds Another Provincial Nominee Program Draw, Inviting 302 Candidates
On October 27, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted another Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw through the Express Entry system, issuing 302 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to qualified candidates. This was the second PNP draw of October and the fifth overall Express Entry draw this month, highlighting the federal government’s continued focus on supporting provincial immigration priorities.
10/28/2025
Prince Edward Island Holds Second Largest Provincial Nominee Draw of 2025, Focusing on Priority Occupations and International Graduates
On October 17, 2025, Prince Edward Island (PEI) conducted its second-largest immigration draw of the year under the PEI Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP), issuing 160 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for provincial nomination. The draw primarily targeted skilled workers already employed in the province in priority occupations, as well as international graduates from designated educational institutions. As of October 26, 2025, PEI has issued a total of 1,081 ITAs through its PNP this year.
10/27/2025
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