Canada Issues 6,000 CEC Invitations on December 10, Marking the Largest Draw in 16 Months
Largest CEC Draw Since 2024
On December 10, 2025, IRCC issued 6,000 ITAs to Canadian Experience Class candidates through the Express Entry system. This is the largest CEC draw since July 16, 2024, and the highest single-round invitation count for the program in the past 16 months.
According to IRCC’s criteria, candidates needed to:
- Have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 520; and
- Create their Express Entry profile before 5:30 p.m. UTC on July 15, 2025.
This draw broke the persistent high cut-off range of 533–534 that held for five consecutive CEC rounds, offering a meaningful opening for many waiting candidates.
Faster Draw Pace in 2025, With CEC Playing a Major Role
This was the second Express Entry draw in December, following:
- The largest PNP-linked draw of 2025 on December 8;
- A major French-language category draw on November 28;
- Another CEC draw on November 26.
To date, IRCC has issued 101,599 ITAs through the Express Entry system in 2025, reflecting a sustained level of activity across multiple categories.
While PNP draws remain dominant this year, CEC, French proficiency, and several priority occupation draws continue to account for a large share of invitations.
Number of Draws by Category in 2025
| Draw Type | Number of Draws |
|---|---|
| Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) | 23 |
| Canadian Experience Class (CEC) | 14 |
| French-language Proficiency | 8 |
| Healthcare & Social Services | 6 |
| Education | 2 |
| Trade | 1 |
ITA Distribution: French and CEC Lead All Categories
The cumulative ITA distribution shows that candidates in the French-language category and CEC have received the highest number of invitations, reflecting Canada’s continued emphasis on language skills and domestic work experience.
ITAs Issued to Date (by Category)
| Category | Total ITAs |
|---|---|
| French-language proficiency | 42,000 |
| Canadian Experience Class | 30,850 |
| Healthcare & Social Services | 13,500 |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 10,499 |
| Education | 3,500 |
| Trade | 1,250 |
Outlook
The scale and lower CRS threshold of this CEC draw indicate that IRCC is accelerating its year-end Express Entry targets while continuing to prioritize in-Canada applicants. If this trend continues, 2026 may bring additional pathways or policy adjustments designed for temporary residents seeking to transition to permanent residence.
Summary of Express Entry draws in 2025
| Date | Draw Type | Number of ITAs | Cut-off CRS score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 10 | Canadian Experience Class | 6,000 | 520 |
| Dec 8 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,123 | 729 |
| Nov 28 | French language proficiency | 6,000 | 408 |
| Nov 26 | Canadian Experience Class | 1,000 | 531 |
| Nov 25 | Provincial Nominee Program | 777 | 699 |
| Nov 14 | Healthcare and social services | 3,500 | 462 |
| Nov 12 | Canadian Experience Class | 1,000 | 533 |
| Nov 10 | Provincial Nominee Program | 714 | 738 |
| Oct 29 | French language proficiency | 6,000 | 416 |
| Oct 28 | Canadian Experience Class | 1,000 | 533 |
| 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 |
Friendly reminder: There are many pathways to immigrate to Canada. We recommend first using UNA AI to generate an objective and neutral immigration plan, so you can gain an initial understanding of the possible immigration pathways and their requirements, and then choose to proceed with one-on-one consultations with a licensed Canadian immigration consultant partnered with UNA.
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