Maple News reports that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued 6,500 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) in its first French-language category-based Express Entry draw of 2025. Candidates needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 428 and must have submitted their Express Entry profile prior to 4:41 p.m. UTC on February 10, 2025.
This draw marks the fourth Express Entry draw held in February and the first category-based selection of the year. This follows earlier draws focused on the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), underscoring IRCC’s commitment to targeted immigration streams closely aligned with Canada’s labor market needs and linguistic diversity goals. So far in February alone, IRCC has issued a total of 11,601 ITAs across various category-based draws.
The emphasis on French-speaking candidates aligns with Canada’s broader goal of supporting the vitality of Francophone communities outside of Quebec. The federal immigration target for the In-Canada Focus group — encompassing CEC and PNP candidates — is set at 82,890 permanent resident admissions for 2025, according to the 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan.
It’s essential to distinguish between an ITA and a landing. An ITA allows a candidate to formally apply for permanent residence through Express Entry. A landing, on the other hand, is the final step where a candidate arrives in Canada and officially gains permanent resident status after receiving a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR).
Between January and mid-February 2025, IRCC has shown a strong preference for CEC and PNP candidates, conducting multiple draws across these categories. The recent draw for French-speaking candidates continues the trend of specialized selection as part of Canada’s innovative category-based approach to immigration.
In earlier 2025 draws, IRCC also focused on sectors like healthcare, education, and social services—highlighting the government’s responsive immigration strategy aimed at addressing critical workforce shortages across the country. The CRS scores required vary based on the stream, with provincial nominee-sponsored candidates typically needing higher scores due to the additional 600 CRS points a nomination carries.
Candidates hoping to improve their CRS scores can do so through several avenues: acquiring a provincial nomination, enhancing language proficiency, gaining additional work experience, furthering their education, or even modifying their Express Entry profile to better leverage a spouse or partner’s qualifications.
As IRCC continues to release invitations in 2025, staying up-to-date with draw patterns and understanding eligibility pathways will be key for hopeful immigrants navigating Canada’s Express Entry system.