Maple News reports that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has held its second Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)-specific Express Entry draw of October 2025, inviting 302 candidates to apply for permanent residence.
To receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in this draw, candidates required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 761. Additionally, they needed to have submitted their Express Entry profile before 2:14 a.m. UTC on September 26, 2025.
This draw marks the fifth Express Entry round of invitations in October alone. It comes on the heels of recent draws targeting candidates in healthcare and social services (October 15), another PNP-specific round (October 14), and a French language proficiency draw (October 6). These draws highlight Canada’s ongoing strategic focus on high-demand skilled sectors and multilingual candidates.
Throughout 2025, IRCC has issued a total of 73,485 ITAs across various categories within the Express Entry system. The department continues to prioritize certain candidate groups through targeted draws. So far this year, the majority of ITAs have gone to candidates nominated through PNPs, followed by those in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), individuals with strong French language skills, and professionals in sectors like healthcare, education, and trade.
The frequency and variety of these draws suggest a continuing trend toward category-based selections aimed at addressing labor shortages and regional needs across Canada. As of mid-October, Express Entry draws in 2025 have included:
– 19 draws targeting Provincial Nominee Program candidates
– 10 Canadian Experience Class draws
– 6 French language proficiency draws
– 5 healthcare and social service occupation draws
– 2 education-specific draws
– 1 trade occupation draw
The high CRS score required in the latest PNP draw underscores the competitive nature of these invitations, especially for candidates relying on provincial nomination to gain additional points toward their CRS total.
Maple News will continue to monitor upcoming Express Entry rounds and provide up-to-date insights for prospective immigrants navigating Canada’s evolving permanent residence pathways.