Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has launched the first Express Entry draw of September 2025, issuing 249 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to candidates under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), Maple News reports.
In this round, applicants needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 772 to receive an invitation. To qualify, their Express Entry profiles needed to have been submitted before 7:19 p.m. UTC on August 28, 2025. This high cut-off score reflects the PNP’s competitive nature, as nominees already hold a provincial endorsement and additional CRS points.
This latest draw follows a sequence of three Express Entry rounds held in August: 2,500 candidates from healthcare and social services occupations were invited on August 19 with a cut-off CRS score of 470; 192 PNP candidates were selected on August 18 with a score of 800; and 2,500 applicants with strong French-language proficiency were invited on August 8.
So far in 2025, IRCC has issued 56,069 ITAs across various Express Entry categories. PNP-focused draws have been the most frequent this year, accounting for 15 distinct rounds. Other categories include Canadian Experience Class (CEC), French-language proficiency, and occupation-specific streams such as healthcare, social services, and education.
Here’s a breakdown of 2025 Express Entry draw types by volume:
– Provincial Nominee Program (PNP): 15 draws
– Canadian Experience Class (CEC): 8 draws
– French-language proficiency: 4 draws
– Healthcare and social services: 4 draws
– Education: 1 draw
Express Entry remains a flagship pathway for skilled immigrants seeking permanent residency in Canada. The Canadian government continues to balance regional labour needs (through PNP) with national economic development goals. PNP draws typically require higher CRS thresholds because provincial nominations add 600 CRS points to a candidate’s base score.
Category-based selections — a newer IRCC initiative — focus on in-demand skills and priorities, including healthcare, technology, trades, and French language capabilities. These targeted draws support Canada’s demographic growth, regional development, and bilingualism objectives.
With more draws expected in the months ahead, candidates are encouraged to monitor CRS trends and keep their profiles up to date, optimizing their chance of receiving an ITA through one of Canada’s various Express Entry categories.