Maple News reports that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has invited 511 candidates to apply for permanent residence through a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) round under the Express Entry system. The draw, held on May 12, 2025, required candidates to have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 706. To qualify, applicants must have submitted their Express Entry profiles before 10:35 p.m. UTC on March 4, 2025.
This marks the third Express Entry draw held in May and continues IRCC’s trend of focusing on PNP-specific invitations. The earlier draws this month targeted candidates with experience in education, healthcare, and social services—an indication of Canada’s ongoing efforts to address sector-specific labor shortages.
So far in 2025, IRCC has issued a total of 33,940 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) under the Express Entry system. The majority of these have gone to candidates in the PNP stream, followed by draws for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), French-language proficiency, healthcare, and education sectors. This strategy reflects Canada’s targeted immigration approach, enabling provinces and territories to nominate skilled workers based on regional job market needs.
Express Entry is a points-driven immigration system that includes three federal programs—Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, and Canadian Experience Class. In addition, many candidates apply through the PNP, which allows provinces to nominate individuals with skills that align with their economic priorities.
An overview of 2025 reveals that IRCC has so far conducted 10 PNP draws, 4 CEC draws, 3 draws focused on French-speaking candidates, 2 for healthcare and social services, and 1 for education professionals. These category-based draws are part of IRCC’s broader effort to ensure that immigration supports the country’s economic stability and demographic goals.
The CRS cut-off scores across draws have varied significantly, with PNP draws typically requiring higher scores due to the additional points awarded for provincial nominations. For instance, the PNP draw on June 10 had a cut-off score of 784, while draws focused on French-language proficiency have seen scores as low as 379.
According to Maple News, Canada’s Express Entry system continues to attract skilled professionals from over 100 countries each year. By adjusting its selection criteria to match labor market demands, Canada aims to build a resilient workforce and maintain its competitive edge in the global economy.