Maple News reports that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held a major category-based Express Entry draw on July 22, 2025, issuing 4,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to candidates working in healthcare and social services. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score required was 475 — a significant drop of 29 points compared to the previous healthcare-targeted draw on June 4, which required a minimum score of 504.
This marked the third healthcare and social services-specific draw of 2025, reflecting Canada’s ongoing focus on filling critical labour shortages across the healthcare sector. The large number of ITAs and the lower CRS threshold indicate IRCC’s intent to invite more qualified professionals from this sector to address growing demand in healthcare services nationwide.
The draw followed a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) round on July 21, 2025, in which 202 candidates were invited with a minimum CRS score of 788. PNP draws generally require higher CRS scores, as candidates often receive an additional 600 points through provincial nominations.
So far in 2025, Canada has conducted 27 Express Entry draws, including 13 for PNP candidates, three for French-speaking candidates, three targeting healthcare and social service workers, one aimed at education-related occupations, and seven draws under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
This year’s total now stands at 49,403 ITAs issued under Express Entry as of July, following a total of 98,903 ITAs in 2024. Canada has maintained a strong annual invitation trend, with 110,266 ITAs issued in 2023 and a record-setting 114,431 in 2021 — all to CEC and PNP candidates during pandemic-related priorities.
IRCC applied the tie-breaking rule for this latest draw with a cut-off date of March 13, 2025, at 9:08 a.m. EST. This means that candidates who had the required CRS score of 475 and submitted their Express Entry profiles before this timestamp received invitations.
Successful candidates have 60 days to submit a complete permanent residence application. In most cases, applications under Express Entry are processed within six months — part of Canada’s ongoing effort to maintain fast and efficient immigration pathways.
As healthcare remains a top priority for Canada’s immigration strategy, experts advise skilled workers to ensure their Express Entry profiles are up to date and—as much as possible—supported by provincial nominations or arranged employment to increase their CRS scores.
Employers seeking to recruit foreign talent in healthcare or other high-distress sectors are encouraged to explore options such as securing a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or using PNP nomination pathways to meet staffing needs.
Maple News will continue to monitor updates from IRCC regarding CRS trends, draw frequencies, and sector-specific priority invitations.