Maple News reports that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted a new Express Entry draw on August 7, 2025, exclusively targeting candidates under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). In this round, 1,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) were issued to eligible candidates.
To be selected, candidates required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 534. Only profiles submitted to the Express Entry pool before 6:22 a.m. UTC on August 3, 2025, were considered in this draw.
This draw follows a recent trend of IRCC resuming more frequent invitations through category-based selections. Notably, just a day later on August 8, IRCC issued 2,500 ITAs to candidates with strong French-language proficiency, with a significantly lower CRS threshold of 481.
The Canadian Experience Class has remained a key pathway to permanent residence in Canada throughout 2025. Including the latest round, IRCC has now conducted eight CEC-specific draws this year. The draw sizes and cut-off scores have varied over time, reflecting shifting immigration targets and candidate profiles in the Express Entry pool.
So far in 2025, IRCC has extended a total of 50,628 invitations through Express Entry. The majority have gone to candidates in the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) category, with 14 draws targeting PNP nominees. Aside from CEC applicants, IRCC has also prioritized newcomers with skills in healthcare, education, and French-language proficiency as part of its category-based draws.
Recent Express Entry activity illustrates IRCC’s continued effort to align immigration with Canada’s labor market demands. Category-based draws allow the government to more precisely target sectors facing workforce shortages, while still offering pathways for skilled workers already in Canada through CEC and PNP channels.
With ongoing immigration reforms and evolving selection strategies, experts expect IRCC to maintain a dynamic approach through the rest of the year. Prospective applicants are encouraged to keep their profiles updated and monitor draw trends for future opportunities.
Maple News will continue providing timely updates on all Express Entry developments and insights into Canada’s evolving immigration landscape.