The first Express Entry draw of December has taken place, focusing on Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates, in line with patterns seen in October and November.

Over the last two months, IRCC conducted six draws, issuing invitations to 5,507–5,961 candidates per draw. Also, these draws highlighted PNP and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates, along with others meeting category-based selection criteria.

This article will review the outcomes of November’s Express Entry draws and explore the Express Entry pool as of early December.

The status of the Express Entry pool as it stands today

In November, six Express Entry draws were conducted, focusing on CEC, PNP, and category-based selection, with two draws held for each category.

The month included the first healthcare-focused category-based draw since July, issuing 3,000 ITAs to healthcare candidates—the largest single draw of the month. Overall, category-based draws dominated, accounting for 69% of ITAs, particularly through healthcare and French language proficiency selections.

In contrast, CEC and PNP draws issued fewer ITAs, with approximately 800 invitations each over the month. Due to the smaller draw sizes, CRS cut-off scores for these categories remained higher compared to earlier months.

The following section provides a detailed breakdown of each draw in November, including the number of invitations issued and the CRS cut-off scores:

  • Draw 327 (November 20, 2024): Issued 3,000 invitations under the Healthcare Occupations category (Version 1) with a minimum CRS score of 463.
  • Draw 326 (November 19, 2024): Issued 400 invitations under the Canadian Experience Class with a minimum CRS score of 539.
  • Draw 325 (November 18, 2024): Issued 174 invitations under the Provincial Nominee Program with a minimum CRS score of 816.
  • Draw 324 (November 15, 2024): Issued 800 invitations under the French Language Proficiency category (Version 1) with a minimum CRS score of 478.
  • Draw 323 (November 13, 2024): Issued 400 invitations under the Canadian Experience Class with a minimum CRS score of 547.
  • Draw 322 (November 12, 2024): Issued 733 invitations under the Provincial Nominee Program with a minimum CRS score of 812.

The Immigration Levels Plan from IRCC emphasizes Express Entry admissions through two main categories: the “In-Canada Focus” category, which includes PNP and CEC candidates, as well as certain FSWP and FSTP applicants; and the “Federal Economic Priorities” category, designated for category-based selection. Also, all Express Entry admission targets for 2025 have been assigned to these categories.

A July 2024 memo outlines IRCC’s intent to prioritize category-based selection draws for candidates with:

  • Relevant work experience in healthcare occupations,
  • Relevant work experience in trades occupations, or
  • Advanced French-language proficiency.

Additionally, PNP-specific draws are expected to precede CEC and category-based draws, a pattern that has remained consistent since mid-2024.

Furthermore, over the past three months, IRCC has issued between 5,000 and 6,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) through Express Entry each month. The monthly breakdown of ITAs is as follows:

  • November: 5,507 ITAs
  • October: 5,961 ITAs
  • September: 5,911 ITAs

As of December 1, the distribution of candidates in the Express Entry pool by Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score is as follows:

  • 0-300: 5,615 candidates
  • 301-350: 22,280 candidates
  • 351-400: 50,609 candidates
  • 401-410: 11,239 candidates
  • 411-420: 11,602 candidates
  • 421-430: 11,217 candidates
  • 431-440: 12,313 candidates
  • 441-450: 11,219 candidates
  • 451-460: 11,872 candidates
  • 461-470: 12,521 candidates
  • 471-480: 14,371 candidates
  • 481-490: 11,905 candidates
  • 491-500: 12,316 candidates
  • 501-600: 18,673 candidates
  • 601-1200: 738 candidates

In total, there are 218,490 candidates in the Express Entry pool.

How do candidates’ scores in the Express Entry pool compare to one another?

The Following uses percentile scores to show how different CRS scores rank within the overall distribution of candidates in the Express Entry pool. The percentile score represents the proportion of candidates with a score at or below the upper boundary of each CRS score range, relative to the total pool of candidates.

Percentiles are calculated based on the highest score within each range.

  • CRS Score Range 0-300: There are 5,615 candidates, with percentile scores ranging from 0.0% to 2.57%, which covers 2.57% of the candidates in the pool.
  • CRS Score Range 301-350: This range has 22,280 candidates, with percentile scores from 2.57% to 12.77%, covering 10.20% of the pool.
  • CRS Score Range 351-400: With 50,609 candidates, this range spans from 12.77% to 35.93%, including 23.16% of the total candidates.
  • CRS Score Range 401-410: There are 11,239 candidates in this range, with percentile scores from 35.93% to 41.07%. It covers 5.14% of the pool.
  • CRS Score Range 411-420: This range has 11,602 candidates, with percentiles from 41.07% to 46.38%, representing 5.31% of the candidates.
  • CRS Score Range 421-430: The range includes 11,217 candidates, with percentiles from 46.38% to 51.52%, covering 5.14% of the total pool.
  • CRS Score Range 431-440: With 12,313 candidates, this range spans 51.52% to 57.15%, covering 5.64% of the pool.
  • CRS Score Range 441-450: There are 11,219 candidates in this range, with percentiles from 57.15% to 62.29%, including 5.13% of the candidates.
  • CRS Score Range 451-460: This range includes 11,872 candidates, with percentiles from 62.29% to 67.72%, covering 5.43% of the pool.
  • CRS Score Range 461-470: There are 12,521 candidates in this range, with percentiles from 67.72% to 73.45%. It accounts for 5.73% of the total candidates.
  • CRS Score Range 471-480: With 14,371 candidates, this range spans 73.45% to 80.03%, covering 6.58% of the pool.
  • CRS Score Range 481-490: There are 11,905 candidates in this range, with percentiles from 80.03% to 85.48%, which accounts for 5.45% of the total candidates.
  • CRS Score Range 491-500: This range has 12,316 candidates, with percentile scores from 85.48% to 91.12%. It covers 5.64% of the pool.
  • CRS Score Range 501-600: With 18,673 candidates, this range spans 91.12% to 99.66%, covering 8.55% of the total candidates.
  • CRS Score Range 601-1200: There are 738 candidates in this range, with percentile scores from 99.66% to 100.00%. It covers 0.34% of the pool.

In total, these percentages represent the entire distribution of candidates in the Express Entry pool.