Express Entry draws have seen a surge in activity since early 2025, with Canada already holding the first draw of March through the system. In the first two months of the year, IRCC issued more than 17,000 invitations to apply (ITAs). In addition, trends within the types of Express Entry draws have primarily held, with the immigration department continuing to prioritize Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates for invitations – with the exception of two French-language proficiency draws. Well, today, we will have an overview of the Express Entry pool as of March 2025 and will discuss it in detail. So, without further ado, let us begin!
What Draws Took Place In February?
February saw the issuance of 11,601 ITAs to candidates across four draws and three different draw types:
Draw Date | Draw Type | ITAs Issued | CRS Cut-Off Score |
February 4 | Provincial Nominee Program | 455 | 802 |
February 5 | Canadian Experience Class | 4,000 | 521 |
February 17 | Provincial Nominee Program | 646 | 750 |
February 19 | French-Language Proficiency | 6,500 | 428 |
Overall, the number of ITAs issued in February is significantly greater than in each of the four previous months:
Month | ITAs Issued |
October, 2024 | 5,961 |
November, 2024 | 5,507 |
December, 2024 | 2,561 |
January, 2025 | 5,821 |
February. 2025 | 11,601 |
On February 27, the IRCC confirmed via a press release that they will continue to prioritize Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates for ITAs via Express Entry throughout 2025.
Moreover, IRCC has made major changes to the Express Entry categories, removing the transport occupation category completely, making significant changes to the professions within the STEM as well as trades categories, and adding a new category for professions in education.
In 2025, the priority Express Entry categories are:
- Healthcare and Social Services Professions
- French-Language Proficiency
- Education Professions
- Trade Professions
What Does The Current Express Entry Score Distribution Look Like?
To have an overview of the Express Entry pool as of March 2025, the next thing to know is the current distribution of the scores in the Express Entry pool.
The following table breaks down the number of candidates at each score range listed on the IRCC website as of March 3, 2025.
CRS Score Range | Number Of Candidates |
0 – 300 | 5,637 |
301 – 350 | 20,573 |
351 – 400 | 49,555 |
401 – 410 | 12,046 |
411 – 420 | 13,014 |
421 – 430 | 12,072 |
431 – 440 | 12,429 |
441 – 450 | 11,822 |
451 – 460 | 12,298 |
461 – 470 | 13,377 |
471 – 480 | 15,213 |
481 – 490 | 12,730 |
491 – 500 | 13,174 |
501 – 601 | 23,075 |
601 – 1200 | 807 |
Total | 227,822 |
Overall, there were 6,230 fewer candidate profiles at the beginning of March as compared to the beginning of February. This is the first time in several months that the Express Entry pool has contracted in size.
How Express Entry Pool Scores Compare To One Another?
The table below details the same, along with percentile ranges of the individual scores at each score boundary. Moreover, the proportion of candidates in each score boundary relative to the overall candidate pool has also been included.
Foreign nationals in the Express Entry system can use this table to gain a better understanding of how their score compares to other candidates currently in the pool.
Methodology: The percentile scores featured in the table are calculated for the upper boundary of every CRS score range, detailing the proportion of total candidates at or below the score.
Percentiles are presented as ranges for easier comprehension, with all candidates in each score range falling somewhere in between the presented percentile ranges.
CRS Score Range | Number Of Candidates | Percentile | Percentage |
0 – 300 | 5,637 | 2.47% | 2.47% |
301 – 350 | 20,573 | 11.50% | 9.03% |
351 – 400 | 49,555 | 33.26% | 21.75% |
401 – 410 | 12,046 | 38.54% | 5.29% |
411 – 420 | 13,014 | 44.26% | 5071% |
421 – 430 | 12,072 | 49.55% | 5.30% |
431 – 440 | 12,429 | 55.01% | 5.46% |
441 – 450 | 11,822 | 60.20% | 5019% |
451 – 460 | 12,298 | 65.60% | 5.40% |
461 – 470 | 13,377 | 71.47% | 5.87% |
471 – 480 | 15,213 | 78.15% | 6.68% |
481 – 490 | 12,730 | 83.73% | 5.59% |
491 – 500 | 13,174 | 89.52% | 5.78% |
501 – 601 | 23,075 | 99.65% | 10.13% |
601 – 1200 | 807 | 100.00% | 0.35% |
Total | 227,822 |
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