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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