In its most recent Express Entry draw, Canada issued 733 ITAs through a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)-specific draw. The minimum CRS score required was 812, opening the door to permanent residency for eligible candidates looking to settle in Canada.
The latest Express Entry draw, held on October 23, invited 1,800 candidates through a category-based selection specifically for trade occupations. This marked the first non-French-focused category-based draw since July, signaling a renewed focus on skilled trade candidates.
Today, November 1, IRCC held another Express Entry draw shortly after announcing Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan for 2025. Under this updated plan, IRCC aims to welcome 124,680 new permanent residents through Express Entry programs in 2025.
The ITAs issued in today’s draw will count toward next year’s targets. Successful candidates will either be part of the new In-Canada Focus or the Federal Economic Priorities categories. The In-Canada Focus, targeting 82,980 admissions, is the largest allocation for economic immigration. This stream is specifically designed to transition temporary residents already in Canada to permanent status, representing about 40% of Canada’s total economic immigration goal for 2025.
A significant portion of these candidates will likely be Express Entry applicants under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) or Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Additionally, the Federal Economic Priorities category has a target of 41,700 admissions and will include candidates across all Express Entry programs. This category will prioritize candidates with skills that address urgent labor shortages in healthcare and skilled trades, as well as candidates with strong French language skills to support Canada’s demographic and linguistic diversity goals, particularly outside of Quebec.
Understanding Canada’s Express Entry System
Canada’s Express Entry system manages applications for the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. Candidates applying through Express Entry are ranked using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which awards points based on personal and professional attributes like age, language proficiency, occupation, educational background, and work experience.
Additional points are possible for candidates with family members in Canada, those applying with a spouse or partner, or those with Canadian and international work or educational experience. Candidates nominated through an enhanced Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) stream can gain an extra 600 CRS points, greatly increasing their chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA). The highest-ranking candidates receive priority in upcoming draws, depending on eligibility requirements for each draw.
Express Entry draw results in 2024
The table given below represents the 2024 Express Entry draw history, including the date, draw category, number of invitations issued, and the minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score required.
| Date | Draw Category | Invitations Issued | Minimum CRS Score |
| November 12 | Provincial Nominee Program | 733 | 812 |
| October 23 | Trade Occupations | 1,800 | 433 |
| October 22 | Canadian Experience Class | 400 | 539 |
| October 21 | Provincial Nominee Program | 648 | 791 |
| October 10 | French Language Proficiency | 1,000 | 444 |
| October 9 | Canadian Experience Class | 500 | 539 |
| October 7 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,613 | 743 |
| September 19 | Canadian Experience Class | 4,000 | 509 |
| September 13 | French Language Proficiency | 1,000 | 446 |
| September 9 | Provincial Nominee Program | 911 | 732 |
| August 27 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,300 | 507 |
| August 26 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,121 | 694 |
| August 15 | French Language Proficiency | 2,000 | 394 |
| August 14 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,200 | 509 |
| August 13 | Provincial Nominee Program | 763 | 690 |
| July 31 | Canadian Experience Class | 5,000 | 510 |
| July 30 | Provincial Nominee Program | 964 | 686 |
| July 18 | French Language Proficiency | 1,800 | 400 |
| July 17 | Canadian Experience Class | 6,300 | 515 |
| July 16 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,391 | 670 |
| July 8 | French Proficiency | 3,200 | 420 |
| July 5 | Healthcare Occupations | 3,750 | 445 |
| July 4 | Trade Occupations | 1,800 | 436 |
| July 2 | Provincial Nominee Program | 920 | 739 |
| June 19 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,499 | 663 |
| May 31 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,000 | 522 |
| May 30 | Provincial Nominee Program | 2,985 | 676 |
| April 24 | French Proficiency | 1,400 | 410 |
| April 23 | General | 2,095 | 529 |
| April 11 | STEM Occupations | 4,500 | 491 |
| April 10 | General | 1,280 | 549 |
| March 26 | French Language Proficiency | 1,500 | 388 |
| March 25 | General | 1,980 | 524 |
| March 13 | Transport Occupations | 975 | 430 |
| March 12 | General | 2,850 | 525 |
| February 29 | French Language Proficiency | 2,500 | 336 |
| February 28 | General | 1,470 | 534 |
| February 16 | Agriculture and Agri-Food Occupations | 150 | 437 |
| February 14 | Healthcare Occupations | 3,500 | 422 |
| February 13 | General | 1,490 | 535 |
| February 1 | French Language Proficiency | 7,000 | 365 |
| January 31 | General | 730 | 541 |
| January 23 | General | 1,040 | 543 |
| January 10 | General | 1,510 | 546 |
Source: CIC news