Express Entry Draws & CRS Trends

Latest Draw

Express Entry CRS Draws & Trends

Your go‑to hub for historical analysis, latest results, and data‑driven insights into Canada’s Express Entry draws.

Draw #362 – August 19, 2025

Category: Healthcare and social services occupations (Version 2)

CRS Cut‑off Score: 470

Invitations Issued: 2500

Tie‑Breaker: April 23, 2025 at 20:08:53 UTC

What Is an Express Entry Draw?
Annual Summary (2015–Present)
CRS and ITA Trend Over Time
Average Invitations per Draw by Category (2015–Present)
Number of Draws by Category (2020 onwards)

What is an Express Entry Draw?

An Express Entry draw, also known as a round of invitation, is the official process through which Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) selects candidates from the Express Entry pool to apply for permanent residence (PR) in Canada.

These draws occur regularly—often every two weeks, though frequency and criteria can vary based on Canada’s immigration targets and labour market needs.

Each draw includes:

Draw Number and Date
Every draw is uniquely numbered and recorded by date, providing a historical reference for candidates and consultants.
Type of Draw (General or Targeted)
Draws may be:
- General (All-program or No-Program Specified) – Includes candidates from all three core Express Entry programs:
- Program-Specific – Targets a single Express Entry program. For example:
  - A CEC-only draw or FSTP-only draw
- Category-Based Draws – Introduced in 2023, these prioritize candidates with specific attributes or occupations. Current categories include:
  - French-language proficiency
  - Healthcare occupations
  - STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) occupations
  - Trade occupations
  - Transport occupations
  - Agriculture and agri-food occupations
CRS Cut-Off Score
Each draw sets a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score threshold. Candidates with scores equal to or above this threshold receive Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for PR.
Number of ITAs Issued
IRCC specifies the number of candidates selected in each draw. This number can vary significantly based on program targets and backlog management.
Tie-Breaking Rule
If multiple candidates have the exact same CRS score at the cut-off, IRCC applies a tie-breaker based on the date and time the candidate submitted their profile. This ensures fairness and a transparent selection order.

Annual Express Entry Summary (2015 to Present)

Highest CRS Cut-off: 902 in 2018 (No Program Specified)
Lowest CRS Cut-off: 75 in 2021 (Draw #176 – CEC)
Most # of ITAs Issued in a Single Draw: 27,332 in 2021 (Draw #176 – CEC)
Least # of ITAs Issued in a Single Draw: 125 in 2025 (Draw #350 – PNP)

Year	Average CRS	Total Invitations	# of Draws	Max CRS	Min CRS	Avg Invitations/Draw
2015	538	31,063	23	886	450	1,351
2016	491	33,782	27	786	453	1,251
2017	443	86,023	30	775	199	2,867
2018	449	89,800	28	902	284	3,207
2019	451	85,300	26	475	332	3,281
2020	530	107,350	37	808	415	2,901
2021	595	114,431	42	813	75	2,725
2022	646	46,538	24	808	491	1,939
2023	505	110,266	42	791	354	2,625
2024	544	98,903	52	816	336	1,902
2025*	614	55,820	32	802	379	1,744

*2025 thus far

📊 Data Deep Dive:
• The lowest average CRS was in 2017 (443), coinciding with a major wave of high-volume general draws.
• 2022 had the highest average CRS ever at 646, despite having fewer total draws.
• 2019 saw the most generous draws, with an average of 3,281 ITAs per draw.
• Draw volume surged in 2024, but average invitations per draw dipped.

Express Entry Trend Over Time - CRS Scores vs. ITAs – Last 10 Draws

Compare CRS cut-offs and invitation volumes across recent Express Entry draws, including French, PNP, and other targeted streams.

Draw #	Date	CRS Cut-off	Invitations Issued	Draw Type	Interval between previous draw
Draw #353	26-Jun-25	521	3000	Canadian Experience Class	3
Draw #354	7-Jul-25	750	356	Provincial Nominee Program	11
Draw #355	8-Jul-25	518	3000	Canadian Experience Class	1
Draw #356	21-Jul-25	788	202	Provincial Nominee Program	13
Draw #357	22-Jul-25	475	4000	Healthcare	1
Draw #358	6-Aug-25	739	225	Provincial Nominee Program	15
Draw #359	7-Aug-25	534	1000	Canadian Experience Class	1
Draw #360	8-Aug-25	481	2500	French	1
Draw #361	18-Aug-25	800	192	Provincial Nominee Program	10
Draw #362	19-Aug-25	470	2500	Healthcare	1

Express Entry: Average Invitations per Draw by Category (2015–Present)

Visual summary of average ITAs issued per draw by year, highlighting the rise of category-based draws introduced in mid-2023. New 2025 updates to in-demand and paused categories available here.

Average Number of Invitations per draw by year - Aug 19, 2025

Year	Agri	CEC	FSTP	FSWP	French	Healthcare	No Program Specified	PNP	STEM	Trade	Transport	Education
2015	—	849	—	—	—	—	1373	—	—	—	—	—
2016	—	—	—	—	—	—	1278	559	—	—	—	—
2017	—	453	—	—	—	—	3257	217	—	—	—	—
2018	—	450	—	—	—	—	3548	200	—	—	—	—
2019	—	500	—	—	—	—	3513	—	—	—	—	—
2020	—	3422	250	—	—	—	4256	479	—	—	—	—
2021	—	5862	—	—	—	—	—	591	—	—	—	—
2022	—	—	—	—	—	—	3250	830	—	—	—	—
2023	500	—	—	3300	1386	1867	3956	1649	3200	1250	670	—
2024	150	2650	—	—	2091	3417	1605	1106	4500	1800	975	—
2025*	—	2481	—	—	5250	1875	—	431	—	—	—	1000
Average	383	3936	436	3300	2441	2335	2885	729	3633	1525	823	1000

*2025 thus far

Express Entry: Average Invitations per Draw by Category (2024–Present) Quarterly Breakdown

A closer look: Quarterly average ITAs per draw since 2024, spotlighting trends post category-based draw shift.

Quarter-wise ITAs by Category (2024–2025)

Period	Agri	Canadian Experience Class	French	Healthcare	No Program Specified	Provincial Nominee Program	STEM	Trade Occupations	Transport	Education	Cumulative Avg.
2024	150	2650	2091	3417	1605	1106	4500	1800	975	—	1902
Q1 2024	150	—	3667	3500	1581	—	—	—	975	—	2053
Q2 2024	—	3000	1400	—	1688	2242	4500	—	—	—	2394
Q3 2024	—	4360	2000	3750	—	1012	—	1800	—	—	2436
Q4 2024	—	425	867	3000	—	822	—	1800	—	—	935
2025	—	2481	5250	1875	—	431	—	—	1000	—	1744
Q1 2025	—	3117	6167	—	—	567	—	—	—	—	2789
Q2 2025	—	2167	—	500	—	444	—	—	1000	—	930
Q3 2025	—	2000	2500	3250	—	244	—	—	—	—	1553
Cumulative Average	150	2575	2933	2536	1605	757	4500	1800	975	1000	1842

*2025 data as of Q3

Express Entry: Number of Draws by Category (2020 onwards)

Track how often each program or category has been targeted over time. Category-based draws began in 2023 and include STEM, Healthcare, Trades, French, Transport & Agri-Food. Full list of 2025 updates and paused streams here.

Year	Agri	CEC	FSTP	FSWP	French	Healthcare	No Program Specified	PNP	STEM	Trade	Transport	Education	Total Draws
2020	—	10	1	—	—	—	16	10	—	—	—	—	37
2021	—	17	—	—	—	—	25	—	—	—	—	—	42
2022	—	—	—	—	11	13	—	—	—	—	—	—	24
2023	2	—	—	1	7	3	18	6	2	2	1	—	42
2024	1	10	—	—	11	3	9	14	1	2	1	—	52
2025*	—	8	—	—	4	4	—	15	—	—	—	1	32
Grand Total	3	45	1	1	22	10	54	83	3	4	2	1	229