Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has once again held a draw through its highly-watched Express Entry immigration system on August 7, 2025. This latest round of invitations was specifically for candidates eligible under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), which targets individuals with skilled work experience in Canada.

According to official data, 1,000 eligible candidates received an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. The minimum CRS score required for this draw was 534.

This represents a significant 16-point increase from the previous CEC-specific draw held on July 8. In that round, IRCC had issued 3,000 ITAs with a minimum score requirement of 518. Industry analysts point to the substantial reduction in invitations—from 3,000 down to 1,000—as the direct cause for the spike in the CRS score. When fewer invitations are issued, only candidates with the highest CRS scores are selected from the pool.

Notably, this was the second draw of August. It followed a draw for Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates just one day earlier on August 6, which issued 225 ITAs to candidates with a minimum CRS score of 739. This again highlights the immense advantage of a provincial nomination, which automatically adds 600 points to a candidate's CRS score.

2025 Express Entry Draw Trend Analysis

To date, IRCC has issued a total of 50,628 ITAs through the Express Entry system in 2025. The draw strategy this year has leaned heavily towards program-specific and category-based selections rather than large, all-program draws, allowing IRCC to target candidates who meet specific provincial and labour market needs.

The following table provides a clear overview of the number of draws conducted for each category so far in 2025:

Overview of Express Entry Draws by Category (As of August 7, 2025)

As the table shows, the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) leads with 14 draws, remaining IRCC's most frequently used pathway for Express Entry invitations.

For candidates remaining in the Express Entry pool, the rising CRS score in this latest CEC draw sends a clear message: competition remains fierce, especially when invitation rounds are smaller. Therefore, actively working to improve one's CRS score—through measures such as improving language test results, gaining more skilled work experience, or obtaining additional Canadian educational credentials—and seeking a provincial nomination are key strategies for successfully receiving an invitation.

Summary of Express Entry draws in 2025