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Express Entry Draw #361 : 192 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for Provincial Nominee Program

Canada Holds New Express Entry Round Targeting Provincial Nominee Applicants

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    Canada Holds New Express Entry Round Targeting Provincial Nominee Applicants

    Canada has once more invited Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates in the Express Entry stream. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released 192 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) on August 18, 2025. Candidates must have a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 800 or above and must have had their profiles submitted before February 11, 2025, at 7:17 p.m. (UTC).

    This new round is one of the year’s most competitive and the second-highest CRS cut for 2025, after the February 4 PNP draw, with an 802-point cut-off.
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    Summary of Express Entry Draws in 2025

    Results: Rounds of invitations

    • Provincial Nominee Program
    • Number of ITAs: 192
    • Date and time of round: August 18, 2025 at 15:09:26 UTC
    • CRS score of lowest-ranked candidate invited: 800
    • Tie-breaking rule: February 11, 2025 at 19:17:09 UTC

    If more than one candidate has the lowest score, the cut-off is based on the date and time they submitted their Express Entry profiles.

    Invitations to apply to the Provincial Nominee Program may be issued through this round of invitations.

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    Four Express Entry Draws in August

    IRCC continued its trend of frequent invitations in August by making four separate draws within a period of two weeks. 

    The breakdown is as follows:

    • August 18: PNP draw, 192 ITAs, CRS cut-off 800
    • August 8: French category, 2,500 ITAs, CRS cut-off 481
    • August 7: Canadian Experience Class (CEC), 1,000 ITAs, CRS cut-off 534
    • August 6: PNP draw, 225 ITAs, CRS cut-off 739

    These draws show IRCC’s trend of alternating between PNP-oriented draws and draws of other streams, such as CEC and French language.

    2025 Trends For Express Entry

    2025 has seen IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) adopting a more program or category-based approach to the selection of applicants, which seems to strategically try to address the economic demands of the country.

    The department has issued 53,320 ITAs since the beginning of the year, with the highest number going to PNP, then CEC participants, French-speaking candidates, as well as those in the targeted list of professions, including healthcare, social work, and teaching.

    Express Entry Action in 2025

    As of 2025, 53,320 candidates were invited under various categories. Most of the invitations have been to PNP candidates and others to Canadian work experience holders, French-speaking candidates, and priority occupation candidates such as education and health.

    The annual draw allotment consists of:

    • PNP : 15 draws
    • CEC : 8 drawings
    • French-language skills : 4 draws
    • Healthcare and social services : 3 draws
    • Education: 1 draw

    This distribution reflects the government’s continued reliance on provincial nominations, while still reacting to bilingualism and industry-based labor shortages.

    Summary of Express Entry Draws in 2025

    Below is a snapshot of all Express Entry draws conducted so far this year:
    • Canadian Experience Class (CEC) : 19,850
    • Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) : 6,470
    • French language proficiency: 21,000
    • Education Professionals 1,000
    • Healthcare and social services occupations 5,000
    Draw Date Draw Type Number of ITAs Minimum CRS
    361 August 18 PNP 192 800
    360 August 08 French language proficiency 2,500 481
    359 August 07 CEC 1,000 534
    358 August 06 PNP 225 739
    357 July 22 Healthcare and social services occupations (Version 2) 4,000 475
    356 July 21 PNP 202 788
    355 July 08 CEC 3,000 518
    354 July 07 PNP 356 750
    353 June 26 CEC 3,000 521
    352 June 23 PNP 503 742
    351 June 12 CEC 3,000 529
    350 June 10 Provincial Nominee Program 125 784
    349 June 04 Healthcare and social services 500 504
    348 June 02 PNP 277 726
    347 May 13 CEC 500 547
    346 May 12 PNP 511 706
    345 May 02 Healthcare and social Services Occupations 500 510
    344 May 01 Education Professionals 1,000 479
    343 April 28 PNP 421 727
    342 April 14 PNP 825 764
    341 March 21 French language 7,500 379
    340 March 17 PNP 536 736
    339 March 06 French language 4,500 410
    338 March 03 PNP 725 667
    337 February 19 French language 6,500 428
    336 February 17 PNP 646 750
    335 February 05 CEC 4,000 521
    334 February 04 PNP 455 802
    333 January 23 CEC 4,000 527
    332 January 8 CEC 1,350 542
    331 January 7 PNP 471 793

    As of August 18, a total of 53,320 ITAs have been issued through the Express Entry system in 2025.

    Express Entry Draw Reports

    Number of Express Entry Draws by Category This Year:

    The Provincial Nominee Program category of the Express Entry categories leads the trend with the highest number of 14 rounds, followed by the Canadian Experience Class with 8 rounds. Also, IRCC has conducted 3 rounds each for French-speaking candidates and healthcare professionals. A single draw was also held for individuals in the education sector.

    Draw Type Number of Draws
    Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) 14
    Canadian Experience Class (CEC) 8
    French-language proficiency 4
    Healthcare and social services 3
    Education 1

    The trend since June 10, 2025, reveals a pattern of alternating draws between PNP and CEC categories roughly every two weeks. Additionally, healthcare-focused draws have taken place monthly since May, reflecting IRCC’s commitment to addressing sector-specific shortages in Canada’s healthcare system.

    Current Express Entry Trends and Category Breakdown

    With the latest draw, the healthcare and social services category now joins a growing list of specialized selection categories implemented this year. The distribution of draws in 2025 highlights a more nuanced approach to selecting candidates who meet Canada’s urgent labour and demographic needs.

    Draw Type Number of Draws
    Provincial Nominee Program 7
    French-language proficiency 3
    Canadian Experience Class 3
    Education 1
    Healthcare and social services 1

    Strategic Insights for Aspiring Immigrants

    For candidates hoping to secure Canadian permanent residence through Express Entry, the current pattern underscores the value of:
    • Securing a provincial nomination, which adds 600 points to your CRS score
    • Gaining Canadian work experience, making you eligible under the Canadian Experience Class
    • Improving French proficiency, a key category in several high-volume draws
    Additionally, applicants in healthcare, education, or social services may find themselves prioritized under future category-based rounds.

    What are Express Entry’s Category-Based Selections

    IRCC has introduced category-based selections in 2023 and expanded in 2025, which helps it to categorically meet the specific job industry demands of the provinces and territories. This focuses on fields like education, healthcare, and French-language proficiency. Canada aims to welcome skilled immigrants better suited to the nation’s demographic and economic goals, to help fill the gaps in the in-demand job roles of the country.

    Importance of Provincial Nominations

    A provincial nomination is a valuable pathway for Express Entry candidates because it awards a candidate an additional 600 CRS points, typically positioning them well beyond the ITA threshold. That is why CRS cut-offs for PNP draws always seem to be one of the highest witnessed in all categories.
    Since most of the provinces are experiencing particular manpower shortages, such draws enable the city governments to choose competent individuals who can readily blend into their respective regional economies.

    What the Future Holds for Applicants

    The latest draw indicates that IRCC will keep having regular, category-based draws for the rest of the year. The government is keen on meeting its quotas by drawing from a mix of its pools, and PNP candidates with a majority proportion.

    The candidates are encouraged to boost their profiles by improving language test scores, securing provincial nominations, or upgrading work experience in order to be competitive for future rounds.

    Stay tuned for future updates on Express Entry draws and immigration news.

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