Immigration Refugees Citizenship Canada (IRCC) began October’s Express Entry activity by inviting 1,000 individuals under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) stream. The October 1, 2025, draw targeted individuals who now have working experience in Canada, just like the policy by the government to retain skilled workers who have experience with the region’s job market, as a top priority.
Also Read IRCC Holds First Express Entry Draw of October, Targets CEC Category
Eligibility Criteria for this Round
Candidates called upon this session had to:
- Secure a minimum of 534 CRS points
- Submit their Express Entry profile by February 21, 2025, up until 4:01 a.m. UTC
This draw conforms to a pattern over recent months that CEC-specific rounds have had the same cut-off score each time.
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Increasing Significance of the CEC Stream
This is the 10th round of the Canadian Experience Class for 2025. It is also the third draw in a row where the number of invitations issued (1,000) and the CRS cut-off mark (534) were the same. Since August, IRCC has been regularizing a minimum of a monthly CEC draw, confirming the strength of the category.
Summary of Express Entry draws in 2025
| Date | Draw Type | Number of ITAs | Cut-off CRS score |
| October 1 | CEC | 1,000 | 534 |
| September 29 | Provincial Nominee Program | 291 | 855 |
| September 18 | Trade | 1,250 | 505 |
| September 17 | Education | 2,500 | 462 |
| September 15 | Provincial Nominee Program | 228 | 746 |
| September 4 | French language proficiency | 4,500 | 446 |
| September 3 | Canadian Experience Class | 1,000 | 534 |
| September 2 | Provincial Nominee Program | 249 | 772 |
| August 19 | Healthcare and social services | 2,500 | 470 |
| August 18 | Provincial Nominee Program | 192 | 800 |
| August 8 | French language proficiency | 2,500 | 481 |
| August 7 | Canadian Experience Class | 1,000 | 534 |
| August 6 | Provincial Nominee Program | 225 | 739 |
| July 22 | Healthcare and social services | 4,000 | 475 |
| July 21 | Provincial Nominee Program | 202 | 788 |
| July 8 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,000 | 518 |
| July 7 | Provincial Nominee Program | 356 | 750 |
| June 26 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,000 | 521 |
| June 23 | Provincial Nominee Program | 503 | 742 |
| June 12 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,000 | 529 |
| June 10 | Provincial Nominee Program | 125 | 784 |
| June 4 | Healthcare and social services | 500 | 504 |
| June 2 | Provincial Nominee Program | 277 | 726 |
| May 13 | Canadian Experience Class | 500 | 547 |
| May 12 | Provincial Nominee Program | 511 | 706 |
| May 2 | Healthcare and social services | 500 | 510 |
| May 1 | Education | 1,000 | 479 |
| April 28 | Provincial Nominee Program | 421 | 727 |
| April 14 | Provincial Nominee Program | 825 | 764 |
| March 21 | French language proficiency | 7,500 | 379 |
| March 17 | Provincial Nominee Program | 536 | 736 |
| March 6 | French language proficiency | 4,500 | 410 |
| March 3 | Provincial Nominee Program | 725 | 667 |
| February 19 | French language proficiency | 6,500 | 428 |
| February 17 | Provincial Nominee Program | 646 | 750 |
| February 5 | Canadian Experience Class | 4,000 | 521 |
| February 4 | Provincial Nominee Program | 455 | 802 |
| January 23 | Canadian Experience Class | 4,000 | 527 |
| January 8 | Canadian Experience Class | 1,350 | 542 |
| January 7 | Provincial Nominee Program | 471 | 793 |
ITAs Breakdown Released in 2025
In total draws until now this year, 66,838 invitations have been issued so far. This is the breakdown by program:
- French language requirement ranking: 25,500
- Canadian Experience Class: 21,850
- Health Services and Social Services: 7,500
- Provincial Nominee Program (PNP): 6,947
- Education category: 3,500
- Trade category: 1,250
Even though PNP rounds occur more frequently than any other, the highest ITAs were issued to French-speakers as well as under CEC.
Conclusion
The Express Entry pool remains highly competitive, and CEC applicants continue to receive points for their Canadian work experience. Experts say that prospects that need a boost should pay attention to other CRS-boosting factors, such as:
- Obtaining a provincial nomination
- Enhancing language grades (French in particular)
Seeking more Canadian studies, applicants continuously update their profiles across multiple categories to improve their chances of being selected in later rounds.
