Canada ended what was the busiest week of the year for Express Entry with a third draw in two days on Thursday, closing out a record-breaking year for its principal economic immigration pathway.
This draw announcement further signals that the government remains focused on improving bilingualism and assisting Francophone communities beyond Quebec as it seeks to fill jobs across Canada.
Also Read IRCC Holds the Third Express Entry in a Week, Targets French-speakers
August 8 Express Entry Details
August 8th, 2025, was when Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 2,500 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to Express Entry candidates who were eligible for the French-language proficiency category.
To qualify, applicants needed to:
- Minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 481
- Apply to the pool of candidates under the Express Entry system before 5:16 a.m. UTC on July 18, 2025
The third time in three days for such an invitation showed IRCC was making a major push to hit its annual immigration target.
A Week of Rapid Draws
The draws before the August 8th draw are as follows:
- August 7 – Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw: 1,000 ITAs | CRS minimum score: 534.
- August 6 — PNP draw: 225 ITAs | CRS cut-off: 739
Back-to-back draws like this suggest that IRCC is moving up the selection pace to meet both regional and national immigration needs.
Year-to-Date Overview
This latest draw of 2025 has brought the total number of invitations issued through Express Entry to 53,128.
This year, the breakdown of draw types shows:
- PNP-focused rounds: 14
- CEC-specific rounds: 8
- French-language targeted rounds: 4
- Healthcare & social services category: 3
- Education category: 1
These trends illustrate how IRCC is not just focusing on the general draws and is increasingly selecting into categories through targeting the market.
Below is a table containing all the Express Entry draws until now:
| Date | Draw Type | Number of ITAs | CRS Cut-Off |
| Aug 8 | French Language | 2,500 | 481 |
| Aug 7 | CEC | 1000 | 534 |
| Aug 6 | PNP | 225 | 739 |
| Jul 22 | Healthcare & Social Services | 4,000 | 475 |
| Jul 21 | PNP | 202 | 788 |
| Jul 8 | CEC | 3,000 | 518 |
| Jul 7 | PNP | 356 | 750 |
| Jun 26 | CEC | 3,000 | 521 |
| Jun 23 | PNP | 503 | 742 |
| Jun 12 | CEC | 3,000 | 529 |
| Jun 10 | PNP | 125 | 784 |
| Jun 4 | Healthcare & Social Services | 500 | 504 |
| Jun 2 | PNP | 277 | 726 |
| May 13 | CEC | 500 | 547 |
| May 12 | PNP | 511 | 706 |
| May 2 | Healthcare & Social Services | 500 | 510 |
| May 1 | Education | 1,000 | 479 |
| Apr 28 | PNP | 421 | 727 |
| Apr 14 | PNP | 825 | 764 |
| Mar 21 | French Language | 7,500 | 379 |
| Mar 17 | PNP | 536 | 736 |
| Mar 6 | French Language | 4,500 | 410 |
| Mar 3 | PNP | 725 | 667 |
| Feb 19 | French Language | 6,500 | 428 |
| Feb 17 | PNP | 646 | 750 |
| Feb 5 | CEC | 4,000 | 521 |
| Feb 4 | PNP | 455 | 802 |
| Jan 23 | CEC | 4,000 | 527 |
| Jan 8 | CEC | 1,350 | 542 |
| Jan 7 | PNP | 471 | 793 |
Why the French-Language Focus Matters
French-speaking newcomers are crucial to minority-language communities and the maintenance of cultural diversity in regions across provinces and territories. In addition to the language they speak, these candidates come with professional work experience within high-demand sectors, which makes them a two-fold asset for Canada.
In order to provide a competitive edge to Francophone candidates, many specific draws are held for them, and consequently, lower CRS cut-off thresholds are set than in most general rounds run by IRCC.
What It All Means For the Immigration Candidates
Immigration candidates can expect that beneficiary draws will be the standard well past 2025. Applicants that match category-based priorities — ranging from language proficiency to health to education and other high-demand professions — will have greater chances of eventually getting an invitation.
Language scores can be crucial for future applicants; being prepared will determine whether you have to wait for a few months or possibly get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in the next draw.
