Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 345 invitations to apply to Provincial Nominee Program candidates through the Express Entry system on October 14, 2025. This draw required candidates to have a minimum CRS score of 778 points and to have created their Express Entry profile before July 17, 2025. This marks the 19th Provincial Nominee draw conducted by IRCC this year and the third draw in October.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recently disclosed its 2025 permanent residence (PR) application processing plan in its latest Minister Transition Binder. According to the document, the immigration department will not clear all categories of application backlogs this year, but will instead adopt a categorized processing strategy. Express Entry-related programs, community pilot programs, and Quebec's skilled worker pathways will process all pending applications, while other economic immigration programs will only process a portion of their backlogs, with processing ratios ranging from 2% to 35%.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 4,500 invitations to apply (ITAs) through the Express Entry system on October 6, 2025, specifically targeting candidates with French-language proficiency. This marks the second draw in October and one of the largest French-language category draws this year. To date, the Express Entry system has issued over 70,000 invitations in 2025, with French-language category candidates receiving the highest number of invitations.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted the first Express Entry draw of the month on October 1, 2025, issuing 1,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score requirement for this draw was 534 points, and candidates needed to have created their Express Entry profile before 4:01 AM UTC on February 21, 2025. This marks the 10th CEC category draw of 2025, and the third consecutive draw maintaining both the 1,000-invitation scale and the 534-point threshold.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 291 invitations to apply to Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates through the Express Entry system on September 29, 2025. This marks the seventh draw in September and the 18th PNP category draw since the beginning of 2025. The draw required candidates to have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 855 points.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted its first Express Entry draw of the year for trade occupations on September 18, 2025. A total of 1,250 candidates received an Invitation to Apply (ITA). However, the minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score soared to 505, significantly higher than the previous draw for this category. The primary reason for the score increase is the long interval between draws, which led to an accumulation of high-scoring candidates. Additionally, internal documents suggest IRCC plans to issue more invitations to trade candidates in the second half of the year.

On September 17, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the second-ever Express Entry draw targeting candidates in the "education" category. A total of 2,500 Invitations to Apply (ITA) were issued to candidates with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 462. Compared to the inaugural draw for this category, this round featured a significantly lower cut-off score and a larger number of invitations, reflecting the flexibility and strategic focus of Canada's immigration policy on attracting professionals from specific fields.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held its latest Express Entry draw on September 15, 2025. This draw specifically targeted candidates in the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), issuing 228 Invitations to Apply (ITAs). The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score required was 746. Data shows that the PNP continues to be the dominant category for Express Entry draws in 2025.

The Government of Ontario has recently announced a major reform framework known as "As of Right," designed to break down interprovincial barriers and significantly simplify the certification process for professionals in regulated occupations coming from other Canadian provinces. The new rules, scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026, will shorten the certification period from the current several months to as little as 10 business days, thereby promoting free labour mobility within Canada. This initiative will not only have a profound impact on professions like architects and engineers but also establishes a special fast-track entry for certain healthcare professionals from Canada and the United States, potentially creating new opportunities for individuals seeking to immigrate through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP).

On September 3, 2025, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) conducted two pivotal draws, issuing 1,893 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for provincial nomination to candidates already residing in Canada and possessing job offers in 77 specific priority occupations. These draws primarily targeted the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker and Employer Job Offer: International Student streams, with minimum scores of 42 and 63, respectively. Notably, these invitations were issued following the shift to an employer-led application process in Ontario's immigration system, underscoring the province's ongoing demand for specific skilled talent and reflecting its dynamic adjustments to immigration policy.