Canada's federal department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued a new round of invitations to apply (ITAs) to candidates in the Express Entry system, marking the second draw to be held within the same week.

This draw, conducted on June 26, Canadian time, was exclusively for candidates in the "Canadian Experience Class" (CEC). According to official data, a total of 3,000 eligible candidates received the coveted invitation to apply for permanent residence.

To be invited, candidates had to meet the following two conditions:

• A score of no less than 521 on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).
• Their Express Entry profile must have been created before November 21, 2024, at 3:56 p.m. (Coordinated Universal Time, UTC). This "tie-breaking rule" means that even among candidates with a score of 521, only those who submitted their profile before this specific date and time received an invitation.

2025 Invitation Overview and Recent Dynamics

Since the beginning of 2025, IRCC has continuously selected global talent through the Express Entry system. As of this draw, a cumulative total of 41,845 ITAs have been issued this year.

The month of June has been particularly active for draws. In addition to this CEC draw, two targeted draws for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) were held on June 23 and June 10, along with another smaller-scale CEC draw on June 12.

Looking at the data for the year, candidates in the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) remain the primary target for IRCC invitations, with a total of 11 draws. The remaining invitations have been allocated to Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates, those with strong French-language proficiency, and candidates in specific occupation-based categories. The breakdown is as follows:

• Provincial Nominee Program (PNP): 11 draws
• Canadian Experience Class (CEC): 6 draws
• French-language proficiency: 3 draws
• Healthcare and Social Services: 2 draws
• Education: 1 draw

A Shift in Draw Trends? CEC Category May Regain Focus

This CEC draw signals a notable change: it is the first time since early February that IRCC has conducted invitations for the CEC category in consecutive weeks within its regular (typically bi-weekly) draw schedule.

Reviewing the period from February to early June, IRCC's strategy clearly favored PNP candidates and, to a lesser extent, targeted selections based on specific occupations (such as healthcare and education), while almost completely pausing large-scale, general draws for the CEC category. Furthermore, the number of invitations in those draws was significantly smaller than the 3,000 seen today.

Therefore, this large-scale and high-frequency CEC draw may indicate a shift in IRCC's strategy, potentially renewing its focus on the pool of applicants who are already in Canada and possess local work experience. However, it is still too early to determine if this marks a definitive long-term trend. The next few draws will be crucial in assessing whether a true policy shift is underway.

Summary of Express Entry draws in 2025