Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) have issued more invitations to apply (ITAs) in another Express Entry draw.
The department issued 800 invitations to apply (ITAs) in a category-based selection for candidates with French-language proficiency.
Candidates required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 466 to be considered.
Today’s candidate selection is the second of December, following a draw for Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates in the Express Entry pool on the same date.
In November, six Express Entry draws were held, resulting in the issuance of 5,507 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence.
As in previous months, candidates in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and PNP streams have consistently been targeted. This trend is expected to continue with the introduction of the new “In-Canada” focus category. This category aims to prioritize candidates from the CEC and other regional programs, with potential inclusion of candidates from the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).
Under Canada’s updated Immigration Levels Plan, this category has been allocated 82,980 permanent residence admissions, accounting for over 40% of all planned admissions for the upcoming year.
Candidates with strong French language proficiency are also likely to benefit, as admissions for French speakers outside of Quebec will increase to 29,235 next year. ITA issuances for this group are expected to grow further in 2026 and 2027 as part of the Francophone immigration strategy.
| Date | Draw Type | Number of ITAs | Minimum CRS |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 16 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,085 | 727 |
| December 3 | French language proficiency | 800 | 466 |
| December 2 | Provincial Nominee Program | 676 | 705 |
| November 20 | Healthcare occupations | 3,000 | 463 |
| November 19 | Canadian Experience Class | 400 | 539 |
| November 18 | Provincial Nominee Program | 174 | 816 |
| November 15 | French language proficiency | 800 | 478 |
| November 13 | Canadian Experience Class | 400 | 547 |
| November 12 | Provincial Nominee Program | 733 | 812 |
| October 23 | Trade occupations | 1,800 | 433 |
| October 22 | Canadian Experience Class | 400 | 539 |
| October 21 | Provincial Nominee Program | 648 | 791 |
| October 10 | French language proficiency | 1,000 | 444 |
| October 9 | Canadian Experience Class | 500 | 539 |
| October 7 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,613 | 743 |
| September 19 | Canadian Experience Class | 4,000 | 509 |
| September 13 | French language proficiency | 1,000 | 446 |
| September 9 | Provincial Nominee Program | 911 | 732 |
| August 27 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,300 | 507 |
| August 26 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,121 | 694 |
| August 15 | French language proficiency | 2,000 | 394 |
| August 14 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,200 | 509 |
| August 13 | Provincial Nominee Program | 763 | 690 |
| July 31 | Canadian Experience Class | 5,000 | 510 |
| July 30 | Provincial Nominee Program | 964 | 686 |
| July 18 | French language proficiency | 1,800 | 400 |
| July 17 | Canadian Experience Class | 6,300 | 515 |
| July 16 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,391 | 670 |
| July 8 | French proficiency | 3,200 | 420 |
| July 5 | Healthcare occupations | 3,750 | 445 |
| July 4 | Trade occupations | 1,800 | 436 |
| July 2 | Provincial Nominee Program | 920 | 739 |
| June 19 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,499 | 663 |
| May 31 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,000 | 522 |
| May 30 | Provincial Nominee Program | 2,985 | 676 |
| April 24 | French proficiency | 1,400 | 410 |
| April 23 | General | 2,095 | 529 |
| April 11 | STEM occupations | 4,500 | 491 |
| April 10 | General | 1,280 | 549 |
| March 26 | French language proficiency | 1,500 | 388 |
| March 25 | General | 1,980 | 524 |
| March 13 | Transport occupations | 975 | 430 |
| March 12 | General | 2,850 | 525 |
| February 29 | French language proficiency | 2,500 | 336 |
| February 28 | General | 1,470 | 534 |
| February 16 | Agriculture and agri-food occupations | 150 | 437 |
| February 14 | Healthcare occupations | 3,500 | 422 |
| February 13 | General | 1,490 | 535 |
| February 1 | French language proficiency | 7,000 | 365 |
| January 31 | General | 730 | 541 |
| January 23 | General | 1,040 | 543 |
| January 10 | General | 1,510 | 546 |
What is Express Entry?
Express Entry is a system used to manage applications for three federal economic immigration programs for Canadian permanent residency: the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). Additionally, candidates in a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) stream aligned with Express Entry may also receive invitations through a process called an enhanced provincial nomination.
Applicants are assessed using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which assigns scores based on factors like age, occupation, language skills, education, and work experience. A provincial nomination through an enhanced PNP stream adds 600 CRS points, greatly increasing the chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
Extra CRS points can be earned by having a sibling in Canada, applying with a spouse or partner, or combining education and work experience from Canada and abroad.
Candidates with the highest CRS scores are more likely to receive ITAs in upcoming draws, provided they meet the specific draw criteria. IRCC has also introduced category-based selections, where ITAs are issued to candidates with particular professional or language skills that align with Canada’s labor market and demographic needs. CRS cut-offs for these category-based selections are generally lower than for program-specific or general draws.