Canada's Express Entry in 2025: Year in Review and What to Expect in 2026

Last updated: March 2026

If you are tracking Canada's Express Entry system, 2025 was one of the most eventful years on record. More invitations were issued than the year before, the rules changed mid-year in ways that affected everyone in the pool, and the system heading into 2026 looks meaningfully different from the one that existed at the start of 2025. Here is what happened and what it means for you.

2025 by the Numbers

In 2025, IRCC issued a total of 113,998 Invitations to Apply across 58 Express Entry draws — up from 98,803 ITAs issued across 52 draws in 2024. That is roughly 15,000 more invitations issued in 2025 than the year prior.

More than half of all 2025 ITAs — 59% — were issued through category-based draws rather than general or program-specific rounds. French-language proficiency draws alone accounted for the largest single share of invitations, with nine draws issuing between 2,500 and 7,500 ITAs each. Healthcare and social services draws issued a cumulative 19,250 ITAs across multiple rounds.

December 2025 was the most active single month of the year, with IRCC issuing 19,552 ITAs across six draws — roughly 17% of the entire year's total in one month. This end-of-year surge is consistent with IRCC accelerating selections to meet annual admissions targets before year-end.

The Biggest Policy Changes of 2025

February 2025 — Category overhaul IRCC reshuffled its occupational categories significantly. Education was added as a new priority category. Healthcare was expanded to include social services. STEM eligibility was significantly reduced — candidates in STEM occupations who were not already in Canada found their category-based pathway narrowed considerably, with CEC and PNP becoming their primary options.

March 2025 — Job offer points removed This was one of the most consequential changes of the year. IRCC eliminated the 50 to 200 CRS points that candidates previously received for valid Canadian job offers. The change applied immediately to all profiles in the pool, except those who had already received an ITA or submitted a PR application. Candidates who had been relying on arranged employment points to reach competitive scores had to reassess their strategy overnight.

August 2025 — Upfront medical exams required Previously, applicants completed immigration medical exams after receiving an ITA. As of August 2025, medical exams must be completed before submitting a PR application. This adds time and cost to the process and requires earlier planning.

December 2025 — New physician category announced IRCC announced a dedicated Express Entry category for physicians with Canadian work experience, with draws scheduled to begin in early 2026. IRCC also announced 5,000 additional PR spots reserved specifically for provincial nominations of internationally trained doctors.

CRS Score Ranges in 2025

CRS cutoffs varied widely depending on draw type. French-language draws were consistently the most accessible, with cutoffs ranging from 379 to 481 — the lowest of any category. Healthcare draws ranged from roughly 462 to 510. CEC draws remained stubbornly high, hovering at 531 to 534 for multiple consecutive draws between August and November, before dropping slightly to around 515 to 520 in December.

PNP-specific draws continued to show very high CRS cutoffs — in the 667 to 735 range — but this is expected given that a provincial nomination adds 600 points, making the actual underlying score of those candidates much lower.

General draws — where anyone in the pool is eligible regardless of occupation — did not meaningfully return in 2025. If you are not CEC-eligible, PNP-nominated, or in an active category, your chances of receiving an ITA remain very limited.

What Has Changed for 2026

Ten active categories As of February 2026, IRCC restructured its categories again. Agriculture and education were retired. Five new categories were added: senior managers, researchers, transport occupations, medical doctors, and military recruits. The full list of 10 active categories for 2026 is: French-language proficiency, healthcare and social services, STEM, trades, transport, senior managers, researchers, medical doctors, military recruits, and a general skilled worker category.

12-month work experience requirement for category-based draws Effective February 2026, candidates must have 12 months of occupation-specific work experience to qualify for a category-based draw — doubled from the previous 6-month threshold. Candidates with 6 to 11 months in a category-eligible occupation must now wait until they reach 12 months before they can compete in those draws. This is expected to reduce the eligible pool for each category, which may push CRS cutoffs lower for those who do qualify.

Reduced PR targets for 2026 The federal high-skilled landing target for 2026 has been set at 109,000 — lower than the 124,680 target in 2025. Canada is actively managing down its temporary resident population, and Express Entry volumes will reflect this.

Job offer points may return IRCC has signalled plans to reintroduce CRS points for Canadian job offers later in 2026, along with new points for high-wage Canadian work experience and Canadian professional certifications in regulated occupations. Exact implementation dates have not been confirmed. If you are currently in Canada working in a regulated profession and pursuing licensure, this is worth tracking closely.

What This Means If You Are in the Pool Right Now

The Express Entry system in 2026 rewards candidates who are already in Canada, in an active category, and who have maximized their language scores. Waiting for general draws to return is not a viable strategy — they are effectively gone.

The most actionable steps right now are to confirm whether your occupation falls under one of the 10 active 2026 categories, verify that you have 12 months of category-specific experience, maximize your language scores (especially French if you have any proficiency), and pursue a provincial nomination if your CRS score is below 500.

If you are unsure where your profile stands or which pathway gives you the best shot, book a consultation with Magellan Immigration. Express Entry strategy has become genuinely complex, and the difference between getting it right and getting it wrong is measured in years.

About the author Sao Khadjieva (R515185) is a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants. With over 10 years of experience, she advises on Express Entry, Provincial Nominee Programs, study permits, work permits, and business immigration. Sao is the principal consultant at Magellan Immigration in Vancouver, BC.