The State Of The Express Entry Pool As Of May 2025

After a steady rhythm of four draws, Express Entry has noticeably slowed in April, with fewer invitations issued across four rounds. April saw the issuance of 1,246 Invitations to Apply across a total of two draws, with IRCC targeting Provincial Nominee Program applicants for both. Today, we will discuss the state of the Express Entry pool as of May 2025.

While the immigration department continues to prioritize PNP draws – consistent with recent trends – the absence of French-language proficiency and Canadian Experience Class draws marks a clear departure from the department’s established patterns earlier in 2025. 

Thus far in 2025, URCC has issued 4,079 ITAs to PNP applicants through Express Entry draws. 

IRCC has already held the first draw of May, inviting educational professionals through the Express Entry system for the first time. 

What Draws Took Place In April? 

April was limited to two PNP-specific draws, resulting in a combined 1,246 ITAs issued by the immigration department.

Cut-off scores for each of the two draws were in the 700s. 

Overall, the number of ITAs issued in April was significantly lower than in any of the previous three months: 

In fact, April saw fewer than one-tenth the number of ITAs that were issued just a month before. 

The quantity of draws and number of issuances in April most closely resemble figures from draws that occurred as far back as May 2022, which also only saw two PNP draws and had a similar combined total of 1,135 ITAs issued. 

Despite IRCC’s February 27 declaration that CEC applicants would be prioritized for Express Entry ITAs throughout 2025, no CEC-specific draws have taken place since February 5. 

What Is The Current Score Distribution In The Express Entry Pool? 

The next thing to discuss in the state of the Express Entry pool as of May 2025 is the current distribution of scores. 

The table below breaks down the number of applicants within each score range as of April 27, 2025. 

Overall, there are 2,391 more applicant profiles in the pool at the start of May, as compared to April 14 – the closest draw date to the start of April. 

 Of note is that the number of applicants in all CRS score ranges up to 471 – 480 increased since the beginning of March, while the number of applicants in each subsequent score range decreased. 

This decrease might be attributed to IRCC’s recent decision to remove CRS points for arranged employment as of March 25, 2025. With applicants no longer obtaining 50 or 200 points for arranged employment, there is a lower number of applicants with scores of 481 or higher. 

How Do Scores In The Express Entry Pool Rank Against One Another? 

Under the state of the Express Entry pool as of May 2025, let us now discuss how the scores rank against one another. 

The table below offers the current distribution of CRS scores within the Express Entry pool as of April 27, 2025. It includes the percentile ranges for each score boundary, as well as the proportion of applicants in each score range relative to the total pool. 

Applicants in the Express Entry pool can use this table to see where their CRS score stands relative to other applicants in the pool presently. 

Methodology: The percentile scores in the table below were calculated for the upper boundaries of each CRS score range, demonstrating the share of applicants at or below that score. Percentiles are shown as ranges to improve comprehension, indicating that applicants within each CRS score band fall somewhere between the corresponding percentile values. 

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