The top Express Entry scores drop by 30%, i.e., Express Entry competition is easing for the second month in a row, as many high-scoring profiles continue to leave the pool.
Competition at the top of the Express Entry pool is slowing, even though the total number of profiles has increased.
Between January 4 and February 2, a total of 6,238 profiles with CRS scores of 501+ left the pool. This drop was mainly due to a large decline in the 501–600 score range.
With fewer high-scoring candidates above them, lower-scoring candidates may now have better chances of receiving an invitation to apply, depending on future draw sizes and types.
What Is The Current Makeup Of The Express Entry Pool?
The current distribution of Express Entry profiles in the candidate pool is shown below, compared with January 4 data:
| CRS Score Range | Distribution (Jan 4) | Distribution (Feb 2) | Difference In Number Of Profiles (Feb 2 vs. Jan 4) |
| 0–300 | 8,125 | 8,288 | +163 |
| 301–350 | 18,745 | 18,949 | +204 |
| 351–400 | 52,469 | 53,276 | +807 |
| 401–410 | 11,438 | 12,175 | +737 |
| 411–420 | 12,442 | 13,197 | +755 |
| 421–430 | 12,816 | 13,267 | +451 |
| 431–440 | 14,285 | 14,923 | +638 |
| 441–450 | 14,139 | 14,700 | +561 |
| 451–460 | 14,835 | 15,400 | +565 |
| 461–470 | 14,881 | 15,791 | +910 |
| 471–480 | 15,435 | 16,617 | +1,182 |
| 481–490 | 12,499 | 13,417 | +918 |
| 491–500 | 12,873 | 13,586 | +713 |
| 501–600 | 21,013 | 14,911 | -6,102 |
| 601–1200 | 559 | 423 | -136 |
| Total | 236,554 | 238,920 | 2,366 |
Both of the highest CRS score ranges saw clear drops:
- 501–600 fell by 6,102 profiles (from 21,013 to 14,911), a decline of about 29%.
- 601–1200 fell by 136 profiles (from 559 to 423), a decline of about 24%.
Even with these drops at the top, the total pool grew by 2,366 profiles, or about 1%. This means growth in lower score ranges made up for the loss of high-scoring profiles.
Since Express Entry invitations go to the highest-ranked candidates first, including in category-based draws, fewer profiles above 500 points suggests a less crowded top end. This may improve chances for candidates with scores below 500.
How Does A Profile Rank In The Updated Pool?
The table below shows the share of candidates in each score range and the percentile ranking for each range as of February 2.
These percentile ranges show how much of the pool has scores at or below a given range. For example, a range in the 95–99th percentile means those candidates are in the top 1–5% of the pool.
| CRS Score Range | Number Of Candidates | Percentile (range) | Percentage |
| 0–300 | 8,288 | 0.00%–3.47% | 3.47% |
| 301–350 | 18,949 | 3.47%–11.40% | 7.93% |
| 351–400 | 53,276 | 11.40%–33.70% | 22.30% |
| 401–410 | 12,175 | 33.70%–38.79% | 5.10% |
| 411–420 | 13,197 | 38.79%–44.32% | 5.52% |
| 421–430 | 13,267 | 44.32%–49.87% | 5.55% |
| 431–440 | 14,923 | 49.87%–56.12% | 6.25% |
| 441–450 | 14,700 | 56.12%–62.27% | 6.15% |
| 451–460 | 15,400 | 62.27%–68.72% | 6.45% |
| 461–470 | 15,791 | 68.72%–75.33% | 6.61% |
| 471–480 | 16,617 | 75.33%–82.28% | 6.95% |
| 481–490 | 13,417 | 82.28%–87.90% | 5.62% |
| 491–500 | 13,586 | 87.90%–93.58% | 5.69% |
| 501–600 | 14,911 | 93.58%–99.82% | 6.24% |
| 601–1200 | 423 | 99.82%–100.00% | 0.18% |
| Total | 238,920 |
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