On July 8, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held an Express Entry draw where 3,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to apply as permanent residents were issued.
All the candidates in the pool under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) were invited by IRCC provided with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 518 or more.
As compared to the last CEC draw on June 26, 2025, the CRS cutoff score decreased by 3 points.
This comes in line with our predictions that were posted in Express Entry draws in July 2025.
Details of the Express Entry Draw Today
Below are the full details of the Express Entry draw today.
Program Targeted: Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
Date of Draw: July 8, 2025
CRS score of lowest-ranked candidate invited: 518
Number of invitations issued: 3,000
Rank needed: 3,000 or above
Tie-breaking rule: October 02, 2024 at 1:48:36 UTC
This attraction targeted alumni who had jobs in Canada and it was based on the 2025 2027 Immigration Levels Plan that was expected to bring in 124,680 Canadian permanent residents through the Express Entry program this year 2025.
The emphasis on CEC candidates estimates the approach of Canada to retain qualified employees already included in its labour force, to boost the growth of the economy and overcome the labour deficit in such industries as healthcare, technology, and trades.
Latest CRS Score Distribution and Trends
Getting to know the CRS score distribution of the Express entry pool is essential to determine how likely you are to obtain an ITA.
By July 6, 2025, there were a total of 256,224 candidates in the pool with the breakdown as follows:
CRS score range
Number of candidates
601-1200
358
501-600
22,591
451-500
77,550
491-500
13,342
481-490
13,830
471-480
17,534
461-470
17,309
451-460
15,535
401-450
72,608
441-450
15,069
431-440
15,786
421-430
14,341
411-420
14,315
401-410
13,097
351-400
53,697
301-350
21,135
0-300
8,285
Total
256,224
Key Trends in 2025:
CEC Cut-Offs: In 2025, CEC draw cut offs were 518 to 547, and larger draws (3,000 ITAs) have lower thresholds (518-529).
There are smaller draws, such as the draw on May 13 (500 ITAs, CRS 547) which are more demanding in terms of scores.
Policy Shifts: The elimination of the job offer points (50-200 points) in Spring 2025 has had the effect of reducing the score of some candidates and therefore language proficiency and Canadian work experience have become increasingly important.
Category-Based Draws: The lower cut-offs by category (e.g., 410 French proficiency March 7) provide an opportunity to candidates whose score is less than 500 in a given stream such as healthcare or French-language proficiency.
Pool Dynamics: On July 6, 2025, there were 22,591 applicants to score between 501 and 600, the number is high in competition in the brackets.
How to Qualify for the Canadian Experience Class
Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is one of the pillars of the Canadian Express Entry, aimed at permanent residency of skilled workers who have work experience in Canada.
It is a perfect program of international students as well as temporary foreign workers who are already residing in Canada.
Eligibility Criteria:
Canadian Work Experience:
At least 1 year of skilled work experience (NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3) in Canada within the last 3 years.
Must be full-time (30 hours/week) or equivalent part-time work.TEER 2 or 3 occupations, in English or French.
Scores of higher level such as CLB 9 and above would add ample points to your CRS. Acceptable tests include IELTS, CELPIP or TEF.
Language Proficiency:
Minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level of 7 for TEER 0 or 1 occupations, or CLB 5 for TEER 2 or 3 occupations, in English or French.
Higher scores (e.g., CLB 9 or above) significantly boost your CRS points. Tests like IELTS, CELPIP, or TEF are accepted.
Admissibility:
Candidates must be admissible to Canada, with no criminal or medical barriers to entry.
Express Entry Profile:
Make a profile in the Express Entry pool, where your CRS score is determined using such factors as age, education, work experience, and language skills.
Steps to Take After Receiving an ITA
Getting Invitation to Apply (ITA) is one of the most important steps, waiting too long or acting slowly and inaccurately can cost you the chance to get permanent residency.
Here is how it can go step-by-step to potential candidates that might get ITA in the next July 2025 draw:
Accept the ITA:
Register on your Express Entry profile and receive an invitation within 60 days. Otherwise it will become inactive and you would have to leave the pool again.
Gather Required Documents:
Valid Passport: Ensure it’s up to date.
Language Test Results: Valid IELTS, CELPIP, or TEF scores.
Educational Credential Assessment (ECA): Required for foreign degrees.
Proof of Canadian Work Experience: Include T4s, pay stubs, and reference letters from employers.
Police Certificates and Medical Exams: Obtain these from authorized providers.
Submit Your Application:
Complete your permanent residency application via the IRCC portal.
The application fee is approximately CAD 1,365 per adult (as of 2025).
Double-check all documents to avoid delays or refusals.
Monitor Processing:
IRCC typically processes CEC applications within 6 months. Check your status regularly via your IRCC account.
Prepare for Landing:
When it is approved, you will be issued with Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR).
In Canada, you can undertake a virtual landing process; outside Canada, you will have to go to Canada to activate your status.
An early solution and a correct collection of documentation is imperative to the success of application.
All CEC Express Entry Draws in 2025
The 2025 Express Entry draws have prioritized CEC and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates, with occasional draws for French-language proficiency and occupation-based categories.
Below is a summary of all CEC-specific draws in 2025:
January 8: 1,350 ITAs, CRS 542
January 23: 4,000 ITAs, CRS 527
February 5: 4,000 ITAs, CRS 521
May 13: 500 ITAs, CRS 547
June 12: 3,000 ITAs, CRS 529
June 26: 3,000 ITAs, CRS 521
Total ITAs Issued to CEC Candidates: 15,850
CRS Cut-Off Range: 521–547 The 521 CRS score of the June 26 draw was the lowest CEC in 2025 along with the February 5 draw, so the situation was likely to continue at lower cut-off levels.
Provided the IRCC keeps limits on 3,000-4,000 ITAs per CEC draw, there will be a possibility of the cut-offs reaching around 500 during 10-11 CEC rounds of invitations, which is good news to all those applicants with a lower score.
Seize Your Chance for Canadian Permanent Residency
Today, the Express Entry draw in Canadian Experience Class may become a turning point in the lives of thousands of skilled workers.
This draw, with 3,000 ITAs and a possible CRS cut-off of 515-520, is a ray of hope to candidates who are in the competitive range with Canadian working experience.
You should always plan strategically whether you are waiting to see an ITA or it is in the future draws.
Increase your language marks, acquire more work experience, or browse through PNP to increase your CRS score.
The fact that Canada aims to receive 124,680 permanent residents via Express Entry in 2025 demonstrates the number of possibilities in terms of people possessing excellent talents.
Is a CRS Score of 515–520 Competitive?
The overall CRS of 515-520 is quite competitive to the CEC draws in 2025 particularly due to the current range of cut-offs (521-547).
The cut-offs are normally lower on larger draws (3,0003,0004,000 ITAs), and therefore the low 500s scores are more competitive.
There are 77,550 candidates with the score of 451-500 and 22,947 candidates with the score 501-600, so the scores over 515 are quite advanced.
First CEC Express Entry draw of July 2025 invites 3,000 candidates for Canadian PR.
On July 8, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held an Express Entry draw where 3,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to apply as permanent residents were issued.
All the candidates in the pool under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) were invited by IRCC provided with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 518 or more.
As compared to the last CEC draw on June 26, 2025, the CRS cutoff score decreased by 3 points.
This comes in line with our predictions that were posted in Express Entry draws in July 2025.
Details of the Express Entry Draw Today
Below are the full details of the Express Entry draw today.
Program Targeted: Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
Date of Draw: July 8, 2025
CRS score of lowest-ranked candidate invited: 518
Number of invitations issued: 3,000
Rank needed: 3,000 or above
Tie-breaking rule: October 02, 2024 at 1:48:36 UTC
This attraction targeted alumni who had jobs in Canada and it was based on the 2025 2027 Immigration Levels Plan that was expected to bring in 124,680 Canadian permanent residents through the Express Entry program this year 2025.
The emphasis on CEC candidates estimates the approach of Canada to retain qualified employees already included in its labour force, to boost the growth of the economy and overcome the labour deficit in such industries as healthcare, technology, and trades.
Latest CRS Score Distribution and Trends
Getting to know the CRS score distribution of the Express entry pool is essential to determine how likely you are to obtain an ITA.
By July 6, 2025, there were a total of 256,224 candidates in the pool with the breakdown as follows:
Key Trends in 2025:
CEC Cut-Offs: In 2025, CEC draw cut offs were 518 to 547, and larger draws (3,000 ITAs) have lower thresholds (518-529).
There are smaller draws, such as the draw on May 13 (500 ITAs, CRS 547) which are more demanding in terms of scores.
Policy Shifts: The elimination of the job offer points (50-200 points) in Spring 2025 has had the effect of reducing the score of some candidates and therefore language proficiency and Canadian work experience have become increasingly important.
Category-Based Draws: The lower cut-offs by category (e.g., 410 French proficiency March 7) provide an opportunity to candidates whose score is less than 500 in a given stream such as healthcare or French-language proficiency.
Pool Dynamics: On July 6, 2025, there were 22,591 applicants to score between 501 and 600, the number is high in competition in the brackets.
How to Qualify for the Canadian Experience Class
Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is one of the pillars of the Canadian Express Entry, aimed at permanent residency of skilled workers who have work experience in Canada.
It is a perfect program of international students as well as temporary foreign workers who are already residing in Canada.
Eligibility Criteria:
Canadian Work Experience:
At least 1 year of skilled work experience (NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3) in Canada within the last 3 years.
Must be full-time (30 hours/week) or equivalent part-time work.TEER 2 or 3 occupations, in English or French.
Scores of higher level such as CLB 9 and above would add ample points to your CRS. Acceptable tests include IELTS, CELPIP or TEF.
Language Proficiency:
Minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level of 7 for TEER 0 or 1 occupations, or CLB 5 for TEER 2 or 3 occupations, in English or French.
Higher scores (e.g., CLB 9 or above) significantly boost your CRS points. Tests like IELTS, CELPIP, or TEF are accepted.
Admissibility:
Candidates must be admissible to Canada, with no criminal or medical barriers to entry.
Express Entry Profile:
Make a profile in the Express Entry pool, where your CRS score is determined using such factors as age, education, work experience, and language skills.
Steps to Take After Receiving an ITA
Getting Invitation to Apply (ITA) is one of the most important steps, waiting too long or acting slowly and inaccurately can cost you the chance to get permanent residency.
Here is how it can go step-by-step to potential candidates that might get ITA in the next July 2025 draw:
Accept the ITA:
Register on your Express Entry profile and receive an invitation within 60 days. Otherwise it will become inactive and you would have to leave the pool again.
Gather Required Documents:
Valid Passport: Ensure it’s up to date.
Language Test Results: Valid IELTS, CELPIP, or TEF scores.
Educational Credential Assessment (ECA): Required for foreign degrees.
Proof of Canadian Work Experience: Include T4s, pay stubs, and reference letters from employers.
Police Certificates and Medical Exams: Obtain these from authorized providers.
Submit Your Application:
Complete your permanent residency application via the IRCC portal.
The application fee is approximately CAD 1,365 per adult (as of 2025).
Double-check all documents to avoid delays or refusals.
Monitor Processing:
IRCC typically processes CEC applications within 6 months. Check your status regularly via your IRCC account.
Prepare for Landing:
When it is approved, you will be issued with Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR).
In Canada, you can undertake a virtual landing process; outside Canada, you will have to go to Canada to activate your status.
An early solution and a correct collection of documentation is imperative to the success of application.
All CEC Express Entry Draws in 2025
The 2025 Express Entry draws have prioritized CEC and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates, with occasional draws for French-language proficiency and occupation-based categories.
Below is a summary of all CEC-specific draws in 2025:
January 8: 1,350 ITAs, CRS 542
January 23: 4,000 ITAs, CRS 527
February 5: 4,000 ITAs, CRS 521
May 13: 500 ITAs, CRS 547
June 12: 3,000 ITAs, CRS 529
June 26: 3,000 ITAs, CRS 521
Total ITAs Issued to CEC Candidates: 15,850
CRS Cut-Off Range: 521–547 The 521 CRS score of the June 26 draw was the lowest CEC in 2025 along with the February 5 draw, so the situation was likely to continue at lower cut-off levels.
Provided the IRCC keeps limits on 3,000-4,000 ITAs per CEC draw, there will be a possibility of the cut-offs reaching around 500 during 10-11 CEC rounds of invitations, which is good news to all those applicants with a lower score.
Seize Your Chance for Canadian Permanent Residency
Today, the Express Entry draw in Canadian Experience Class may become a turning point in the lives of thousands of skilled workers.
This draw, with 3,000 ITAs and a possible CRS cut-off of 515-520, is a ray of hope to candidates who are in the competitive range with Canadian working experience.
You should always plan strategically whether you are waiting to see an ITA or it is in the future draws.
Increase your language marks, acquire more work experience, or browse through PNP to increase your CRS score.
The fact that Canada aims to receive 124,680 permanent residents via Express Entry in 2025 demonstrates the number of possibilities in terms of people possessing excellent talents.
Is a CRS Score of 515–520 Competitive?
The overall CRS of 515-520 is quite competitive to the CEC draws in 2025 particularly due to the current range of cut-offs (521-547).
The cut-offs are normally lower on larger draws (3,0003,0004,000 ITAs), and therefore the low 500s scores are more competitive.
There are 77,550 candidates with the score of 451-500 and 22,947 candidates with the score 501-600, so the scores over 515 are quite advanced.
Author: Shubham
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