Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has conducted its first Express Entry draw of the year targeting healthcare and social services professionals.
In this category-based round, held on May 2, 2025, IRCC issued 500 Invitations to Apply (ITAs). Candidates selected had to meet the following criteria:
- A minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 510
- An Express Entry profile created before 4:31 a.m. UTC on July 21, 2024
This draw marks the first healthcare-focused selection since IRCC expanded the category in February 2025 to include additional social services occupations. Notably, the 510 CRS cut-off is the highest for any healthcare draw to date.
2025 Express Entry Draws Summary
|
Date |
Draw Type |
Number of ITAs |
CRS Cut-off |
|
May 2 |
Healthcare & Social Services |
500 |
510 |
|
May 1 |
Education |
1,000 |
479 |
|
April 28 |
Provincial Nominee Program |
421 |
727 |
|
April 14 |
Provincial Nominee Program |
825 |
764 |
|
March 21 |
French Language Proficiency |
7,500 |
379 |
|
March 17 |
Provincial Nominee Program |
536 |
736 |
|
March 6 |
French Language Proficiency |
4,500 |
410 |
|
March 3 |
Provincial Nominee Program |
725 |
667 |
|
Feb 19 |
French Language Proficiency |
6,500 |
428 |
|
Feb 17 |
Provincial Nominee Program |
646 |
750 |
|
Feb 5 |
Canadian Experience Class |
4,000 |
521 |
|
Feb 4 |
Provincial Nominee Program |
455 |
802 |
|
Jan 23 |
Canadian Experience Class |
4,000 |
527 |
|
Jan 8 |
Canadian Experience Class |
1,350 |
542 |
|
Jan 7 |
Provincial Nominee Program |
471 |
793 |
This latest draw follows a historic first-ever education category draw on May 1 and a Provincial Nominee Program draw on April 28, making it the third draw of the week.
Total ITAs Issued in 2025
To date, 33,429 candidates have received ITAs through the Express Entry system this year. The majority of these draws have targeted Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates, followed by selections under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and IRCC’s 2025 priority categories:
|
Draw Type |
Number of Draws |
|
Provincial Nominee Program |
7 |
|
French-language proficiency |
3 |
|
Canadian Experience Class |
3 |
|
Education |
1 |
|
Healthcare & Social Services |
1 |
Express Entry Processing Time
An Express Entry profile is valid for up to one year. If a candidate receives an ITA during this period and submits a complete application, IRCC aims to process the application within six months.
Compared to other immigration pathways—such as base PNP streams or regional programs—Express Entry typically offers faster processing times, since PR applications under other pathways still require final approval by IRCC even after provincial nomination.
