Express Entry: Second Monthly CEC Draw Records Lowest CRS Cut-Off Since July

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has conducted another round of invitations through the Express Entry system.

In this latest draw, the department issued 1,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to candidates under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

To qualify for this draw, candidates were required to have:

• A minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 531, and

• An Express Entry profile submitted before 7:02 p.m. UTC on October 8, 2025.

Summary of Express Entry draws in 2025

Today’s draw stands out because it not only breaks the recent pattern of once-a-month CEC invitations, but also ends the long-standing CRS plateau at 533–534 points—a range that had persisted across the previous five CEC draws (since August 7, 2025).

With this update, the CRS cut-off has dropped to its lowest level for a CEC-specific draw since July 8, when 3,000 candidates received invitations with a minimum score of 518.

Despite this shift in CRS requirements, the November 26 draw continues the trend of issuing 1,000 ITAs, a consistent pattern maintained by the CEC program since August 7. This marks the 13th CEC draw of 2025.

It is also the fifth draw of November, following earlier rounds that included a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw on November 25, a Healthcare category-based draw on November 14, and another CEC draw on November 12.

In total, 88,476 ITAs have been issued through Express Entry so far in 2025.

Throughout the year, IRCC has primarily focused on PNP-specific draws, with remaining invitations distributed among CEC candidates, French-language proficiency candidates, and those in the priority occupation categories under Express Entry.

ITAs by stream-type are detailed below, with the majority of invitations going to candidates in French category draws and the CEC program: