After a slower December in Express Entry draws, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has already resumed issuing Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for the 2025 immigration year, as part of its efforts to meet the landing targets for 2025.

Key trends observed in Express Entry draw types—including a continued focus on candidates from enhanced Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) and those with French-language proficiency—remained prominent through December 2024. These patterns provide insight into the likely candidate profiles IRCC will prioritize in future draws.

December 2024 saw only three Express Entry draws, a sharp contrast to the six draws held in both October and November, which issued a significantly higher number of ITAs.

This article will review the draws conducted in December 2024 and analyze the composition of the Express Entry pool at the start of 2025.

What draws took place in December 2024?

In December 2024, IRCC held three Express Entry draws: two targeted candidates from Express Entry-aligned PNPs, and the third invited candidates with French-language proficiency. A total of 2,561 ITAs were issued in December.

The number of ITAs issued in December reflects a decrease compared to November and October, as shown in the table below:

Month ITAs Issued
October 5,961
November 5,507
December 2,561

A summary of the draws conducted in December is as follows:

Draw No. Date Draw Type ITAs Issued CRS Cut-off Score
328 December 2, 2024 Provincial Nominee Program 676 705
329 December 3, 2024 French Language Proficiency 800 466
330 December 16, 2024 Provincial Nominee Program 1,085 727

The prevalence of PNP and French-language proficiency draws in December is consistent with broader trends observed throughout the second half of 2024. The system has regularly featured an average of two PNP-focused draws and at least one French-language proficiency draw per month. This aligns with Canada’s updated Immigration Levels Plan for 2025-2027, which emphasizes increased immigration of Francophone candidates outside of Quebec.

Additionally, Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draws were absent in December, unlike previous months where CEC candidates received invitations at similar rates to PNP nominees. This absence has led some analysts to speculate that it could be related to the potential removal of Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for valid job offers, though IRCC has not confirmed this.

Current Composition of the Express Entry Pool

As of January 8, 2025, the composition of the Express Entry pool is as follows:

CRS Score Range Number of Candidates
0-300 5,554
301-350 21,788
351-400 50,607
401-410 11,611
411-420 12,224
421-430 11,901
431-440 13,030
441-450 11,938
451-460 12,397
461-470 13,034
471-480 14,965
481-490 12,492
491-500 12,811
501-600 23,240
601-1200 171
Total 227,763

This represents an increase of 6,453 candidates in the pool since December 16, 2024, with 52% of these new candidates falling into the 501-600 CRS score range.

CRS Score Distribution and Percentiles

The following table outlines the distribution of CRS scores in the Express Entry pool as of January 8, 2025, including the corresponding percentiles and the percentage of the overall pool within each score range:

CRS Score Range Number of Candidates Percentile Range Percentage of Pool
0-300 5,554 0 – 2.44% 2.44%
301-350 21,788 2.44 – 12.00% 9.57%
351-400 50,607 12.00 – 34.22% 22.22%
401-410 11,611 34.22 – 39.32% 5.10%
411-420 12,224 39.32 – 44.69% 5.37%
421-430 11,901 44.69 – 49.91% 5.23%
431-440 13,030 49.91 – 55.63% 5.72%
441-450 11,938 55.63 – 60.88% 5.24%
451-460 12,397 60.88 – 66.32% 5.44%
461-470 13,034 66.32 – 72.04% 5.72%
471-480 14,965 72.04 – 78.61% 6.57%
481-490 12,492 78.61 – 81.66% 5.48%
491-500 12,811 81.66 – 89.72% 5.62%
501-600 23,240 89.72 – 99.92% 10.20%
601-1200 171 99.92 – 100.00% 0.08%

Candidates can use this data to assess their standing within the pool. Although several factors influence the CRS cut-off for draws, candidates with higher scores are always more likely to receive an ITA, especially as the composition of the pool shifts over time.

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