Who’s Succeeding in Getting Permanent Residence Through Express Entry?

A new Express Entry Report, released on November 3, 2025, reveals that foreign work experience has become one of the strongest factors for candidates obtaining permanent residence (PR) in Canada. Even though many invitations were issued to those already in Canada, over one-third of successful candidates had no Canadian work experience at all.

Key Insights from the 2024 Express Entry Report

The report provides a detailed breakdown of the 98,903 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued in 2024. It highlights important trends about who received these invitations and what qualifications helped them succeed.

• Only 1% of all invited candidates had no foreign work experience.
• 56% of candidates had two years or less of Canadian work experience.
• The majority of invitations went to candidates already living in Canada.
• India was the top country of citizenship among invited candidates, followed by the Federal Republic of Cameroon.
  
  

Program-Wise Breakdown: CEC Leads the Way

In 2024, the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) led all Express Entry programs, accounting for 27% (26,500) of total ITAs issued. The average Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score for CEC candidates was 524.

The French-language proficiency category followed with 23,000 ITAs (23%), featuring the lowest average CRS score among all categories at 409 points.

The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) came next, issuing 15% (15,483) of ITAs with the highest average CRS cut-off at 725 points.

Other draw types included General, STEM, Healthcare, Trade, Transport, and Agriculture-based draws, making up the rest of the invitations.

Canadian vs Foreign Work Experience

While Canadian work experience remains important, foreign experience is proving to be a key differentiator.

• 56% of invited candidates had two years or less of Canadian experience.
• However, those without any foreign experience made up only 1% of successful candidates.

This indicates that candidates with a blend of Canadian and foreign work experience have a stronger advantage in the Express Entry pool.

Interestingly, 34% of candidates who received ITAs had no Canadian experience at all, which was made possible by category-based selections like the French-language proficiency and occupation-based draws.

Top Occupations Among Invited Candidates

The 2024 data shows a strong representation from IT and healthcare professions. The top occupations included:

• Software Engineers and Designers (NOC 21231)
• Food Service Supervisors (NOC 62020)
• Software Developers and Programmers (NOC 21232)
• Administrative Assistants (NOC 13110)
• Financial Auditors and Accountants (NOC 11100)
• Registered Nurses (NOC 31301)
  
  

These roles highlight the dominance of STEM and Healthcare occupations within the Express Entry system.

At the same time, general roles such as administrative officers, food service supervisors, and retail sales supervisors also appeared frequently, suggesting that human capital factors—like age, education, and language proficiency—played a bigger role than job-specific targeting for many candidates.

Country Trends: Indians Lead, Francophone Nations Rising

In 2024, Canada remained the most common country of residence for invitees, accounting for 69% (67,817) of all ITAs. This reflects IRCC’s continued focus on transitioning temporary residents already living in Canada into permanent residents.

However, a growing number of invitations were also issued to candidates from Francophone countries, showing the success of category-based French draws.

Top countries of residence:

1. Canada – 67,817
2. Cameroon – 8,999
3. India – 3,104
4. Nigeria – 3,088
5. Morocco – 1,770
   
   

Top countries of citizenship:

1. India – 43,004
2. Cameroon – 10,141
3. Nigeria – 6,696
4. China – 3,689
5. Philippines – 2,561
   
   

India continues to dominate the Express Entry landscape, marking its third consecutive year as the leading nationality among PR applicants.

Summary

The 2024 Express Entry data shows a clear trend: foreign work experience and language ability—particularly in French—play a major role in achieving success.

While the Canadian Experience Class continues to lead ITA issuances, the Express Entry system is evolving to reward candidates who bring diverse experience, strong education, and adaptability to Canada’s workforce.