As 2025 comes to an end, a review of Express Entry draws clearly shows the type of candidates Canada prioritized for permanent residence this year. 

Throughout 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted 58 Express Entry draws across different categories. These draws highlight clear trends in who had the strongest chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. 

Below is a simplified breakdown of what the 2025 Express Entry draws revealed, followed by realistic fictional profiles of candidates who were most likely to succeed. 

Key Takeaways from Express Entry Draws in 2025 

Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws were the most frequent, with 24 out of 58 draws. However, they issued fewer invitations overall compared to other categories, accounting for 9,775 ITAs out of nearly 118,000 total invitations. 

French language proficiency draws had the lowest CRS score cut-offs and issued the highest number of invitations, with 48,000 ITAs in total. This clearly shows that French-speaking candidates had a significant advantage in 2025. 

Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draws were held regularly, with 15 draws during the year. However, CRS cut-offs were relatively high, ranging from 515 to 547, meaning candidates needed strong language skills, education, and work experience to qualify. 

Healthcare and social service occupations received 14,500 ITAs with much lower CRS cut-offs than CEC draws. Professionals in these fields had better chances compared to candidates in many other occupations. 

Profiles of Candidates Likely to Succeed in 2025 

Example 1: Felix – French-Speaking Banking Professional from Cameroon 

Felix is a 32-year-old single banking professional with a two-year diploma in finance and three years of foreign work experience. He has strong French skills (NCLC 9) and moderate English (CLB 7). He has never studied or worked in Canada. 

His strong French language ability gave him a CRS score of 453. French-language draws in 2025 had cut-offs ranging from 379 to 481. With this score, Felix would have qualified for several French-language draws and had a strong chance of receiving an ITA. 

Why Felix succeeded: 
Strong French proficiency combined with foreign work experience, even without Canadian experience. 

Example 2: Anjana – Data Analyst with Canadian Work Experience 

Anjana is 26 years old and studied data science in Canada on a three-year bachelor’s program. After graduating, she obtained a three-year Post-Graduation Work Permit and accumulated over two years of Canadian work experience as a data analyst. 

She has excellent English language skills (CLB 10) and no French ability. Her CRS score came to 549. 

This score was higher than all CEC draw cut-offs in 2025, meaning she would almost certainly have received an ITA. 

Why Anjana succeeded: 
Canadian education, Canadian work experience, and strong English language scores. 

Example 3: Marie – Social Worker from Brazil 

Marie is a 28-year-old social worker with a Master’s degree and four years of foreign work experience. She speaks fluent English (CLB 9). Her husband has a PhD and strong English skills, which added spousal points to her profile. 

Her CRS score was 472. With social service occupations included under category-based selection in 2025, Marie would have qualified for multiple healthcare and social service draws. 

Why Marie succeeded: 
Occupation-specific category selection combined with strong education and language skills. 

Example 4: Jack – UX Designer with a Provincial Nomination 

Jack is a 35-year-old UX designer with a two-year diploma and three years of foreign work experience. After receiving a job offer in Alberta, he worked in Canada for one year and obtained a provincial nomination. 

The nomination added 600 CRS points, bringing his total score to 959. 

With such a high score, Jack would have received an ITA through any PNP draw held in 2025. 

Why Jack succeeded: 
Provincial nomination provided a decisive CRS boost. 

Final Thoughts 

The Express Entry system in 2025 clearly favored candidates who met specific priorities. French-speaking applicants, healthcare and social service professionals, candidates with Canadian work experience, and those with provincial nominations had the strongest chances of success. 

For anyone planning to apply through Express Entry, these trends show that improving language scores, gaining Canadian experience, targeting category-based draws, or securing a provincial nomination can significantly improve the chances of receiving an ITA.