Express Entry will be changing in 2025

Express Entry is Canada’s most popular way of applying for Canadian permanent residence. IRCC announced on February 27, 2025, that they would be making changes to how applicants are selected from the Express Entry system. Express Entry draws are currently broken up into general draws, program-specific draws, and category-based draws. Express Entry category-based draws in 2024 targeted those who were proficient in french, or had qualifying work experience in healthcare, trades, agriculture, STEM, agriculture and transportation.

Express Entry Program-Specific draws

As part of the Express Entry updates for 2025, Immigration Minister Marc Miller stated that the focus of the Express Entry draws will be on those candidates with experience working in Canada who meet the criteria of the Canadian Experience Class.

Express Entry Category-Based draws

Express Entry category-based draws in 2025 will be targeting the following categories:

• strong French language skills, or
• work experience in the following fields:
  • health care and social services, such as family physicians, nurse practitioners, dentists, pharmacists, psychologists and chiropractors
  • trades, such as carpenters, plumbers and contractors
  • education, such as teachers, child care educators and instructors of persons with disabilities

Express Entry French Language Category-Based draws

To be eligible to be selected in an Express Entry French Language category-based draw applicants are required to meet the following criteria at the time of the Express Entry draw:

• have a valid Express Entry profile, and
• have french-language test results that show a minimum score of 7 in all 4 language abilities on the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (test results must be less than two years old).

Express Entry Education Occupations Category-Based draws

To be eligible to be selected in an Express Entry Education Occupation category-based draw applicants are required to meet the following criteria at the time of the Express Entry draw:

• have a valid Express Entry profile
• have accumulated, within the past 3 years, at least 6 months of full-time, continuous work experience (or an equal amount of part-time experience)
  • in a single occupation listed in the table below
  • in Canada or abroad

To be eligible to be selected in an Express Entry Social Services Occupations category-based draw applicants are required to meet the following criteria at the time of the Express Entry draw:

• have a valid Express Entry profile
• have accumulated, within the past 3 years, at least 6 months of full-time, continuous work experience (or an equal amount of part-time experience)
  • in a single occupation listed in the table below
  • in Canada or abroad

Express Entry Trades Occupations Category-Based draws

To be eligible to be selected in an Express Entry Trades Occupations category-based draw applicants are required to meet the following criteria at the time of the Express Entry draw:

• have a valid Express Entry profile
• have accumulated, within the past 3 years, at least 6 months of full-time, continuous work experience (or an equal amount of part-time experience)
  • in a single occupation listed in the table below
  • in Canada or abroad

Express Entry Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Occupations Category-Based draws

To be eligible to be selected in an Express Entry Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Occupations category-based draw applicants are required to meet the following criteria at the time of the Express Entry draw:

• have a valid Express Entry profile
• have accumulated, within the past 3 years, at least 6 months of full-time, continuous work experience (or an equal amount of part-time experience)
  • in a single occupation listed in the table below
  • in Canada or abroad

Express Entry Agriculture and Agri-food Occupations Category-Based draws

To be eligible to be selected in an Express Entry Agriculture and Agri-food Occupations category-based draw applicants are required to meet the following criteria at the time of the Express Entry draw:

• have a valid Express Entry profile
• have accumulated, within the past 3 years, at least 6 months of full-time, continuous work experience (or an equal amount of part-time experience)
  • in a single occupation listed in the table below
  • in Canada or abroad

Express Entry Invitations to Apply

If you receive an Invitation to Apply through the Express Entry system, you need to ensure that you continue to meet the criteria of the draw you were selected in, at the time you submit your application for Permanent Residence to IRCC. This includes ensuring that your language test results are less than two years old at the time your application is submitted to IRCC.