Canada News
Canada holds first Express Entry draw for trade occupations in 2025
The immigration department issued 1,250 ITAs in a draw for candidates in Express Entry’s trade occupations category. (Pexels Photo)
Asheesh Moosapeta, CIC News
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued more invitations to apply (ITA) through the Express Entry system.
The immigration department issued 1,250 ITAs in a draw for candidates in Express Entry’s trade occupations category.
To be considered in this draw, candidates needed to have:
- A minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 505; and
- Created an Express Entry candidate profile before 10:36 p.m., Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) on November 5, 2025.
See how competitive your Express Entry profile is
Summary of Express Entry draws in 2025
| Date | Draw Type | Number of ITAs | Cut-off CRS score |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 17 | Education | 2,500 | 462 |
| September 15 | Provincial Nominee Program | 228 | 746 |
| September 4 | French language proficiency | 4,500 | 446 |
| September 3 | Canadian Experience Class | 1,000 | 534 |
| September 2 | Provincial Nominee Program | 249 | 772 |
| August 19 | Healthcare and social services | 2,500 | 470 |
| August 18 | Provincial Nominee Program | 192 | 800 |
| August 8 | French language proficiency | 2,500 | 481 |
| August 7 | Canadian Experience Class | 1,000 | 534 |
| August 6 | Provincial Nominee Program | 225 | 739 |
| July 22 | Healthcare and social services | 4,000 | 475 |
| July 21 | Provincial Nominee Program | 202 | 788 |
| July 8 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,000 | 518 |
| July 7 | Provincial Nominee Program | 356 | 750 |
| June 26 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,000 | 521 |
| June 23 | Provincial Nominee Program | 503 | 742 |
| June 12 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,000 | 529 |
| June 10 | Provincial Nominee Program | 125 | 784 |
| June 4 | Healthcare and social services | 500 | 504 |
| June 2 | Provincial Nominee Program | 277 | 726 |
| May 13 | Canadian Experience Class | 500 | 547 |
| May 12 | Provincial Nominee Program | 511 | 706 |
| May 2 | Healthcare and social services | 500 | 510 |
| May 1 | Education | 1,000 | 479 |
| April 28 | Provincial Nominee Program | 421 | 727 |
| April 14 | Provincial Nominee Program | 825 | 764 |
| March 21 | French language proficiency | 7,500 | 379 |
| March 17 | Provincial Nominee Program | 536 | 736 |
| March 6 | French language proficiency | 4,500 | 410 |
| March 3 | Provincial Nominee Program | 725 | 667 |
| February 19 | French language proficiency | 6,500 | 428 |
| February 17 | Provincial Nominee Program | 646 | 750 |
| February 5 | Canadian Experience Class | 4,000 | 521 |
| February 4 | Provincial Nominee Program | 455 | 802 |
| January 23 | Canadian Experience Class | 4,000 | 527 |
| January 8 | Canadian Experience Class | 1,350 | 542 |
| January 7 | Provincial Nominee Program | 471 | 793 |
Today’s draw is the first Express Entry selection for candidates in the system’s trade occupations category this year. The previous trade occupations draw took place on October 23, 2024, and featured a significantly lower CRS cut-off score of 433.
A contributing factor to the rise in the CRS score cut-off is the significant gap between draws for this category, which has allowed for an accrual of more candidates, making the next draw more selective. Thus far, very few draws under any of Express Entry’s categories have featured a CRS cut-off score above 500.
Today’s Express Entry draw is also the sixth of the month, and follows a healthcare occupations draw on September 17 (the first one in over four months), a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw on September 15, and a 4,500 ITA French-language draw on September 4.
Thus far, IRCC has issued 61,047 ITAs through the Express Entry system in 2025.
Express Entry draws this year have primarily focused on PNP draws, with the remainder of Express Entry ITAs dedicated to CEC candidates, candidates with French-language proficiency, and those in the Express Entry priority occupation categories:
| Draw Type | Number of Draws |
|---|---|
| Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) | 17 |
| Canadian Experience Class (CEC) | 9 |
| French-language proficiency | 5 |
| Healthcare and social services | 4 |
| Education | 2 |
| Trade | 1 |
How many more ITAs will IRCC issue for candidates in the trade occupations category?
According to a recently publicized Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) release, IRCC expects to issue 3,300 ITAs to candidates in the trade category in the second half of 2025.
Keeping in mind that the department is free to alter its ITA schedule as it sees fit, and without the need for oversight, if this information continues to be accurate, this means that IRCC will issue an additional 2,050 ITAs to candidates in the trade occupation before the end of the year.
For more information on the current ITA schedule, visit our dedicated article on the topic.
