In the latest round of Canada’s Express Entry draw held on July 8, 2025, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) invited 3,000 foreign nationals to apply for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program. This draw specifically targeted skilled workers with Canadian work experience. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score required was 518, and the tie-breaking rule was applied based on the profile submission timestamp of October 2, 2024, at 1:48:36 UTC.
CEC Draws 2025: Skilled Workers with Canadian Experience Invited
This draw marked the 7th CEC-specific invitation round in 2025, with the previous one taking place on June 26, which also invited 3,000 applicants but required a higher CRS cut-off of 521. Altogether, 18,850 invitations have been issued this year to foreign workers with Canadian work experience under the CEC stream.
The Canadian Experience Class is tailored for individuals who have gained skilled work experience in Canada and seek to become permanent residents. To qualify, applicants must have completed at least one year of full-time paid skilled work (or equivalent part-time) within the last three years while holding valid temporary resident status in Canada. Experience gained through volunteer work, unpaid internships, unauthorized employment, or while residing outside Canada does not count toward eligibility.
Express Entry System and CRS Competition Overview
Express Entry is an umbrella system managing three immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, and Canadian Experience Class. Prospective immigrants create an online profile and enter the Express Entry pool, where they are ranked using the CRS. The CRS considers factors like age, education, work experience, and language proficiency. Top-ranked candidates are invited to apply for permanent residency, with new draws generally conducted every two weeks.
As of July 6, 2025, CRS score distribution data shows a concentration of candidates between the 451–500 range, with 77,550 individuals. This is followed by 72,608 candidates in the 401–450 range and 53,697 in the 351–400 range, indicating intense competition among mid-to-high scoring applicants.
Summary:
On July 8, 2025, Canada invited 3,000 skilled workers with Canadian experience to apply for permanent residence under the CEC program, with a CRS cut-off of 518. This marks the 7th CEC draw of 2025. CRS data shows intense competition, especially among candidates scoring between 451 and 500.
