Ottawa, October 1, 2025 – Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has conducted Express Entry draw #370, issuing 1,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
Key Results of Draw #370
- Program: Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
- Number of invitations: 1,000
- Cut-off CRS score: 534
- Tie-breaking rule: February 21, 2025, at 04:01:57 UTC
- Date and time of draw: October 1, 2025, at 14:22:57 UTC
This means all candidates in the Express Entry pool with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 534 or higher received an invitation, provided they submitted their profile before the tie-breaking date and time.
What This Draw Means
The Canadian Experience Class continues to be a major pathway for temporary foreign workers and international graduates with Canadian work experience to transition to permanent residency.
A CRS cut-off of 534 is higher than many earlier CEC-only draws, showing growing competition in the pool. Recent draws across all categories have also had elevated CRS thresholds, reflecting IRCC’s focus on select groups of candidates, such as healthcare workers, STEM professionals, and French-language speakers, in category-based draws.
Context and Trends
- Total invitations in 2025 so far: Over 70,000 ITAs have been issued across all categories, including general draws, category-based draws, and program-specific rounds.
- CEC importance: In 2024, nearly 34% of all new permanent residents admitted through Express Entry were under the Canadian Experience Class, according to IRCC data. This trend is expected to continue in 2025, as CEC candidates integrate quickly into the workforce due to existing Canadian experience.
- Labor market needs: Canada added over 400,000 jobs in the past 12 months (Statistics Canada, September 2025). The demand remains strongest in health care, technology, and skilled trades, which aligns with the backgrounds of many CEC candidates.
How Candidates Are Ranked
The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) assigns points based on:
- Age
- Education
- Canadian and foreign work experience
- Official language ability (English and/or French)
- Spouse or common-law partner factors
- Additional points (job offers, provincial nomination, Canadian education, French ability, siblings in Canada, etc.)
With the cut-off at 534, candidates likely had strong combinations of Canadian work experience, high language test scores, and possibly additional points from post-secondary study or arranged employment.
What Happens Next
- Candidates who received an ITA on October 1 have 60 days to submit a complete application for permanent residence.
- Applications will be processed under IRCC’s service standard of 6 months for most Express Entry cases.
- Those not invited remain in the pool and may be considered in future rounds, including general draws and targeted category-based draws.
Expert Takeaway
- This draw signals IRCC’s continued commitment to selecting candidates with proven Canadian work experience.
- The higher CRS cut-off suggests IRCC is managing intake carefully against processing capacity and immigration targets.
- Candidates aiming for CEC should maximize CRS scores through additional language testing, obtaining arranged employment, or seeking provincial nomination for extra points.
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