Canada Express Entry draw: 421 new candidates invited in fresh PNP draw; Important Q&As here

Canada’s latest Express Entry draw has seen 421 candidates invited to apply for permanent residency under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

Held on April 28, 2025, this is the second PNP-specific draw of the month, with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 727. To be eligible, candidates needed to have created their Express Entry profile before 5:11 pm UTC on September 9, 2024.

The latest draw follows another PNP draw on April 14, which issued 825 invitations with a significantly higher CRS cut-off of 764. These back-to-back draws indicate sustained momentum in Canada’s economic immigration efforts. So far this year, 31,929 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) have been issued through the Express Entry system.

This push aligns with Canada’s 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan, which targets 395,000 new permanent residents in 2025. Of these, 232,150 are expected to come through economic immigration streams, including Express Entry.

What happens after receiving an ITA

Once an applicant receives an ITA, they have 60 days to submit a complete application. Required documents include:

• Valid passport or travel document

• Birth certificate

• Proof of work experience

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• Police clearance certificate

• Immigration medical exam results

• Proof of settlement funds

• Photographs of the applicant and any included family members

Applicants can include spouses, common-law partners and dependent children, provided the dependents meet IRCC criteria. Children under 22 years who are unmarried, or those over 22 with a mental or physical condition who have been financially dependent on parents, qualify as dependents.

Who's in the Express Entry pool?

As of April 14, 2025, the Express Entry pool included 244,282 profiles. The 451–500 CRS band continues to dominate with over 71,000 profiles, followed by 401–450 with over 67,000 profiles. Lower bands like 301–350 and 0–300 also saw increases, likely due to recent rule changes, including the removal of CRS points for arranged employment.

Do job offers still matter?

Although job offers no longer boost CRS scores directly, they remain relevant for eligibility in programs like the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, and various PNP streams.