Canada Express Entry is the federal system used to manage permanent residency applications for skilled workers. As of December 2025, the system has become highly competitive due to the government’s 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan, which reduced overall targets to prioritize candidates already in Canada.

Here is the current state of Express Entry:

1. The Three Main Programs

You must qualify for one of these to enter the Express Entry “pool”:

• Canadian Experience Class (CEC): For those with at least 1 year of skilled work experience in Canada. (Currently the most prioritized group).

• Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP): For skilled workers abroad. You must score at least 67/100 points on the FSWP grid to enter.

• Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP): For qualified tradespeople.

2. Category-Based Selection (The 2025 List)

Instead of just picking the highest overall scores, IRCC now holds draws for specific categories. For 2025, a new Education category was added, and Transport was removed. The current priority categories are:

• French-language proficiency (The most frequent draws with the lowest CRS scores).

• Healthcare and Social Services (Expanded in 2025 to include social workers).

• STEM occupations (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math).

• Trade occupations (Carpenters, plumbers, etc.).

• Agriculture and Agri-food occupations.

• Education occupations (New for 2025: Teachers and early childhood educators).

3. Recent CRS Score Trends (December 2025)

Scores remain high as IRCC limits the number of invitations to meet lower 2026 targets.

• CEC Draws: Average score is around 515–530.

• French-Language Draws: Significant advantage here; scores have dropped as low as 399 this month.

• PNP Draws: Usually 700+ (because a Provincial Nomination automatically adds 600 points).

• General/All-Program Draws: Rarely held in late 2025; scores are typically 540+.

4. Proof of Funds (Updated July 2025)

If you apply under the FSWP or FSTP (and don’t have a valid Canadian job offer), you must show you have enough money to settle. These amounts were updated on July 7, 2025: