In a recent development aimed at boosting provincial immigration, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 421 new Invitations to Apply (ITAs) through an Express Entry draw held on April 28, 2025. This round was specifically tailored to candidates nominated under a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score requirement of 727.
To qualify for this draw, applicants were required to have submitted their Express Entry profiles before September 9, 2024, at 5:11 PM UTC. This marks the second PNP-specific draw of April, following the earlier April 14 round that invited 825 candidates with a higher CRS cutoff of 764.
As of now, IRCC has issued a total of 31,929 ITAs in 2025 across various Express Entry categories, though April has seen a strategic shift towards provincial nominees. No draws were held for other groups such as the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) during the month, with the last such draw taking place on February 5. French-language proficiency remains the only other category to receive targeted draws so far this year.
These draws align with Canada’s broader immigration goals. According to the country’s 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan, the government aims to welcome 395,000 new permanent residents in 2025, with 232,150 of those expected through economic immigration streams like Express Entry.
One of the significant advantages of the Express Entry program is the ability to include immediate family members—such as spouses and dependent children—in permanent residence applications. Applicants may also later sponsor parents and grandparents, or invite them on extended visits under the Super Visa program.
This PNP-specific draw reflects Canada’s continued focus on addressing regional labor shortages by giving provinces more flexibility to select skilled talent tailored to their economic needs.