Canada Express Entry: 825 new invitations for PR issued in the first draw after LMIA points scrapped

Canada issued 825 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residence in its latest Express Entry draw held on April 14, 2025—the first since Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) removed Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for arranged employment.

This draw was exclusive to Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates, with a steep CRS cut-off score of 764. Only those who had created an Express Entry profile by August 17, 2024, were eligible.

So far in 2025, IRCC has issued 31,508 ITAs through Express Entry. While the April 14 draw targeted PNP candidates, previous rounds included:

• March 21, 2025: 7,500 ITAs for French language speakers; cut-off 379

• March 17, 2025: 536 ITAs (PNP); cut-off 736

• March 6, 2025: 4,500 ITAs (French language); cut-off 410

• March 3, 2025: 725 ITAs (PNP); cut-off 667

What changed with LMIA points removal

The decision to eliminate CRS points for arranged employment significantly altered the composition of the Express Entry pool. Earlier, job offers backed by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) could give applicants a 50–200 point boost. Between March 16 and April 14, the number of profiles in high-score bands dropped sharply:

• 501–600 CRS: down 5,740

• 491–500 CRS: down 1,618

• 481–490 CRS: down 984

While these upper brackets shrank, the pool overall grew by 7,373 profiles, with increases in lower score bands—suggesting many profiles shifted downward:

• 461–470: +2,157

• 451–460: +1,750

• 401–450: +5,814

As of April 14, 2025, IRCC reported a total of 244,282 profiles in the pool, with 71,542 candidates in the 451–500 CRS range.

Why IRCC changed the rules

The policy change comes amid rising misuse of LMIA-backed job offers. "Earlier, candidates with a CRS score of around 470, 480, or 500, where the cut-off for invitations could be as high as 540, 550, or 560, were purchasing fake LMIA job offers for large sums of money, between $30,000 and $50,000," said immigration expert Ajay Sharma. “This would raise their points and improve their chances of receiving an invitation to apply.”

Removing the 50-point advantage is expected to help restore fairness to the system and reduce fraud.

Next steps for ITA recipients

Candidates who receive an ITA now have 60 days to submit their complete application. Required documents include a valid passport, birth certificate, proof of work experience, police clearance, medical exam results, proof of settlement funds, and photographs.

The IRCC aims to admit 124,680 new permanent residents through Express Entry in 2025. While a job offer is no longer worth CRS points, it still matters under eligibility rules for programs like the Federal Skilled Worker and certain PNP streams.

What is the Express Entry system?

The Express Entry system ranks candidates based on age, education, language skills, work experience, and other factors. Without arranged employment points, competition may shift, favouring candidates who excel in other areas or who receive provincial nominations.

IRCC has hinted the move will “strengthen the integrity of Canada’s immigration system.” Whether it stays temporary remains to be seen.