Canada’s Latest Express Entry Draw Issues 345 PR Invitations Under PNP – CRS Cutoff Drops by 77 Points
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the third Canada Express Entry Draw of October on October 14, 2025, inviting 345 candidates to apply for permanent residency under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
This draw was another targeted round as the government continues to prioritize applicants who have provincial nominations. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score required was 778, which is 77 points lower than the previous PNP-only draw held on September 29, 2025.
Key Highlights
- Program: Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
- Draw Date: October 14, 2025
- Number of Invitations: 345
- Lowest CRS Score: 778
- Tie-Breaking Rule: July 17, 2025, at 19:58:49 UTC
Candidates with a CRS score of 778 or above who submitted their profiles before the tie-breaking time received an Invitation to Apply (ITA). Those who received a provincial nomination gained an extra 600 CRS points, which greatly improved their chances of selection. This means that the base CRS score of invited candidates was around 178, plus the 600 nomination points.
CRS Score Distribution in the Pool (as of October 14, 2025)
There are currently 247,997 candidates in the Canada Express Entry Draw pool. The competition remains very strong, especially among candidates with scores above 500.
| CRS Range | Number of Candidates |
| 501–600 | 25,411 |
| 451–500 | 70,641 |
| 401–450 | 72,026 |
| 351–400 | 52,448 |
| 301–350 | 19,496 |
| 0–300 | 7,975 |
| Total | 247,997 |
More than 25,000 candidates have CRS scores above 500, highlighting the intense competition for an ITA.
A New Pattern Emerging
This draw follows other rounds earlier in October, including category-based and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draws. It shows that IRCC is keeping up with its immigration targets for 2025.
Experts suggest that IRCC might now move toward a weekly draw pattern, alternating between PNP, CEC, and category-based draws. This could mean that the next draw may target CEC candidates, possibly followed by a category-based round later in the month.
As the year-end approaches, IRCC may adjust the number of draws and invitations to align with the upcoming Immigration Levels Plan for 2026.
Why Are CRS Scores High in PNP Draws?
PNP draws are always higher because nominated candidates automatically receive 600 additional CRS points, pushing their total scores much higher than general draw candidates.
What’s Next?
It’s expected that two more Canada Express Entry Draw could happen later in October — likely one for CEC and another for French-speaking or occupation-based categories.
This third draw of the month again shows how important provincial nomination programs are for skilled professionals who want to make Canada their new home. Contact Asif Consulting for further assistance.
