When is the Next STEM Draw in 2025?

While category-based draws for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workers were introduced with a lot of optimism in 2023, they’ve been rare ever since. In 2023, there were just two STEM draws, followed by a single one in 2024, and so far in 2025, none at all. 

The 2025 Immigration Levels Plan, published at the end of 2024, confirmed that STEM was not selected as a priority category for 2025. Instead, IRCC is focusing on other selection categories such as health care, trades (although we haven’t seen a trade draw either) and French proficiency. 

That doesn’t mean STEM candidates are out of options. Far from it. Thousands of STEM professionals continue to receive ITAs each year, just not necessarily through STEM-specific draws. And there’s good news on the horizon: recent consultations suggest STEM will return as a category in 2026. 

Key Takeaways

• No STEM draws in 2025: STEM was not included as a priority category in the 2025 Immigration Levels Plan. Don’t expect a dedicated STEM round this year.
• IRCC’s strategy: Instead of holding STEM-specific draws, IRCC appears to be selecting STEM workers through CEC and PNP draws — with a clear emphasis on applicants already in Canada.
• Overseas vs. in-Canada applicants: Overseas STEM candidates are competitive but face fewer opportunities.
• Looking ahead: STEM is expected to return as a category in 2026 following ongoing IRCC consultations.

STEM Draw History 

Since IRCC introduced category-based draws in 2023, STEM professionals have only seen three dedicated draws — two in 2023 and one in 2024. Despite their rarity, STEM candidates continue to make up a significant share of overall invitations through other draw types. 

Here’s a closer look at when those draws happened, and how many STEM workers ultimately received ITAs. 

2023: There were two STEM draws: 

• July 5, 2023 issuing 500 ITAs with a CRC cut-off of 486 
• December 8, 2023 issuing 5,900ITAs with a CRC cut-off of 481 

Total number of ITAs issued=  6,400 ITAs 

Beyond these two rounds, many STEM candidates received invitations through other draw types — including general draws, Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draws, and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws — bringing the total to 32,106 STEM-eligible ITAs in 2023. Of these, 25,706 came from non-STEM draws, and according to IRCC’s year-end report, 54% qualified under the CEC program. What’s more, we can see that 21% of all ITAs issued in 2023, went to STEM professionals. 

2024: Only one STEM draw was held on April 11th 2024, issuing 4,500 ITAs with a lowest CRS of 491. In total, 13,749 STEM-eligible applicants received invitations, with 9,246 from other draw types. While the 2024 year-end report isn’t out yet, we already know the share of ITAs going to STEM professionals dropped from 21% in 2023 to just 14% in 2024. 

2025 (so far): There have been no STEM draws. The Immigration Levels Plan published in late 2024 confirmed STEM is not a listed priority category for 2025. We have no data yet that confirms how many STEM professionals have been selected from CEC and PNP draws. 

Why No STEM Draws in 2025? 

The simple answer is that STEM was not selected as a priority category in the Immigration Levels Plan for 2025. Instead, IRCC appears to be leaning on other draw types, such as Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draws and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws, to select STEM professionals (that is, those eligible to receive an ITA in a STEM draw) from the Express Entry pool. Looking back at 2023 and 2024, it’s clear that large numbers of STEM candidates were invited through these other pathways, suggesting IRCC may feel there is no immediate need to run dedicated STEM draws. 

Will STEM Draws Return? 

Based on the Immigration Levels Plan, 2025 won’t prioritize STEM draws. However, IRCC launched a consultation in early 2025 to guide category-based selections for 2026, and STEM is expected to return as a category then.

What This Means for STEM Applicants 

Outside Canada: While competitive abroad, overseas STEM applicants face fewer category-based opportunities. Only one draw in 2024 and none yet in 2025 have targeted this group. Despite that, over 9,000 STEM-eligible candidates still secured ITAs in 2024 through other draw types. This trend suggests IRCC may keep using CEC and PNP draws to filter STEM talent already in Canada, rather than running STEM-specific rounds that would also capture more overseas candidates. If you are a STEM applicant outside of Canada, you should be trying to maximise your CRS score as much as you can.

Inside Canada: STEM-eligible candidates are still getting ITAs just not through STEM draws. Therefore, rather than optimizing your profile to get a STEM ITA in the next STEM draw, focus on optimizing your profile so you get invited in the next CEC draw or explore PNP’s that target STEM workers.  

What Will the CRS Cut-Off Be If STEM Draws Resume? 

With no STEM draws so far in 2025 and consistently high CRS cut-offs in recent CEC draws, it’s reasonable to expect that the next STEM draw (if held) will land above 500, especially if the draw size is modest.

For context: 

• 2023 STEM draws: lowest CRS cut-off was 481 
• 2024 STEM draw: lowest CRS cut-off was 491 

Given current trends, any future STEM-specific round is likely to demand even stronger CRS scores, reflecting both the smaller draw sizes and the overall competitiveness of the pool.