1,000 Invited in a Canadian Experience Class Express Entry Draw #370 on October 1, 2025

Key Takeaways From The CEC Draw on October 1, 2025

• Type of draw: Canadian Experience Class
• Draw number: 370
• Invitations issued: 1,000
• CRS score: 534
• Tie-breaking rule: February 21, 2025 at 04:01:57 UTC
• Prediction for the next draw: Category-based draw on October 2 or 3 — possibly trades or French. Otherwise, PNP in two weeks — on Tuesday October 14, since Monday October 13 is Thanksgiving in Canada.
• New to the excitement of Express Entry draws? Check out our guide to Express Entry

Resources To Help You Immigrate Through Express Entry

Our Analysis of This Express Entry Draw

We’ve now had three Canadian Experience Class draws in a row with the same number of invitations and the same, very high CRS cut-off.

• October 1, 2025 (today), with 1,000 invitations and a CRS cut-off of 534.
• September 3, 2025, with 1,000 invitations and a CRS cut-off of 534.
• August 7, 2025, with 1,000 invitations and a CRS cut-off of 534.

You have to look as far back as July 8, 2025 for a CRS cut-off lower than 520 (that draw was 518, after consistent bi-weekly CEC draws for a few rounds).

So, where does that leave us?

To start, it leaves us wondering what the allocations are going to look like for next year’s Immigration Levels Plan, which will be released within the next month.

We won’t speculate too much about what’s going to happen in that plan, but we are curious to see what the PNP allocations will look like compared to the category-based levels and Canadian Experience Class (or ‘in-Canada focus’) levels. It appears, based on the number of provinces that were granted additional PNP slots this year, that the PNP levels may increase for 2026.

When Will the CRS Drop Below 520 Again?

Again, it’s challenging to speculate with the data we currently have available. But with three draws in a row sitting at a cut-off of 534 and an Express Entry pool with consistently around 25,000 candidates in the 501-600 range, it’s important to keep working on your CRS score.

If you’re currently in the pool with a score of 501+ and there’s room for improvement in your language results, it may be worth considering studying and rebooking a test. Check out our partner at E2 test prep for additional resources to help boost your English language test results.

For other tips on how to improve your CRS, check out our detailed downloadable covering this topic in depth. Get the How to boost your CRS guide.

How Did People React To This Canadian Experience Class Draw on October 1, 2025?

As always, there were a range of reactions to today’s Express Entry draw. Many who received an invitation (or who will) were really happy — posting their scores and, sometimes, information about their journey to that score.

Then, there were the other people who are waiting in the pool and hoping for a larger draw and lower CRS cut-off. They’re often devastated, with some who have been waiting for a long time or feeling hopeless generally speculating that IRCC is anti-immigrant to an extent or otherwise out to trip people up so they can’t stay.

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In the case of today’s draw, it looked like broad speculation that IRCC will remove the additional skills transferability points for foreign work experience.

At this point, we don’t think this is helpful. The messaging seems to be that IRCC is hoping to ‘trick’ enough people into leaving to get that experience and that they will then remove the points so these people are all ‘locked out’.

While we can’t guarantee that IRCC will keep foreign experience points forever, there are concerns around fraud in the system that may encourage IRCC to look at alternatives. Plus there are discussions happening around how Canada is trying to address skills shortages, but not doing a great job in some categories (see Rebecca’s piece on how Canadian immigration favours young workers, not necessarily highly skilled workers).

But, we don’t think it’s true that IRCC is planning to deliberately ruin the lives of specific individuals through broad policy changes.

Remember, immigration policy is set at the federal level — and IRCC are just responsible for meeting those targets. While immigration has a deep and profound impact at the personal level for each and every person waiting in the pool, it is an immigration ‘system’ built on numbers, targets and processes.

Unfortunately, the disappointment is also paving way for people who are getting angrier and starting to share theories about what’s going on behind the scenes. In the absence of information from the government, we suggest focusing on your CRS and your available immigration pathways instead of the online theories.

What If You Didn’t Get An Invitation in This CEC Round?

There are a few reasons you may not have received an invitation through this Express Entry round:

1. You were not eligible for the Canadian Experience Class draw. This program-specific draw only invited candidates with eligible work experience in Canada.
2. You did not have a high enough Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. If your score is below today’s cut-off score, check out past results to view trends in the CRS in your program/category. Need to improve your score? Our CRS calculator tool can help. It’s free and available exclusively to subscribers.
3. Finally, what if you were eligible for the program AND had the right CRS score? Well, it’s possible the tie-breaking rule excluded you. If you entered the Express Entry pool after the tie-breaking date and you had a CRS that was equal to the CRS for this round, unfortunately, you will miss out this round.

Need To Improve Your CRS for a CEC Draw?

If this is you, we suggest doing what you can in the short term to improve your CRS. Your language proficiency results are the lowest hanging fruit here, and we suggest retaking your language test if possible to improve your results. But you can use our interactive CRS calculator to learn what you have received points for and what areas you have for improvement.

Applying for a provincial nomination is another option, since competition remains low at the moment in the Express Entry pool. That said, competition is extremely high at the provincial level, with many provinces delaying or pausing programs to cope with very high levels of demand. So, receiving a provincial nomination is a strong strategy this year but, if you choose to go this route, you should have alternatives planned.

Canada launched its Rural and Francophone Community Pilots for 2025. These programs offer a pathway to permanent residency for those willing to move to and work in certain rural communities or communities looking to attract French speakers.

Finally, there is the option of learning French. We have a special offer for those looking to learn French — but you can only get it in our Facebook group or by joining our email list for Express Entry news.

How Does The Canadian Experience Class Work Under Express Entry?

If you’re not familiar with Canada’s Express Entry system, it’s an application management system used to manage economic immigrants to Canada. It offers streamlined application timelines for those who are invited to apply for permanent residence.

• Keen to learn more about Express Entry? Check out our dedicated Express Entry page.

With that in mind, the Canadian Experience Class is a program for people in the Express Entry pool and who have qualifying work experience in Canada. The idea is that those who have lived and worked in Canada before becoming a permanent resident are more likely to succeed in and stay in Canada — and the research shows that those who come through the Canadian Experience Class are more likely to earn more in Canada than those who become permanent residents without working in Canada as a temporary resident first.

You can also sign up for up-to-date information about Express Entry draws. Just subscribe to our newsletter via the block below for news about the draws and our analysis as it happens, so you’ll never miss the latest results. This can be a powerful tool to help you identify trends and map your pathway to permanent residence in Canada.

Further Resources for CEC Candidates

For more information:

• Learn more about the latest Express Entry draws.
• Learn more about the state of the Express Entry pool.
• Learn when to expect the next Express Entry draw.
• Use our online Express Entry CRS calculator to learn more about your current score and how to improve it.