The First Canadian Experience Class Draw in Over Three Months on May 13, 2025

Key Takeaways From The CEC Draw on May 13, 2025

• Type of draw: Canadian Experience Class
• Invitations issued: 500
• CRS score: 547
• Tie-breaking rule: May 21, 2024 at 17:26:27 UTC
• Prediction for the next draw: Potentially a French category-based draw this week, possibly on Friday.
• 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

After over three months of no Canadian Experience Class draws, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has finally held a Canadian Experience Class draw.

However, this draw may not be welcome news for those who are already living and working in Canada and who have been anxiously awaiting the return of draws, hoping to stay in Canada as permanent residents.

Why?

Because the CRS cut off for the round was very high — and the number of invitations issued was quite low. At 547, it’s the equal highest CRS cut-off for a CEC round, excluding one round in 2015 (which had a very different scoring system in place).

And at just 500 invitations, this is one of the smallest ever Canadian Experience Class rounds. The only other smaller rounds took place between October 22-November 19, 2024, where we saw 400 invitations issued every two weeks for three invitation cycles.

The CRS for these small rounds ranged from 539-547 — but it’s important to remember that these draws included candidates with 50-200 points for an LMIA job offer, and around 20-30% of those candidates who received an invitation during that period likely had bonus points for a job offer.

In other words, the candidates who receive an invitation to apply through this round would have extremely high scores.

Here’s an example candidate profile that would meet the criteria for today’s draw:

• 35 years old
• Master’s degree obtained in Canada
• 4 years Skilled Canadian Work Experience
• 1 year Skilled work outside Canada
• CLB 10+ English in all skills.

Our Predictions For CEC Draws in 2025

So far this year, we have seen 9,750 candidates invited to apply through Canadian Experience Class draws. This means that IRCC is trending a little slow in the number of invitations it is issuing compared to the volume we’d expect to see if Canada is to meet its target of more than 80,000 In-Canada applicants predominantly through Canadian Experience Class draws.

We know that IRCC is likely tracking behind because it takes around 6 months to process an Express Entry application. So, at the moment, IRCC is likely processing applications from December 2024 onward. Between July-October 2024, IRCC held a number of large CEC draws, inviting 21,800 candidates to apply during this period. This would fill around 1/4 of the in-Canada target for 2025.

However, we saw very low numbers of Canadian Experience Class invitations sent out in the last three months of 2024. In fact, just 1,700 candidates were invited through the Canadian Experience Class between October-December last year. So, IRCC would be tracking behind on applicants from this period.

Then, after 9,350 CEC candidates were invited in the CEC draws in January and through to February 5, we had a three month pause. We would think that this would mean that IRCC is off track for its in Canada focus target for 2025.

So, does that mean we’ll see larger draws?

We aren’t certain.

IRCC has been issuing invitations at approximately the same rate. Here’s what my colleague Rebecca Major, RCIC said about it on LinkedIn this morning:

Also, IRCC’s immigration levels plan noted that it planned to bring in 39,000-89,000 permanent residents in 2025 through its In-Canada Focus. It noted the target was 82,980. We are off-track to hit that target, but the number of invitations issued already would be in line with a lower target, closer to the low range of 39,000.

If that’s the case, we may not see larger CEC draws.

Alternatively, if IRCC wants to hit the 82,980 admission target, it will need to conduct some large draws — and quite soon.

However, IRCC’s processing capacity may limit the viability of this strategy. Canada has completed quite a few large draws for the French category candidates recently. Since the immigration officers still need to review and assess these applications, the draws may remain modest for a little while longer. (And IRCC may have learned lessons from past draws about the impact of issuing large numbers of invitations at once).

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, you just need to create or log into your Moving2Canada account.
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.

Not sure if you’re eligible for the Canadian Experience Class? Sign up for our free account to access helpful tools, like an eligibility quiz.

You can also sign up for up-to-date information about Express Entry draws via your free Moving2Canada account. Just subscribe to our newsletter 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.

For up-to-date information about Express Entry draws, consider creating a free Moving2Canada account and subscribing to our newsletter. We share news about the draws and our analysis as it happens, so you’ll never miss the latest results.

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.