Who Will Succeed the Most in Canada's Express Entry PR Pathway in 2025?

In Canada, the Express Entry route remains one of the quickest and most reliable ways for skilled workers to get Permanent Residence (PR). The most recent report, released on November 3, 2025, provides candidates with a clearer understanding of who receives PR in this competitive manner and what they can do to increase their chances.

Navigate Migrate assists people from the UAE, India, Oman, GCC countries, and other locations in understanding these patterns to prepare for success in 2025 and beyond.

Which categories are most likely to receive ITAs via Express Entry?

The Express Entry system has numerous categories, and the data indicates a definite trend for 2024. There are many category-specific drawings going on right now, but broad sketches are becoming less common.

The Canadian Experience Class, or CEC

The CEC remains the greatest route for ITAs to travel to Canada. In 2024, it distributed 26,500 invitations with an average CRS score of 524. This program is part of Canada’s aim to convert temporary residents, particularly those who are already living and working in Canada, into permanent residents.
If you already have a Canadian work permit, this category may give you a significant advantage, particularly if you have strong language abilities and relevant work experience.

Drawings for the French Language Category

The French-language proficiency draws were among the biggest surprises of 2024. They distributed 23,000 ITAs, with the lowest average CRS score of 409. In 2025, French draws continued to flourish, awarding 36,000 ITAs, the most of any category.
Even if you have no Canadian professional experience, being able to speak French is one of the easiest ways to obtain PR. Candidates who reach NCLC 7 may significantly boost their chances of receiving an ITA quickly.

The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)

In 2024, the PNP issued 15,483 ITAs, and it remains an effective means for individuals with in-demand jobs or strong ties to a province to obtain one. But it is still highly competitive, with CRS cut-offs frequently exceeding 725 points.
The best part about PNP is that a provincial nomination increases your CRS score by 600 points. This makes it one of the quickest ways to obtain an ITA, particularly for those living outside of Canada.

Why is gaining job experience overseas more crucial than ever?

The 2024 study paints a broad picture: having worked overseas is an important factor in obtaining an ITA.

Only 1% of the invited candidates had never worked abroad.
56% received ITAs despite having only worked in Canada for two years or less.
34% received ITAs despite having never worked in Canada before.

This demonstrates that having experience, skills, and education from other nations might be more valuable than simply having work experience in Canada. It also demonstrates how beneficial category-specific draws are, such as French, STEM, healthcare, trades, transportation, and agriculture, which often require less skill.

Most Popular Occupations Getting PR Invitations

Most of the individuals that received invitations in 2024 work as:

Software engineers and developers (NOCs 21231, 21232)
Job titles include food service supervisors (NOC 62020), administrative assistants (NOC 13110), nurses, healthcare professionals, and financial accountants and auditors.

Many of these jobs were not on targeted occupation lists, which is noteworthy since it demonstrates that CRS scores, education, language abilities, and human capital components are frequently more important than the job title itself.

Countries with the Most Success in Express Entry

Indian people continue to make up the majority, with 43,004 ITAs, four times more than any other nationality. This trend is due primarily to the large number of persons working in IT, engineering, healthcare, and finance.

Cameroon, Morocco, Algeria, and Côte d’Ivoire, all French-speaking countries, have seen incredible growth as a result of the French-language category draws.

At the time the ITA was issued, the following nations had the most invitees: Canada (69%), Cameroon, India, Nigeria, Morocco, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

These figures demonstrate that Canada is focused on converting temporary residents in Canada into permanent citizens while also providing opportunities for competent foreign workers to work abroad.

Important Information for People Applying for Express Entry in 2025

Using data from 2024 and early 2025, applicants can take the following activities to improve their chances:

Knowing French allows for quick avenues to permanent residency. Even if you have no previous work experience in Canada, NCLC 7 can be quite valuable.
Working in another country is a valuable experience. Working, attending school, achieving high language scores, and transferring your skills can all help you earn more CRS points.
Many people wish to work in health and social services. By 2025, there were already over 9,792 ITAs in this area.
Concentrate on draws that are exclusive to a category. Because general draws are restricted, the CEC, French, STEM, healthcare, and PNP categories are particularly significant.

How Navigate Migrate Can Help You

Navigate Migrate assists skilled workers, students, and professionals from the UAE, India, Oman, and other GCC countries in navigating Canada’s evolving Express Entry system. Here are some of the things we do.