2024 Express Entry: Major Developments and What’s Next for Canadian Immigration

By Jessica Thakur, December 31, 2024

The year 2024 brought significant changes to Canada’s Express Entry system, with important implications for foreign nationals seeking permanent residency (PR). This article reviews the key developments and trends, offering insights into what candidates might expect in 2025.

Express Entry in 2024: Overview and Comparison

In 2024, the Canadian federal government issued 98,803 invitations to apply (ITAs) for PR through Express Entry across 52 draws. These draws and their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off scores varied significantly by category and program.

Key Statistics:

• Number of Draws by Category:

  • Provincial Nominee Program (PNP): 14

  • French Language Proficiency: 11

  • Canadian Experience Class (CEC): 10

  • General: 9

  • Healthcare Occupations: 3

  • Trade Occupations: 2

  • Agriculture and Agri-Food Occupations: 1

  • STEM Occupations: 1

  • Transport Occupations: 1
    

CRS Score Ranges:

As of December 2024, the Express Entry pool contained 221,310 candidate profiles—an increase compared to previous years:

Despite the rise in immigration targets for 2024, IRCC issued fewer ITAs compared to 2023, which had 110,266 ITAs.

Major Policy Changes in 2024

Removal of CRS Points for Job Offers

In December 2024, Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced plans to remove CRS points for valid job offers starting in spring 2025. This temporary measure aims to reduce fraud and enhance the integrity of the Express Entry system.

Under the current system, candidates can receive 50 or 200 additional CRS points for valid job offers. The removal of these points could significantly alter CRS score distributions in 2025, potentially lowering cut-off scores.

Immigration Levels Plan

In November, IRCC unveiled its 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan, which includes increased targets for federal immigration pathways under the “Federal High-Skilled” allocation:

• 2024 Admissions Target: 107,770 landings

• 2025 Admissions Target: 124,590 landings

The allocation is divided into two sub-categories:

1. In-Canada Focus (82,890 admissions): Prioritizing candidates already in Canada through the CEC and Express Entry-aligned PNP programs.

2. Federal Economic Priorities: Targeting newcomers with specific skills and language abilities to meet labor market needs.
   

Trends to Watch for 2025

Increased Focus on Specific Categories

The Federal Economic Priorities category will prioritize candidates in healthcare, trade, and French-language proficiency. These draws may see lower CRS cut-off scores due to smaller candidate pools.

In-Canada Candidates

The “In-Canada Focus” category emphasizes CEC and PNP candidates. This trend, evident since mid-2024, is expected to dominate Express Entry draws in 2025.

Francophone Immigration

IRCC’s commitment to francophone immigration outside Quebec remains strong, with 7% of total immigration levels in 2025 dedicated to French-speaking candidates.

Conclusion

The changes in 2024 have reshaped Canada’s Express Entry landscape, with new policies likely to influence the system further in 2025. Candidates should stay informed about these developments to better navigate their path to Canadian permanent residency.

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