Canada has invited selected foreigners to apply for permanent residency through the current Express Entry draw under the Provincial Nominee Program category.
Foreigners who wish to live in Canada may apply for Canadian Permanent Resident status through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). This program enables individuals to live, reside, and work in a specific province or region. A permanent resident (PR) is someone who has received PR status after immigrating to Canada but is not a Canadian citizen.
Canada Express Entry is a program for skilled immigrants seeking permanent residency in Canada, managed by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), through various programs, including the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Trades Program, and Provincial Nominee Program.
To obtain a Canada PR via PNP, follow these steps: identify eligibility and requirements for available PNPs, complete the application process, submit it to the territory or province, and, if eligible, receive an official Provincial Nomination certificate, allowing you to move on to the next phase.
Job Offer Points
The Canadian administration employs the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to sort applicants according to elements such as age, educational background, employment history, and proficiency in languages, adjusting the threshold for each Express Entry draw.
On March 25, 2025, Canada withdrew ‘job offer points’ from the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) in the Express Entry pool. This will apply to both current and future candidates. The removal of ‘job offer points’ from the Comprehensive Ranking System will not apply to all categories, but only to those that are classified under Major Group 00 of the National Occupation Classification (for example, senior management positions) (200 points) and to any other skilled occupation (50 points).
Those with a current job offer no longer have the opportunity to earn extra points after March 25, 2025.
Express Entry Draw Latest
On August 18, IRCC, under the Express Entry system, drew number 361, sending 225 invitations to select foreign nationals, with the lowest-ranked candidate receiving a CRS score of 800.
The date and time of the round were August 18, 2025 at 15:09:26 UTC, while the Tie-breaking rule date was February 11, 2025 at 19:17:09 UTC. This means the rank required to be invited to apply will be 192 or above.
If more than one candidate has the lowest score, the cut-off is based on the date and time they submitted their Express Entry profiles.
The previous draw under the Provincial Nominee Program was conducted on August 6, when 225 Express Entry invitations were issued to eligible foreign nationals ranked among the first, with the lowest-ranked candidate receiving a CRS score of 739.
The CRS cut-off score for the Provincial Nominee Program has moved up by 61 points since the August 6 draw.
CRS score distribution of candidates in the pool as of August 17, 2025
