Hi, How Can We Help You?
  • Email: info@eseumohimmigration.com
Book A Consultation

Tag Archives: #Trade

Ese Umoh Immigration – Canada Immigration Consultant   →  Blog   →  #Trade
September 19, 2025
September 19, 2025

Canada invites 1,250 Skilled Trades Workers in latest Express Entry Draw

Author By EUIC Admin Categories Express Entry

Dear future neighbour,

On September 18, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) ran a category-based Express Entry draw for trade occupations, issuing 1,250 Invitations to Apply (ITAs). The lowest-ranked candidate invited in that draw had a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 505.

See below details of September 18 Express Entry draw

  • Date & type: IRCC held a trades-category Express Entry draw on September 18, 2025.

  • Number of ITAs: 1,250 candidates were invited

  • Minimum CRS score: The cut-off (lowest CRS score among invited candidates) was 505.

  • Tie-breaker timestamp: November 5, 2024

Who this draw targeted

IRCC’s trade draws are category-based selections that require candidates to have experience in one of a small set of eligible trade occupations. Candidates needed at least six months’ experience in an eligible trade to be considered.

See the full list of 25 trades-eligible occupations below:

Occupation NOC code
Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services 82021
Floor covering installers 73113
Painters and decorators (except interior decorators) 73112
Roofers and shinglers 73110
Concrete finishers 73100
Other technical trades and related occupations 72999
Water well drillers 72501
Electrical mechanics 72422
Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics 72402
Heavy-duty equipment mechanics 72401
Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics 72400
Bricklayers 72320
Cabinetmakers 72311
Carpenters 72310
Gas fitters 72302
Plumbers 72300
Industrial electricians 72201
Electricians (except industrial and power system) 72200
Welders and related machine operators 72106
Sheet metal workers 72102
Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors 72100
Home building and renovation managers 70011
Construction managers 70010
Cooks 63200
Construction estimators 22303

How this draw compares to past trade draws

This 505 cut-off is substantially higher than previous trade draws (previous trade cut-offs in 2023–2024 ranged mostly in the high-300s to mid-400s), which makes this round unusually selective for a trade-category draw. Various analysts point to the long gap since the last trades draw (October 2024) and a smaller number of ITAs compared with some past rounds as reasons the cut-off rose.

Summary of Express Entry draws in 2025

Date Draw Type Number of ITAs Cut-off CRS score
September 17 Education 2,500 462
September 15 Provincial Nominee Program 228 746
September 4 French language proficiency 4,500 446
September 3 Canadian Experience Class 1,000 534
September 2 Provincial Nominee Program 249 772
August 19 Healthcare and social services 2,500 470
August 18 Provincial Nominee Program 192 800
August 8 French language proficiency 2,500 481
August 7 Canadian Experience Class 1,000 534
August 6 Provincial Nominee Program 225 739
July 22 Healthcare and social services 4,000 475
July 21 Provincial Nominee Program 202 788
July 8 Canadian Experience Class 3,000 518
July 7 Provincial Nominee Program 356 750
June 26 Canadian Experience Class 3,000 521
June 23 Provincial Nominee Program 503 742
June 12 Canadian Experience Class 3,000 529
June 10 Provincial Nominee Program 125 784
June 4 Healthcare and social services 500 504
June 2 Provincial Nominee Program 277 726
May 13 Canadian Experience Class 500 547
May 12 Provincial Nominee Program 511 706
May 2 Healthcare and social services 500 510
May 1 Education 1,000 479
April 28 Provincial Nominee Program 421 727
April 14 Provincial Nominee Program 825 764
March 21 French language proficiency 7,500 379
March 17 Provincial Nominee Program 536 736
March 6 French language proficiency 4,500 410
March 3 Provincial Nominee Program 725 667
February 19 French language proficiency 6,500 428
February 17 Provincial Nominee Program 646 750
February 5 Canadian Experience Class 4,000 521
February 4 Provincial Nominee Program 455 802
January 23 Canadian Experience Class 4,000 527
January 8 Canadian Experience Class 1,350 542
January 7 Provincial Nominee Program 471 793

What this means for trade candidates

  • If you’re in the Express Entry pool and in a listed trade occupation: a CRS of ~505 or higher would have been needed to receive an ITA in this round; if your score is lower, consider improvements (language test upgrades, additional qualifying work experience, education, or a provincial nomination).

  • Tie-break preparedness: if your CRS equals a published cut-off, IRCC uses the profile submission date/time to decide who receives an ITA — updating your profile doesn’t change your original submission timestamp. Make sure you know the exact timestamp on your profile.

Practical next steps (if this affects you)

  1. Confirm your NOC/occupation matches one of the eligible trades listed for this draw

  2. If your CRS is close to 505, consider: retaking language tests, getting an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) if not done, gaining additional verified work experience, or pursuing a provincial nomination.

  3. If you already received an ITA — submit a complete PR application within IRCC’s time limit and gather medicals, police checks, and supporting documents immediately.

Need help with your Canadian immigration process?

Whether you’re applying for a visitor visa, submitting a work permit or visa application, creating an Expression of Interest (EOI), setting up an Express Entry or Provincial Nomination profile, preparing your application after receiving an Invitation to Apply, or simply want a professional review of your self-prepared application, we’re here to assist you.

Schedule a consultation or contact us at:
info@eseumohimmigration.com

August 29, 2025
August 29, 2025

IRCC reveals 2025 Express Entry Draw Categories and Schedule

Author By EUIC Admin Categories Express Entry

Dear future neighbour,

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has officially announced the schedule for Express Entry category-based draws in 2025, marking a major shift in the way candidates are selected for permanent residence. Unlike previous years, IRCC has not conducted any all-program draws in 2025, instead focusing exclusively on category-based selection to meet Canada’s evolving labour market needs.

Category Priorities for 2025

The 2025 draw schedule confirms that IRCC is prioritizing four main categories:

  1. French-language proficiency
  2. Healthcare and social services occupations
  3. Trades occupations
  4. Education occupation

The introduction of the education category is a notable change, highlighting Canada’s need for teachers, early childhood educators, and related professionals. At the same time, the transport category has been removed, while the healthcare and STEM categories were adjusted to better align with demand.

Highlights from 2025 Draws So Far

From January to late July 2025, IRCC conducted 27 draws, issuing a total of 50,628 Invitations to Apply (ITAs). The majority of these were category-based draws. French-language proficiency and healthcare categories led in terms of invitations, with the French draws issuing more than 18,000 ITAs and healthcare draws accounting for 5,000 ITAs.

The new education category saw its first draw on May 1, 2025, with 1,000 ITAs issued and a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off score of 479. This represented a promising start for candidates in teaching and childcare roles.

Meanwhile, one of the year’s largest healthcare draws took place on July 22, 2025, when IRCC issued 4,000 ITAs at a CRS cut-off of 475. Another significant healthcare and social services draw occurred on August 19, 2025, with 2,500 ITAs and a CRS score of 470.

One of the lowest CRS thresholds so far was seen in a French-language proficiency draw on March 21, 2025, which issued 7,500 ITAs at a cut-off of just 379 points. This underscored IRCC’s strong commitment to attracting French-speaking candidates outside Quebec.

According to the schedule, the planned ITA distribution is as follows:

Category ITAs As per IRCC Memo ITAs Already Issued in 2025 Expected ITAs In Next Draws
Education Approximately 3,000 ITAs (5% of all FSW and CEC ITAs) 1,000 2,000
Healthcare Approximately 8,000 ITAs (15% of all FSW and CEC ITAs) 7,500 1,000-2,000
Trades Approximately 3,300 ITAs (8% of all FSW and CEC ITAs) 0 3,300
French-Proficiency 18,500 ITAs to meet the 8.5% Francophone admissions target 21,000 0

What This Means

The 2025 Express Entry draw schedule confirms IRCC’s strong reliance on targeted draws rather than general invitations. This approach gives a clear advantage to candidates in priority sectors, particularly French-speaking applicants and professionals in healthcare and education. The variation in CRS cut-offs from as low as 379 for French speakers to nearly 480 for education professionals shows how scores differ depending on category and occupation demand.

For prospective applicants, this means success in Express Entry this year is far less about competing in a broad pool and more about aligning with Canada’s high-demand categories. Candidates with language skills or occupations in education, healthcare, and trades stand a stronger chance of receiving an invitation in 2025.

Need help with your Canadian immigration process?

Whether you’re applying for a visitor visa, submitting a work permit or visa application, creating an Expression of Interest (EOI), setting up an Express Entry or Provincial Nomination profile, preparing your application after receiving an Invitation to Apply, or simply want a professional review of your self-prepared application, we’re here to assist you.

Schedule a consultation or contact us at:
info@eseumohimmigration.com