Welcome to the Guberman // Appleby Immigration Update. We hope you find the information provided relevant to your immigration needs. Our objective is to highlight recent updates in immigration that are of interest to our readers.
Today’s topic:
- Recent Express Entry Changes: What the 2025 Updates Mean for Skilled Workers
One of the most common questions that we receive from our clients is how to navigate the Express Entry system to maximize their chances of attaining permanent residence. This update will explain recent changes and trends in the express entry system and discuss what applicants can do to reach a score high enough to be invited to apply.
Express Entry System
The Express Entry system is a process for managing the admission of applicants to three permanent resident (PR) programs. If an applicant qualifies for either the Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker, or Federal Skilled Trades programs then they can submit a profile to IRCC and enter the Express Entry pool. Profiles in the pool are given a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score which is based on a variety of factors including level of education, foreign and Canadian work experience, age, language ability, and more. The government of Canada will then intermittently issue Invitations to Apply to applicants over a certain point threshold which allows them to apply for permanent residence.
Recent Changes to the Express Entry System
In March 2025, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada changed how it calculated CRS scores by removing points awarded for applicants with a valid Canadian job offer. Previously, applicants with job offers in skilled occupations would get an additional 50 points while those in senior management positions would receive an additional 200 points. The difference between an uncompetitive and a competitive score can be very few points and so the loss of 50 or 200 points is extremely significant and makes the system much more challenging. This change may not have had such drastic consequences if the point thresholds for receiving invitations had also been lowered, but they have remained in a similar range, leaving many applicants with far too few points to succeed and questions about how to improve their chances.
New Targeted Categories
Another recent change in Express Entry is the categories of applicants that the government is targeting. The targeted categories refer to certain skills and occupations that the government is prioritizing through specific draws for individuals with that skill or occupation. The benefit of falling into a category is that category-based draws typically have considerably lower point thresholds. the targeted categories include:
- French-language proficiency
- Healthcare and social services occupations
- Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) occupations
- Trade occupations
- Agriculture and agri-food occupations
- Education occupations
In February 2025, the immigration minister at the time announced that the government would be specifically conducting and prioritizing category-based invitation rounds for the following 4 categories: French language proficiency, healthcare and social services occupations, trade occupations, and education occupations. While the government has since changed, the new government has continued to conduct draws based on these categories. The only one of these four categories that has not been the basis for an invitation round in the last year has been trade occupations.
How to Improve Scores
There are several methods to increase one’s CRS score, with some being much more effective than others. Currently the most effective way to increase one’s points is to become proficient in French and English. If an applicant has perfect French and English test scores, then they will receive 136 points for their primary language, up to 74 additional points for a secondary language, 50 points for bilingual ability, and up to 100 additional points if they have a post-secondary degree and a year of foreign work experience. In total that means that French and English opens the door to a potential of 350 points.
Further underscoring how important French is to this system is the fact that the government has completed 10 targeted draws under the French language proficiency category in the last year which is more draws than all other targeted categories have received in the last year combined. These French language proficiency draws have typically had their thresholds in the low to mid 400s. Therefore, not only do French language skills provide substantial points, but they also lower the thresholds that applicants must meet. To qualify for the French language proficiency category and receive CRS points for French language skills applicants should aim to achieve a NCLC 7 or higher on an official French Test.
Aside from learning French and English there are a few other ways to increase one’s CRS points. Firstly, one can get a higher education degree. Although it is important to note that some degrees will provide more CRS points than others, for example a master’s degree provides more points than getting a second bachelor’s degree would. Secondly, if one struggles in French then improving their English can lead to them achieving the full 136 points for proficiency in one of Canada’s official languages. Third, each year of Canadian work experience up to 5 years provides additional points up to a maximum of 70 points. Additionally, Canadian work experience can open the door to the maximum of 100 points under the skills transferability section of the CRS if one also has a post-secondary degree and foreign work experience.
Finally, applicants should be aware that age can be a major source of points, those who are between the ages of 20 to 29 years old receive an automatic 110 points. But applicants receive less points for every year that they get older past 29. Therefore, applicants should be aware of the dangers of waiting to improve their CRS score.
Provincial Nominations
A question we often get at the firm is how one receives a provincial nomination as it provides an impressive 600 points to one’s CRS score which all but guarantees that they will be drawn. Unfortunately, receiving provincial nominations through the express entry system is far from simple as while each province has multiple pathways to receiving a nomination they are varied, and all have either strict eligibility criteria or are highly competitive. Additionally, in May of 2025 the government slashed the number of nominations provinces can give out by half.
// CONTACT US
Lawyers at Guberman Appleby are well versed in both the Federal Express Entry system and provincial nominations, and we welcome you to contact us directly to discuss the above. Please contact one of our Toronto immigration lawyers, by reaching out to our general line 416 548 7100 or via email info@gaimmlaw.com. Our immigration lawyers are always available to discuss any of your specific Canadian or US immigration queries either virtually or in person. We look forward to hearing from you.
