Express Entry pool continues to become more competitive, even as pool growth slows by 60%

Canada’s Express Entry pool added just 897 profiles between April 12 and April 26—less than half the growth seen in the previous reporting period (+2,193)—but competition at the top end continues to intensify.

The 501–600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score range grew by another 250 profiles, marking the second consecutive reporting period of growth in this bracket after months of steady decline.

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For candidates with scores above 500, this trend was reflected in the most recent Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw on April 28, which issued just 2,000 invitations—the third consecutive CEC draw at reduced volumes—with a CRS cut-off of 514. The tie-breaking date of September 24, 2025, reached back more than seven months in the past, pointing to a deep backlog at this scoring level.

What changes occurred in the Express Entry pool over the last two weeks?

Between April 12 and April 26, the Express Entry pool grew from 233,555 to 234,452 profiles—a net increase of just 897.

The most notable development is a split forming in the mid-range CRS score bands.

Every 10-point bracket between 421 and 460 declined, shedding a combined 1,317 profiles. These declines are likely attributable to the French-language proficiency draw on April 15 (CRS cut-off 419), which would have drawn candidates from the 421+ ranges, and the residual effect of the Trades Occupations draw on April 2 (CRS cut-off of 477), which targeted candidates in the upper-mid 400 scoring bands.

At the top end of the pool, growth continued for the second straight period. The 601–1,200 range gained 147 new profiles—driven by new provincial nominees entering the pool with 600-point CRS boosts.

Note: The pool composition data published on April 26 does not account for the three Express Entry draws that took place between April 27 and 29, through which a total of 6,473 ITAs were issued. This is discussed in further detail below.

In total, eleven score ranges gained a small number of profiles, while four experienced declines:

CRS score range	April 26	April 12	Difference (April 12 – April 26)
0–300	8,339	8,253	+86
301–350	18,733	18,543	+190
351–400	52,874	52,309	+565
401–410	12,185	11,845	+340
411–420	12,956	12,753	+203
421–430	12,613	12,973	-360
431–440	14,456	14,775	-319
441–450	14,305	14,606	-301
451–460	15,175	15,512	-337
461–470	15,973	15,968	+5
471–480	16,487	16,246	+241
481–490	12,815	12,663	+152
491–500	13,209	13,174	+35
501–600	13,860	13,610	+250
601–1200	472	325	+147
Total	234,452	233,555	+897

These distributions are compared in the chart below for easier visualization:

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Which draws have not been accounted for in the April 26 distribution?

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC’s) latest Express Entry data does not consider the three draws that occurred between April 27 and 29:

Date	Round type	Invitations issued	CRS score of lowest-ranked candidate invited
April 29	French-Language proficiency	4,000	400
April 28	Canadian Experience Class	2,000	514
April 27	Provincial Nominee Program	473	795

Based on these invitation results, these draws could correspond to significant changes in the candidate pool composition, to a minimum of:

• 4,000 fewer profiles between the 401–410 score range and above (French-Language proficiency draw at CRS 400);
• 2,000 fewer profiles between the 501–600 score range and above (CEC draw at CRS 514); and
• 473 fewer profiles between the 601–1200 score range (PNP draw at CRS 795).

The trend of shrinking CEC draw sizes has pushed cut-offs higher. After dropping as low as 507 in mid-March, CEC cut-offs have now settled above 510 in every draw since and have been above 514 since April 14.

What accounted for the changes in Express Entry profiles seen on April 26?

The latest available data on the Express Entry pool has been shaped by three draws, which took place between April 13 and 15—cumulatively issuing 6,324 ITAs:

Date	Round type	Invitations issued	CRS score of lowest-ranked candidate invited
April 15	French-Language proficiency	4,000	419
April 14	Canadian Experience Class	2,000	515
April 13	Provincial Nominee Program	324	786

Despite over 6,300 ITAs being issued, the pool still grew by 897 profiles. This indicates that approximately 7,197 new profiles entered the pool during these two weeks.

How competitive is the Express Entry pool now?

The following table breaks down the competitiveness of the Express Entry pool, comparing the percentage makeup and the percentile scoring of candidates at the edges of each score range.

April 26 data is used to compute these scores:

CRS score range	Number of candidates	Cumulative	Percentile range	Percentage
0–300	8,339	8,339	0.00%–3.56%	3.56%
301–350	18,733	27,072	3.56%–11.55%	7.99%
351–400	52,874	79,946	11.55%–34.10%	22.55%
401–410	12,185	92,131	34.10%–39.30%	5.20%
411–420	12,956	105,087	39.30%–44.82%	5.53%
421–430	12,613	117,700	44.82%–50.20%	5.38%
431–440	14,456	132,156	50.20%–56.37%	6.17%
441–450	14,305	146,461	56.37%–62.47%	6.10%
451–460	15,175	161,636	62.47%–68.94%	6.47%
461–470	15,973	177,609	68.94%–75.75%	6.81%
471–480	16,487	194,096	75.75%–82.79%	7.03%
481–490	12,815	206,911	82.79%–88.25%	5.47%
491–500	13,209	220,120	88.25%–93.89%	5.63%
501–600	13,860	233,980	93.89%–99.80%	5.91%
601–1200	472	234,452	99.80%–100.00%	0.20%

The percentile figures in the table represent the share of Express Entry candidates whose CRS scores are at or below the upper bound of each score range.

To make the results easier to interpret, the percentiles are displayed as ranges, meaning candidates within a given CRS bracket fall between the two percentile values shown.

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