Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) began December 2025 with a significant Express Entry draw, reinforcing its continued reliance on the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) to meet Canada’s regional labour market and immigration objectives. The draw, conducted in early December, marked the largest PNP-focused invitation round of the year and highlighted the role provinces continue to play in selecting skilled immigrants.
Through this draw, IRCC issued a substantial number of Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence, signalling strong momentum in Canada’s economic immigration system as the year nears its conclusion. The selection reflects a broader strategy to prioritise candidates nominated by provinces, ensuring immigrants are directed toward regions with specific workforce shortages.
Details of the Express Entry Draw
Invitation Round: #383
Date of Round: December 08, 2025
Type of Draw: Provincial Nominee Program
Number of ITAs Issued: 1,123
CRS Score of Lowest-Ranked Candidate Invited: 408
Tie-Breaking Rule: 10 a.m. UTC on March 5, 2025
Overview and Purpose of the Draw
This draw reflects IRCC’s ongoing focus on aligning immigration selection with provincial and regional economic priorities.
By prioritising PNP candidates, IRCC enables provinces to directly nominate individuals whose skills match local labour shortages, demographic needs, and economic development goals.
Throughout 2025, IRCC has increasingly relied on PNP draws as a tool to distribute newcomers more evenly across Canada rather than concentrating immigration in major urban centres.
This approach supports smaller provinces and territories that face persistent workforce gaps and aging population challenges.
The draw also forms part of a broader Express Entry strategy that includes a mix of program-specific and category-based rounds, allowing IRCC to balance national immigration targets with sectoral and regional requirements.
Impact on Immigration and Applicants
For immigration candidates, the draw reinforces the importance of provincial nomination pathways. Securing a nomination remains one of the most effective ways to increase CRS competitiveness, particularly for applicants who may not meet high cut-offs in general or category-based draws.
For Canada’s immigration system, the emphasis on PNP draws strengthens labour market alignment and improves retention outcomes, as provincially nominated immigrants are more likely to settle and work in the regions that selected them.
Following this draw, the total number of ITAs issued through Express Entry in 2025 reached 95,599, indicating a robust pace of admissions ahead of annual immigration targets.
Broader Context and Outlook
The December 8 draw suggests that PNP-focused selections will continue to play a central role in Canada’s immigration system moving forward.
As IRCC balances economic growth, labour market demands, and population goals, provincial nominations remain a critical channel for targeted immigration.
Applicants and employers alike are expected to monitor upcoming draws closely, particularly as IRCC continues adjusting its selection patterns across PNP, Canadian Experience Class, and category-based streams.
The latest draw reaffirms Canada’s commitment to a data-driven, regionally responsive immigration framework as it approaches the end of 2025.