Canada’s immigration system has opened new doors for education professionals. In its first education-category Express Entry draw in over four months, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 2,500 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) on September 17, 2025. The move reflects a shift in IRCC’s priorities toward recruiting candidates with strong academic and teaching credentials under Canada’s category-based selection.
For many candidates in the education field, such as teachers, assistants, and educators in early childhood or special education, this draw provides a rare but valuable opportunity. The education category draws are still relatively new, so when one happens, it tends to draw considerable attention and hope from applicants who often find general draws more competitive.
Details of the Draw
Draw date: September 17, 2025
Category: Education occupations (category-based round)
Number of Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued: 2,500
Minimum CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) cut-off score: 462
Tie-breaker / Profile submission deadline: Profiles must have been submitted before July 9, 2025, at 04:24:19 UTC for those around the cut-off score.
Comparison to previous education draw: The earlier education‐focused draw (May 1, 2025) issued 1,000 ITAs with a cut-off of 479, making the current draw both larger in size and more accessible by lowering the CRS requirement.
Overview of the Draw
The education‐category draw is part of IRCC’s newer category-based rounds, which are designed to invite candidates with specific occupations or skillsets, rather than only general eligibility.
In this case, the category targets those in education occupations — such as teachers (elementary, secondary, kindergarten), early childhood educators and assistants, instructors for persons with disabilities, and similar roles.
Because provincial nominations are not a requirement in category-based draws, the cut‐off CRS scores tend to reflect only the core factors like education, language skills, work experience, and age.
Lowering the CRS cutoff from 479 to 462 indicates that IRCC is willing to cast a wider net to bring in more candidates with educational credentials. This is the second education‐only draw in 2025, making it a milestone for this category.
Impact on Immigration
The implications of this draw are significant:
Greater Accessibility for Education Professionals
Lowering the CRS cut‐off makes the draw more inclusive, allowing more candidates in the education sector to qualify. This helps individuals whose CRS may have been just below earlier cut‐off thresholds but who have relevant qualifications.
Strengthening Canada’s Education & Research Sectors
By focusing on educators and related professions, Canada signals it is investing in its human capital, especially for sectors that shape schooling and early childhood development. This can help address teacher shortages and support improvements in education standards.
Category-Based Rounds Gaining Traction
This draw reinforces how IRCC is increasingly using category-based rounds (e.g. education, healthcare, trades, French-language proficiency) to meet more targeted labour market needs. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, selections are becoming more strategic.
Signal to Aspiring Applicants
For people aiming to immigrate through Express Entry, especially from the education fields, this draw offers encouragement. It underscores the importance of having higher education credentials, good language test scores, and submitting profiles early. Applicants in education occupations should keep this category in view and prepare accordingly for potential future draws.
Canada Express Entry Draw List 2025