Express Entry Pool Thins at the Top: What the July 5 Score Distribution Reveals

Key Takeaways

The count of top-scoring Express Entry profiles slipped from 20,953 to 19,136 between the June 21 and July 5 snapshots.
The overall pool shrank by 4,518 profiles to 235,127, following four draws that issued 9,226 invitations.
The July 5 figures predate the July 6 and July 7 rounds, which together sent out another 2,534 invitations.

The pool of highest-scoring candidates in Express Entry has thinned. According to the latest figures from Canada's immigration department, the number of top-scoring profiles has dropped from 20,953 to 19,136. The refreshed data was published on July 5 and is measured against the previous snapshot from June 21.

How the distribution shifted

The table below sets the July 5 distribution beside the June 21 one, band by band.

CRS score range	June 21	July 5	Difference
0–300	8,104	7,873	−231
301–350	17,946	17,513	−433
351–400	51,897	51,096	−801
401–410	11,968	12,144	+176
411–420	12,128	12,383	+255
421–430	12,584	12,870	+286
431–440	13,980	14,127	+147
441–450	14,147	14,294	+147
451–460	15,127	15,378	+251
461–470	16,358	16,499	+141
471–480	17,318	16,198	−1,120
481–490	13,598	12,555	−1,043
491–500	13,537	13,061	−476
501–600	20,012	18,611	−1,401
601–1,200	941	525	−416
Total	239,645	235,127	−4,518

How competitive is the pool right now?

The next table gauges the competitiveness of the pool as of July 5, matching the share of candidates in each Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) band against the percentile boundaries of those bands.

CRS score range	Candidates	Cumulative	Percentile range	Percentage
0–300	7,873	7,873	0.00%–3.35%	3.35%
301–350	17,513	25,386	3.35%–10.80%	7.45%
351–400	51,096	76,482	10.80%–32.53%	21.73%
401–410	12,144	88,626	32.53%–37.69%	5.16%
411–420	12,383	101,009	37.69%–42.96%	5.27%
421–430	12,870	113,879	42.96%–48.43%	5.47%
431–440	14,127	128,006	48.43%–54.44%	6.01%
441–450	14,294	142,300	54.44%–60.52%	6.08%
451–460	15,378	157,678	60.52%–67.06%	6.54%
461–470	16,499	174,177	67.06%–74.08%	7.02%
471–480	16,198	190,375	74.08%–80.97%	6.89%
481–490	12,555	202,930	80.97%–86.31%	5.34%
491–500	13,061	215,991	86.31%–91.86%	5.55%
501–600	18,611	234,602	91.86%–99.78%	7.92%
601–1,200	525	235,127	99.78%–100.00%	0.22%

The percentile figures represent the proportion of candidates whose CRS scores fall at or below the upper bound of each range. They are given as ranges because candidates within a single bracket may sit anywhere between the two listed percentile values.

Two recent draws not yet reflected

The July 5 distribution does not yet account for the two most recent rounds IRCC held on July 6 and July 7, which together issued 2,534 invitations:

Draw date	Round type	Invitations	Lowest-ranked CRS
July 6	Provincial Nominee Program	534	708
July 7	Canadian Experience Class	2,000	517

What moved the numbers between June 21 and July 5

In that two-week window, IRCC ran four draws that issued a cumulative 9,226 invitations:

Draw date	Round type	Invitations	Lowest-ranked CRS
June 22	Provincial Nominee Program	955	730
June 23	Canadian Experience Class	4,000	516
June 24	Physicians with Canadian Work Experience	271	223
June 25	Healthcare and Social Services Occupations	4,000	475

Across that span, the pool contracted by 4,518 profiles overall.

How Express Entry selection works

Express Entry is the federal government's flagship system for managing applications and selecting permanent residents who intend to settle outside Quebec. Ottawa periodically issues invitations to apply for permanent residence to the highest-scoring candidates holding active profiles. To enter the pool, a candidate must first meet the minimum requirements of one of the system's programs; their profile is then assigned a CRS score based on factors such as age, education, official-language ability, and work experience. The government also runs category-based draws, inviting only candidates who meet a designated priority economic category. Current priorities centre on French-language proficiency and work experience in select in-demand sectors, including healthcare and social services, trades, education, and transportation.

What This Means for Applicants: The contraction at the top of the pool — a drop of 1,817 profiles above 500 — combined with sub-520 CEC cut-offs suggests candidates with Canadian work experience remain well-positioned. But because the July 5 snapshot predates the July 6 and July 7 rounds, the live pool is already leaner than these figures show, and applicants should read the distribution as a lagging, not real-time, gauge of where they stand.