Competition within the Express Entry pool continues to ease for the second month in a row, as thousands more top-scoring profiles leave the pool.
Since the start of the year, 4,672 profiles between the 501-600 score range have left the Express Entry pool, largely attributable to the massive Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw that took place on January 7.
With the reduction in top-scoring profiles, lower-scoring profiles now stand a better chance of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA), as Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores are more likely to drop with the changing distribution of the candidate pool.
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What is the current composition of the Express Entry pool?
The current distribution of Express Entry profiles in the candidate pool is presented below, and compared with the distribution of profiles from January 4 (the most recent data available before January 19) as a reference:
| CRS score range | Distribution (Jan 4) | Distribution (Jan 19) | Difference in number of profiles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-300 | 8,125 | 8,269 | +144 |
| 301-350 | 18,745 | 19,062 | +317 |
| 351-400 | 52,469 | 53,221 | +752 |
| 401-410 | 11,438 | 11,858 | +420 |
| 411-420 | 12,442 | 12,863 | +421 |
| 421-430 | 12,816 | 13,092 | +276 |
| 431-440 | 14,285 | 14,571 | +286 |
| 441-450 | 14,139 | 14,452 | +313 |
| 451-460 | 14,835 | 15,209 | +374 |
| 461-470 | 14,881 | 15,320 | +439 |
| 471-480 | 15,435 | 15,965 | +530 |
| 481-490 | 12,499 | 12,942 | +443 |
| 491-500 | 12,873 | 13,278 | +405 |
| 501-600 | 21,013 | 16,341 | -4,672 |
| 601-1200 | 559 | 677 | +118 |
| Total | 236,554 | 237,120 | +566 |
The reduction observed this month at the second-highest score range was even more substantial than the reduction seen in December, when 4,622 profiles scoring between 501-600 left the Express Entry pool.
Interestingly, the 501-600 score range was the only one in the Express Entry pool that saw a reduction in candidates—all other score ranges saw a moderate increase in profiles, leading to the overall size of the pool increasing by 566 profiles.
Noting that the highest-ranking candidates are prioritized first for Express Entry draws (even in the case of category-based selections), this means that the candidate pool has grown less competitive, even as the overall size of the pool increased moderately.
How does your Express Entry profile compare within the updated candidate pool?
The table below shows both the share of candidates in each score band and the percentile ranking for each score band (shown as a range) relative to the entire pool, as of January 19.
These percentile ranges represent the portion of the pool with scores at or below a given score range. For instance, if a score band falls within the 95–99th percentile, that means candidates in that range are among the top 1–5% of all candidates in the pool. Percentile ranges are calculated using the lower and upper limits of each CRS score range.
This information can help candidates better understand where they stand in the pool.
| CRS score range | Number of candidates | Percentile (range) | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-300 | 8,269 | 0.00%–3.49% | 3.49% |
| 301-350 | 19,062 | 3.49%–11.53% | 8.04% |
| 351-400 | 53,221 | 11.53%–33.97% | 22.44% |
| 401-410 | 11,858 | 33.97%–38.97% | 5.00% |
| 411-420 | 12,863 | 38.97%–44.40% | 5.42% |
| 421-430 | 13,092 | 44.40%–49.92% | 5.52% |
| 431-440 | 14,571 | 49.92%–56.06% | 6.14% |
| 441-450 | 14,452 | 56.06%–62.16% | 6.09% |
| 451-460 | 15,209 | 62.16%–68.57% | 6.41% |
| 461-470 | 15,320 | 68.57%–75.03% | 6.46% |
| 471-480 | 15,965 | 75.03%–81.77% | 6.73% |
| 481-490 | 12,942 | 81.77%–87.22% | 5.46% |
| 491-500 | 13,278 | 87.22%–92.82% | 5.60% |
| 501-600 | 16,341 | 92.82%–99.71% | 6.89% |
| 601-1200 | 677 | 99.71%–100.00% | 0.29% |
| Total | 237,120 |
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