Express Entry Draw #344 | 1,000 Candidates Invited in New Education Occupations Category

The first ever Express Entry draw for the new Education Occupations category was just held! The new Education Occupations category focuses on attracting candidates in fields such as teaching, early childhood education, and special education.

Express Entry Draw #344

Date of Draw: May 01, 2025 at 16:02:30 UTC

Number of Invitations Issued: 1,000

Minimum CRS: 479

Program Specified: Education occupations (Version 1)

Tie-breaking rule: August 10, 2024 at 10:35:55 UTC

First Ever Education Category-Specific Draw

Today’s draw marls the first ever category-specific draw for the new Education category, marking a significant milestone. Today’s Express Entry draw #344 issued 1,000 Invitations to Apply (ITA) to candidates with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) of 479.  Meaning that all candidates for this draw were selected from a select number of NOC codes within the Express Entry pool, related to education occupations.

The Previous draw Express Entry draw this week was a “Provincial Nominee Program” draw that took place on April 28, 2025. Which invited 421 candidates. All profiles in the Express Entry pool with a CRS score of 727.

Once the next Express Entry draw takes place for the new Education category, we will compare that draw to the one that took place today. However, when comparing today’s EE draw with the previous EE draw for the Provincial nominee program, we notice significant differences. Today’s draw issued more than double the number of invitations (ITAs) than the previous EE draw. This increase is attributed to not only a significant decrease in the required CRS score, which dropped by a whopping 249 points, but also signifies Canada’s intent to retain more skilled workers in the Education field.

Learn here How to Increase CRS Score?

Qualification for the Education Category

For a complete list of eligible occupations under the new education category, you can visit the Government of Canada’s website and search for “education” to view the relevant occupations and their associated CIP codes.

Comprehensive eligibility information can be found in the instructions provided for each round on the IRCC website.

Eligible Occupations for Education Occupation Draws

Number of Candidates in the Current Express Entry Pool

The IRCC updates the number of people in the Express Entry pool a few days before an invitation round takes place. Numbers change as new profiles are submitted, profiles expire or are issued an ITA.

As of today the composition of the Express Entry pool is:

Express Entry Pool of Candidates

Latest Express Entry Draw – All categories

Check here the full list of the Express entry draws that were held this year: