Major Express Entry draw with 4,750 ITAs, Ontario PNP expands eligible occupations, Federal Court ruling affects study permit renewals, and critical IRCC portal maintenance scheduled.
Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Program draws
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted a significant Express Entry draw, issuing 4,750 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 491.
Strategic Impact: This large draw indicates continued high demand for skilled immigrants and maintains the recent trend of sub-500 CRS scores, providing opportunities for well-prepared candidates.
📖 Read Full Analysis →Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) announced the addition of 12 new eligible occupations to the In-Demand Skills Stream, particularly focusing on healthcare support and skilled trades.
Professional Insight: This expansion reflects Ontario's targeted approach to addressing specific labor market needs, particularly in sectors experiencing acute shortages.
Government policy changes and program updates
IRCC announced updated processing standards for study permit renewals, introducing new documentation requirements and expedited processing for certain categories of students.
Key Changes: Students must now provide enhanced proof of enrollment and financial support. Processing times reduced to 14 days for students in designated learning institutions with clean compliance records.
Court rulings and tribunal decisions affecting immigration
In Chen v. Canada (IRCC), the Federal Court ruled that students have the right to submit additional documentation during study permit renewal reviews, even after initial submission.
Legal Precedent: This ruling establishes procedural fairness requirements for study permit renewals and may impact future application processing protocols.
Technical updates and maintenance announcements
IRCC announced a major system maintenance window that will affect all online services, including application submissions and status checking.
Downtime: Saturday, July 26, 2025 (6:00 PM EST) to Sunday, July 27, 2025 (11:59 PM EST)
Affected Services: All IRCC online applications, Express Entry profile management, and application status tracking.
Strategic Recommendation: Clients should complete any urgent submissions before the maintenance window and plan accordingly for the 30-hour service interruption.
Processing improvements and operational changes
IRCC reported a 15% improvement in Express Entry processing times, with 80% of complete applications now processed within 5 months.
Operational Impact: This improvement reflects enhanced digital processing capabilities and may indicate sustained capacity for higher invitation volumes.