CRS scores fall sharply after job offer points removed

Canada's Express Entry system has changed a lot in the past few weeks. Many candidates saw their scores drop after the government removed points for arranged job offers. This change made it harder for thousands of people to stay competitive in the pool.

Under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), job offers used to give candidates either 50 or 200 extra points. Once these points got removed, scores fell sharply for many people. The biggest drop happened in the 501–600 score range. Over 5,700 candidates in this group lost their position in the pool. The 491–500 range lost more than 1,600 profiles, while 481–490 saw nearly 1,000 disappear.

Altogether, more than 8,300 high-scoring profiles dropped out between March 16 and April 14, 2025. Some may have expired naturally, but many dropped due to the new rule. Most of these candidates now fall into lower score ranges.

Even with this shake-up, the Express Entry pool still grew. It added over 7,300 new profiles during the same time. This shows that while scores went down for many, interest in Canadian immigration remains strong.

The score range between 461 and 470 saw the biggest increase. More than 2,100 candidates entered this group. It’s likely many of these were earlier in the 500+ range but dropped due to the removal of job offer points.

Other score ranges like 451–460 and 401–450 also gained new profiles. The 401–450 group added over 5,800 candidates, showing a wider spread of scores now in the system. Even lower ranges like 351–400 and 0–300 saw more entries.

By April 14, 2025, the Express Entry pool held 244,282 candidates. This is the highest number in over a year. Among these, over 71,000 scored between 451–500, and over 67,000 had scores between 401–450. Lower ranges also had large numbers, especially the 351–400 group with over 53,000 profiles.

Even though the pool grew a lot since December 2024, some score ranges look very similar to what they were before. For example, the 501–600, 490–500, and 481–490 ranges didn’t change much overall, despite the large number of new entries.

This shift in scores changes the game for many candidates. Those who relied on job offers to boost their chances must now find other ways to stand out. Meanwhile, more people with moderate scores now have a better chance to compete.

As the system adjusts, applicants will need to keep an eye on how these changes affect their chances. With more people entering the pool and fewer getting job-offer points, the competition may get even tighter.