Express Entry Pool Loses 4,600 Top Candidates, Easing Competition

Competition Is Finally Easing in the Express Entry Pool

Good news if you’ve been waiting in the Express Entry pool. Competition has been easing for the second month straight as thousands of top-scoring profiles exit the system.

Since January started, 4,672 profiles scoring between 501 and 600 points have left the Express Entry pool. Most of them probably got invitations from the massive Canadian Experience Class draw on January 7.

This shift matters because fewer high-scoring candidates means better odds for everyone else. Lower-scoring profiles now have a stronger chance of receiving an Invitation to Apply as CRS scores become more likely to drop.

Current Pool Breakdown Shows One Major Change

Looking at the January 19 data compared to January 4 reveals something interesting. The 501 to 600 score range was the only bracket that actually shrank. Every other score range saw modest increases in candidate numbers.

The pool added 566 profiles overall, bringing the total to 237,120 candidates. But even though the pool grew slightly, it became less competitive overall.

Remember that Express Entry draws prioritize the highest-ranking candidates first, even for category-based selections. So having fewer people at the top fundamentally changes the competitive landscape.

The 4,672 reduction in the 501 to 600 range this month was even larger than December’s drop of 4,622 profiles from that same bracket.

Score Ranges Across the Pool

Here’s how candidates distributed across different score ranges as of January 19. The lower ranges saw the biggest increases in raw numbers.

The 351 to 400 bracket remains the largest group with 53,221 candidates, up 752 from January 4. The 471 to 480 range added 530 profiles, while the 461 to 470 bracket grew by 439 candidates.

Smaller increases appeared throughout the mid-range scores. The 491 to 500 range added 405 profiles, bringing it to 13,278 total candidates. The 481 to 490 bracket grew by 443 profiles to reach 12,942.

The highest bracket, scoring 601 to 1,200 points, added 118 candidates and now holds 677 profiles total.

Where You Stand in the Pool

Understanding percentiles helps you see where your score ranks compared to everyone else. These percentile ranges show what portion of the pool scores at or below each bracket.

If your score falls in the 501 to 600 range, you rank between the 92.82nd and 99.71st percentile. That puts you in the top 7 percent of all candidates.

Candidates scoring 491 to 500 points sit between the 87.22nd and 92.82nd percentile. The 481 to 490 bracket falls between the 81.77th and 87.22nd percentile.

Mid-range scores show where most competition clusters. The 471 to 480 range spans the 75.03rd to 81.77th percentile, representing 6.73 percent of all candidates. Scores from 461 to 470 fall between the 68.57th and 75.03rd percentile.

The 451 to 460 bracket covers the 62.16th to 68.57th percentile with 15,209 candidates. If you score 441 to 450, you rank between the 56.06th and 62.16th percentile.

Lower scores face tougher competition simply because of volume. The 351 to 400 range holds 22.44 percent of all candidates, spanning the 11.53rd to 33.97th percentile. Nearly a quarter of the entire pool falls into this single bracket.

The pattern suggests that while the pool is growing, the exodus of top scorers makes it easier for mid-range candidates to eventually receive invitations.