Customized Express Entry Data – Top 20 NOCs in the Pool, April 7, 2025 Snapshot

I obtained this data through a special request to the Statistical Reporting Group, Research and Data Branch at IRCC. It goes well beyond the public pool reports, offering a rare look at both program-specific CRS distributions and the top occupations represented in the Express Entry pool.

Total candidates in the pool: 240,675

By program:

• Canadian Experience Class (CEC): 159,675
• Federal Skilled Worker (FSW): 79,965
• Skilled Trades (FST): 505
• Provincial Nominee Program (PNP): 530

CRS distribution highlights:

• The 451–475 range has the highest volume, with 39,445 candidates, mainly from CEC and FSW.
• A significant concentration exists between 376–500 CRS, where more than 100,000 candidates fall.
• Federal Skilled Trades (FST) is the smallest category overall, with its highest number (395 candidates) in the 1–300 band, and limited representation in higher CRS ranges.

Note: IRCC rounds to the nearest 5 and suppresses numbers between 0–5.

This is where things get interesting. In addition to program-based numbers, the dataset reveals the top 20 primary NOC codes represented in the Express Entry pool, along with a full breakdown of how candidates in each occupation are distributed across CRS bands. It offers a rare glimpse into which roles are dominating the pool and how they align –or don’t – with IRCC’s current selection priorities.

Top 20 NOCs in the pool (by volume):

• 62020 – Food service supervisors: 13,900
• 63200 – Cooks: 8,970
• 21231 – Software engineers and designers: 6,900
• 13110 – Administrative assistants: 6,375
• 21232 – Software developers and programmers: 6,325
• 33102 – Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates: 5,915
• 62010 – Retail sales supervisors: 5,505
• 42202 – Early childhood educators and assistants: 5,205
• 73300 – Transport truck drivers: 4,190
• 13100 – Administrative officers: 4,130
• 21222 – Information systems specialists: 4,045
• 22221 – User support technicians: 3,815
• 12200 – Accounting technicians and bookkeepers: 3,680
• 11202 – Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and PR: 3,565
• 11100 – Financial auditors and accountants: 3,380
• 21221 – Business systems specialists: 3,155
• 21223 – Database analysts and data administrators: 2,990
• 31301 – Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses: 2,895
• 20012 – Computer and information systems managers: 2,790
• 60020 – Retail and wholesale trade managers: 2,680

Spotlight on NOC 63200 – Cooks Cooks were added to IRCC’s category-based selection list under Trades in 2025, and it’s not surprising to see this NOC ranking #2 overall in volume, with 8,970 candidates in the pool.

CRS distribution for Cooks (63200):

• 1–300: 1,185
• 301–400: 2,885
• 401–425: 1,215
• 426–450: 1,380
• 451–475: 1,320
• 476–500: 665
• 501–525: 285
• 526-550: 25
• 551–575: Suppressed (fewer than 5 candidates)
• 576–600: 0 candidates
• 601 and above: Suppressed (fewer than 5 candidates)

This suggests that, in addition to genuine labour market demand, there’s a notable supply under the Cooks NOC. At the same time, I’ve noticed a tendency to select this NOC even when job duties fall under a different classification, potentially misrepresenting employment details. For example, a restaurant supervisor might identify as a Cook to qualify under the Trades category, despite aligning closely with NOC 62020. Based on several inquiries I’ve received, I have a strong sense that some candidates may have updated their profile after NOC 63200 was added to the list in 2025. In each case, I’ve made it clear that doing so would be misrepresentation if their primary duties don’t align with the Cook classification. One person told me, “But I’m the one cooking when the Cook doesn’t show up”, which may be true, but doesn’t change the fact that their job’s core responsibilities fall under a different NOC. This kind of misidentification to gain a perceived advantage deserves careful attention during application review, and I believe officers are becoming more alert to it.

Category-based selection alignment? Of the top 20 occupations in the pool, only the following are targeted under IRCC’s 2025 occupation-based categories:

• 63200 – Cooks (Trades)
• 42202 – Early Childhood Educators and Assistants (Education)
• 31301 – Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses (Healthcare)
• 33102 – Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates (Healthcare)

This means that 16 of the top 20 NOCs, including high-volume roles such as food service supervisors, software developers, and administrative assistants, are not currently targeted in category-based draws.

Between January and June 10, 2025, there have been 20 rounds of invitations:

• French-language proficiency: 3 draws | 18,500 invitations
• Healthcare and social services: 2 draws - May 2: 500 invitations | CRS 510, June 4: 500 invitations | CRS 504
• Education: 1 draw, May 1: 1,000 invitations | CRS 479
• PNP: 10 draws
• CEC: 4 draws - Jan 8: 1,350 invitations | CRS 542, Jan 23: 4,000 invitations | CRS 527, Feb 5: 4,000 invitations | CRS 521, May 13: 500 invitations | CRS 547

No draws have yet been held for STEM, Trade, or Agri-food categories despite their inclusion on the official 2025 category list.

Several high-volume occupations in the pool are also outside the scope of these categories. For these candidates, general or CEC draws remain the only federal pathway, unless they qualify under a PNP.

The role of Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draws remains especially important. Many well-integrated candidates in Canada, who do not meet category-based criteria, are relying on this stream. Cut-offs have been high so far, but this is closely tied to how often and how large the draws are. With more frequent and substantial CEC rounds, scores could fall to more reasonable levels, allowing more eligible candidates to receive ITAs. Many of us are watching, and hoping, for more consistency in this program over the coming months.

As a third and final set, I obtained an extended version of the Express Entry pool data from IRCC, which includes a broader range of NOC codes beyond the top 20. This version captures CRS distributions across many other occupations currently in the pool.

While analyzing this full dataset is complex due to its size and structure, it adds another layer of visibility into how different occupations are positioned in the pool, and will be useful for longer-term trend monitoring and deeper occupational breakdowns beyond the top 20.

I wouldn’t call myself a numbers person, but I’m deeply curious about how the data we rarely see connects to the systems we work with every day. If you're a fellow practitioner, I’d love to hear what stands out to you. What patterns are you seeing? What questions does this raise in your own work? Let’s make sense of this together.

As a final note, you can download the data exactly as I received it from IRCC through my customized request for those who want to explore the numbers firsthand.