Canada holds second-largest Canadian Experience Class draw in history
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued more invitations to apply (ITA) through the Express Entry system.
The immigration department issued 8,000 ITAs in a draw for Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates.
To be considered in this draw, candidates needed to have
- A minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 511; and
- Created an Express Entry candidate profile before 3:59 p.m., Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) on June 10, 2025.
See how competitive your Express Entry profile is
Summary of Express Entry draws in 2026
| Draw date | Draw Type | CRS cut-off score | ITAs issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 7 | Canadian Experience Class | 511 | 8,000 |
| January 5 | Provincial Nominee Program | 711 | 574 |
Today's draw marks the second-largest CEC draw ever, dwarfed only by the massive pandemic-era draw, which invited more than 27,000 candidates. In addition, this draw features a lower CRS cut-off score than was seen for any Express Entry draw in 2025. Prior to today, the lowest cut-off score for a CEC draw was 509, on September 19 2024.
This is also the second Express Entry selection of the year, and follows a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw on January 5.
IRCC has started the year by continuing to prioritize candidates in Canada, and those who have experience with the Canadian labour market, or who have been nominated by a province:
| Draw Type | Number of Draws |
|---|---|
| Canadian Experience Class | 1 |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 1 |
Despite being only into the first full week of 2026, Canada's immigration department has already issued more than 8,500 ITAs:
| Draw type | ITAs Issued |
|---|---|
| Canadian Experience Class | 8,000 |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 574 |
January is typically a time marked by increased Express Entry activity, as IRCC looks to issue more invitations that can count towards its admissions (or landings) target through federal pathways for that year.
Due to lag times from ITA issuance to an immigrant landing in Canada (in the form of application processing and wait times), admissions are usually anticipated a minimum of six months after an ITA is delivered.
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