CEC draw: Express Entry cut-off score drops to a new low as thousands of candidates receive invitations
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued more invitations to apply (ITA) through the Express Entry system.
The immigration department issued 6,000 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 509; and
- Created an Express Entry candidate profile before 4:35 a.m., Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) on October 29, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2 | Provincial Nominee Program | 710 | 264 |
| February 20 | Healthcare and social services | 467 | 4,000 |
| February 19 | Physicians with Canadian work experience | 169 | 391 |
| February 17 | Canadian Experience Class | 508 | 6,000 |
| February 16 | Provincial Nominee Program | 789 | 279 |
| February 6 | French-Language proficiency | 400 | 8,500 |
| February 3 | Provincial Nominee Program | 749 | 423 |
| January 21 | Canadian Experience Class | 509 | 6,000 |
| January 20 | Provincial Nominee Program | 746 | 681 |
| January 7 | Canadian Experience Class | 511 | 8,000 |
| January 5 | Provincial Nominee Program | 711 | 574 |
Today's draw marks the third of the year, and the second large CEC selection of 2026.
Within just the first month of the year, IRCC has already issued 14,000 ITAs to CEC candidates through two Express Entry draws. These significantly sized draws have also contributed to drastic changes in the composition of the Express Entry candidate pool.
CEC draws this year have also featured some of the lowest CRS scores the program has seen in recent memory. Both today's draw and the CEC draw preceding it featured the lowest score cut-offs since September of 2024.
Express Entry draws in 2026 have seen Canada's immigration department focus exclusively on immigration candidates within the country, particularly those with provincial nominations and Canadian work experience.
| Draw Type | Number of Draws |
|---|---|
| Provincial Nominee Program | 5 |
| Canadian Experience Class | 3 |
| French-Language proficiency | 1 |
| Physicians with Canadian work experience | 1 |
| Healthcare and social services | 1 |
In 2026 thus far, IRCC has issued 15,255 ITAs across two draw types:
| Draw type | ITAs Issued |
|---|---|
| Canadian Experience Class | 20,000 |
| French-Language proficiency | 8,500 |
| Healthcare and social services | 4,000 |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 1,798 |
| Physicians with Canadian work experience | 391 |
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