CEC cut-off hits new high in latest Express Entry draw

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued a fresh round of Invitations to Apply (ITAs) through the Express Entry system, with Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores for Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates reaching a new high in 2026.

In the latest draw held on April 14, IRCC invited 2,000 CEC candidates to apply for permanent residence.

To qualify for this round, candidates were required to meet the following criteria:

A minimum CRS score of 515; and
An Express Entry profile created before 2:46 a.m. (UTC) on June 10, 2025.

Latest Draw Details

Draw Date: April 14, 2026
Draw Type: Canadian Experience Class
Number of Invitations: 2,000
Minimum CRS Score Required: 515

Express Entry Draws List 2026

Date	Draw Type	Minimum CRS	Number of ITAs
April 14	Canadian Experience Class	515	2,000
April 13	Provincial Nominee Program	789	324
April 2	Trades	477	3,000
March 31	Canadian Experience Class	509	2,250
March 30	Provincial Nominee Program	802	356
March 18	French Language Proficiency	393	4,000
March 17	Canadian Experience Class	507	4,000
March 16	Provincial Nominee Program	742	362
March 5	Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience	429	250
March 4	French Language Proficiency	397	5,500
March 3	Canadian Experience Class	508	4,000
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

This marks the highest CRS cut-off recorded for CEC candidates so far this year.

Key highlights of the draw

This was the seventh CEC draw of 2026 and the 22nd Express Entry draw overall this year. It is also the smallest CEC draw of 2026, slightly lower than the March 31 draw, which issued 2,250 ITAs.

Notably, the CRS cut-off increased by six points compared to the previous CEC draw, representing the largest jump in CRS scores between CEC draws this year.

Express Entry trends in 2026

So far in 2026, IRCC has focused heavily on candidates already in Canada, particularly those with:

Canadian work experience (CEC), and
Provincial nominations (PNP).

CEC draws have been the most frequent and have issued the highest number of invitations among all categories.

ITAs issued so far in 2026

A total of 61,154 ITAs have been issued across different draw categories this year:

Draw Type	Total Number of Invitations
Canadian Experience Class	32,250
French-language proficiency	18,000
Healthcare & social services	4,000
Trades	3,000
Provincial Nominee Program	3,263
Physicians with Canadian experience	391
Senior Managers with Canadian experience	250

The continued rise in CRS cut-off scores indicates growing competition among CEC candidates, especially as Canada prioritizes in-country applicants in its immigration strategy.

Connect with us

CEC cut-off hits new high in latest Express Entry draw

admin