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.
