Canada has held another Express Entry draw, inviting candidates from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) to apply for permanent residence.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 1,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) in the latest draw.
Candidates needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 523 to receive an invitation. They also needed to have created their Express Entry profile before 10:13 a.m. UTC on August 17, 2026.
The latest selection is part of Canada’s continued focus on candidates who already have Canadian work experience.
Latest Express Entry Draw Details
| Date | Draw Type | CRS Cut-Off Score | ITAs Issued |
| August 18 | Canadian Experience Class | 523 | 1,000 |
| August 16 | Provincial Nominee Program | 760 | 442 |
| August 7 | Transport | 470 | 300 |
| August 6 | French-Language proficiency | 391 | 5,000 |
| August 5 | Canadian Experience Class | 516 | 3,000 |
| August 4 | Provincial Nominee Program | 768 | 507 |
| July 23 | Skilled Military Recruits | 368 | 4 |
| July 22 | French-Language proficiency | 399 | 5,000 |
| July 21 | Canadian Experience Class | 516 | 2,000 |
| July 20 | Provincial Nominee Program | 744 | 511 |
| July 10 | Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience | 392 | 500 |
| July 9 | French-Language proficiency | 420 | 5,000 |
| July 7 | Canadian Experience Class | 517 | 2,000 |
| July 6 | Provincial Nominee Program | 708 | 534 |
| June 25 | Healthcare and social services | 475 | 4,000 |
| June 24 | Physicians with Canadian Work Experience | 223 | 271 |
| June 23 | Canadian Experience Class | 516 | 4,000 |
| June 22 | Provincial Nominee Program | 730 | 955 |
| May 28 | French-Language proficiency | 409 | 4,500 |
| May 27 | Canadian Experience Class | 518 | 3,000 |
| May 25 | Provincial Nominee Program | 805 | 334 |
| May 11 | Provincial Nominee Program | 798 | 380 |
| April 29 | French-Language proficiency | 400 | 4,000 |
| April 28 | Canadian Experience Class | 514 | 2,000 |
| April 27 | Provincial Nominee Program | 795 | 473 |
| April 15 | French-Language proficiency | 419 | 4,000 |
| April 14 | Canadian Experience Class | 515 | 2,000 |
| April 13 | Provincial Nominee Program | 786 | 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 |
The latest draw takes the total number of Express Entry selection rounds held by IRCC in 2026 to 48.
The latest CEC selection also recorded the lowest number of invitations issued in a single CEC draw so far this year. At the same time, the CRS cut-off reached 523, which is the highest CEC cut-off recorded in 2026.
Express Entry Continues To Focus On Canadian Experience
Canada has mainly focused its Express Entry selections in 2026 on candidates who already have a connection to the country.
Provincial nominees and candidates with Canadian work experience have received regular invitations throughout the year. IRCC has also conducted category-based draws for French-language candidates, healthcare workers, trades workers, transport workers and other groups.
| Draw Type | Number Of Draws |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 16 |
| Canadian Experience Class | 14 |
| French-Language proficiency | 9 |
| Physicians with Canadian work experience | 2 |
| Healthcare and social services | 2 |
| Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience | 2 |
| Trades | 1 |
| Transport | 1 |
| Skilled Military Recruits | 1 |
Express Entry Invitations Issued In 2026
IRCC has issued a total of 114,865 ITAs through Express Entry draws so far in 2026.
| Draw Type | ITAs Issued |
| Canadian Experience Class | 49,250 |
| French-Language proficiency | 45,500 |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 7,399 |
| Healthcare and social services | 8,000 |
| Trades | 3,000 |
| Transport | 300 |
| Physicians with Canadian work experience | 662 |
| Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience | 750 |
| Skilled Military Recruits | 4 |
The latest CEC draw highlights the continued importance of Canadian work experience in the country’s immigration system. Candidates who qualify under the Canadian Experience Class can enter the Express Entry pool and may receive an ITA when their CRS score meets the cut-off set for a draw.
The higher CRS requirement in this round shows that competition among CEC candidates remains strong. The latest selection also came shortly after the provincial nominee draw, showing that IRCC continues to use different Express Entry categories to select candidates for permanent residence.
Overall, the latest draw gives another indication that candidates with Canadian experience remain an important part of Canada’s immigration plans for 2026.
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