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
Draw dateDraw TypeCRS cut-off scoreITAs issued
January 7Canadian Experience Class5118,000
January 5Provincial Nominee Program711574
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 TypeNumber of Draws
Canadian Experience Class1
Provincial Nominee Program1
Despite being only into the first full week of 2026, Canada’s immigration department has already issued more than 8,500 ITAs:
Draw typeITAs Issued
Canadian Experience Class8,000
Provincial Nominee Program574
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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