Canada issues 6,000 PR invites in Express Entry draw; CRS cut-off at 508

IRCC conducts eighth Express Entry draw of 2026, focusing on Canadian Experience Class candidates already working in Canada

Canada on Tuesday issued 6,000 invitations to apply for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class in its latest Express Entry draw.

 

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) confirmed that candidates needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 508. They also had to have created their Express Entry profile before 9:35 a.m. Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) on March 16, 2025.

 

This was the eighth Express Entry draw of 2026 and the third this year focused on Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates.

 

How Express Entry works

 

Express Entry is Canada’s online system for managing applications for permanent residence under its main skilled worker immigration routes. It covers three federal economic programmes:

 

 

• Federal Skilled Worker Program

• Federal Skilled Trades Program

• Canadian Experience Class

 

Eligible candidates submit an online profile and are ranked using the Comprehensive Ranking System. Points are awarded for age, education, work experience and language ability. Those with higher scores receive invitations in future draws.

 

Focus on candidates already in Canada

 

So far in 2026, IRCC has largely concentrated on candidates already living and working in Canada. That includes those with provincial nominations and those with Canadian work experience.

 

The breakdown of draws this year is as follows:

 

Draw type

• Provincial Nominee Program – 4

• Canadian Experience Class – 3

• French-language proficiency – 1

 

In total, IRCC has issued 30,457 invitations to apply in 2026 across these categories:

 

Draw type

• Canadian Experience Class – 20,000

• French-language proficiency – 8,500

• Provincial Nominee Program – 1,534

 

Who qualifies for the Canadian Experience Class

 

The Canadian Experience Class is designed for temporary foreign workers and international graduates who have already built careers in Canada.

 

To qualify, applicants must meet the following conditions:

 

• At least one year of full-time skilled work experience in Canada within the last three years

• Minimum language test results at the required level

• Plans to live outside the province of Quebec

 

What to do if you were not invited

 

Candidates who did not receive an invitation in this round can consider improving their profile. Options include:

 

• Retaking language tests to secure a higher score

• Gaining additional skilled work experience

• Completing further education

• Seeking a provincial nomination, which adds 600 CRS points

 

Express Entry draws take place regularly, and CRS cut-off scores vary depending on the number of candidates in the pool and the government’s selection priorities.