Canada Holds Second Express Entry Draw of 2026, Invites 8,000 CEC Candidates

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has conducted the second Express Entry draw of the year, the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw, on January 7, 2026, following the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw conducted on January 5, 2026. The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw, targeting the experienced workers already in Canada, issued 8,000 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residence. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off score was 511, and the candidates must have created the Express Entry profile before June 10, 2025, at 3:59 p.m. UTC.

This draw is the second biggest Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw in history, only surpassed by a pandemic-era draw where above 27,000 candidates were sent invitations. Further, the CRS cut-off score of 511 is the lowest in any Express Entry draw in 2025.

The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Express Entry draw, the first Express Entry selection of 2026, issued 574 ITAs, and the minimum CRS cut-off score was 711.

IRCC’s early 2026 selections point towards the trend of prioritizing candidates who

• have Canadian work experience and are already part of the Canadian labour market, or,
• have been nominated by a province

With the latest draw, IRCC has already issued 8,574, ITAs as early as January. January often is marked by a surge in the Express Entry draws, since IRCC issues invitations early to support its federal immigration intake goals.