IRCC Conducts Major Express Entry Draw 2026, Invites Thousands of CEC Candidates

The final Express Entry draw of March 2026 invited 2,250 candidates under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted the draw on 31st March 2026 and eligible candidates with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 509 and those who had submitted their Express Entry profiles before 8:27 a.m. (UTC) on 18th March 2026 were considered.

This is the nineteenth Express Entry draw of the year and the sixth specifically targeting CEC candidates. The 2026 selection direction show Canada’s strong preference for applicants already in Canada, particularly those with Canadian work experience and provincial nomination.

IRCC has held several number of draws across the various draw types in 2026. Through the Express Entry system, 55,830 ITAs have been issued in the current year so far. The majority of invitations have been sent to CEC (Canadian Experience Class) candidates with 30,250 ITAs, followed by French-language proficiency candidates with 18,000 invitations.

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