Canada has conducted another Express Entry invitation round on 18th August, giving 1,000 candidates with Canadian work experience an opportunity to move forward with their permanent residence applications.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted the latest draw under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). Candidates needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 523 to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
The latest selection also applied a profile creation deadline. Candidates had to submit their Express Entry profiles before 10:13 a.m. UTC on August 17, 2026, to be considered for this round.
Also Read Canada Issues 1,000 Invitations to Canadian Experience Class in Latest Express Entry Draw
Key Details of the Latest Express Entry Draw
The August 18 selection continues Canada’s emphasis on applicants who already have experience working in the country.
| Category | Details |
| Draw date | August 18, 2026 |
| Immigration program | Canadian Experience Class |
| Invitations issued | 1,000 |
| Minimum CRS score | 523 |
| Profile deadline | Before 10:13 a.m. UTC, August 17, 2026 |
| Invitation type | Invitation to Apply for permanent residence |
The draw is particularly notable because the number of invitations was smaller than earlier CEC rounds held this year, while the CRS threshold moved higher.
CRS Requirement Rises in Latest CEC Selection
The latest CEC draw required a CRS score of 523. This represents a significant increase compared with several earlier Canadian Experience Class selections in 2026.
For example, IRCC invited 3,000 CEC candidates on August 5 with a minimum CRS score of 516. The July 21 CEC draw also had a cut-off of 516, while the July 7 round required 517.
The August 18 result therefore indicates stronger competition among candidates in the CEC pool, particularly as the number of invitations issued in this round was reduced.
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Canada’s Express Entry Activity in 2026
The August 18 CEC round brought the number of Express Entry selection rounds conducted in 2026 to 48.
Canada has used a combination of program-specific and category-based selections throughout the year. CEC and Provincial Nominee Program draws have been particularly prominent, while IRCC has also conducted selections targeting French-language ability, healthcare and social services, trades, transport, physicians, senior managers and skilled military recruits.
The draw distribution so far is as follows:
| 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 |
CEC selections have accounted for 14 of the 48 invitation rounds conducted during the year, making the program one of the most frequently used Express Entry streams in 2026.
Express Entry Draws Leading Up to the Latest Selection
IRCC has conducted several different types of Express Entry draws since the beginning of August. The latest CEC selection follows a provincial nominee round, a transport-focused selection and a large French-language draw.
| Date | Draw Type | CRS Cut-off Score | ITAs Issued |
| August 18 | Canadian Experience Class | 523 | 1,000 |
| August 17 | 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 |
Express Entry Draw Distribution in 2026
The year’s invitation rounds have been spread across several programs and category-based selections. The breakdown of the 48 rounds conducted so far is shown below:
| 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 |
CEC Has Delivered the Largest Share of ITAs in 2026
CEC selections have generated the highest number of invitations among the Express Entry draw categories listed for 2026.
Across all selection types, IRCC has issued 114,865 ITAs so far this year. The distribution is shown below:
| 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 figures demonstrate the substantial role that CEC and French-language selections have played in Canada’s Express Entry strategy this year.
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What Happens After Receiving an ITA?
Receiving an Invitation to Apply is not the same as receiving permanent residence. An invited candidate must submit a complete permanent residence application within the applicable deadline and provide the required supporting documents.
Applicants may need to provide evidence relating to their identity, work experience, education, language results, police certificates, medical examination and other admissibility requirements.
IRCC then assesses the application before making a final decision on permanent residence.
Express Entry Candidates Should Monitor Future Draws
The latest CEC selection shows that draw sizes and CRS thresholds can change considerably from one invitation round to another.
Candidates who did not receive an ITA in this round can remain in the Express Entry pool if they continue to meet the applicable requirements and maintain a valid profile. Future draws may use different invitation numbers or selection criteria.
For people with Canadian work experience who are pursuing permanent residence, keeping their profile current and monitoring IRCC’s future Express Entry rounds remains important.
