Canada has conducted another Express Entry invitation round, giving 2,000 candidates with Canadian work experience an opportunity to move forward with their permanent residence applications.
The September 29 draw was conducted under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). Candidates needed a minimum CRS score of 518 to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA). IRCC also applied a tie-breaking rule based on the date and time candidates entered the Express Entry pool.
Also Read Canada Invites 2,000 CEC Candidates in Latest Express Entry Draw
September 29 Express Entry Draw: Key Details
The latest selection specifically targeted candidates eligible under the Canadian Experience Class. The CEC is designed for skilled workers who have already gained qualifying work experience in Canada and want to transition to permanent residence.
| Draw detail | Information |
| Draw date | September 29, 2026 |
| Program | Canadian Experience Class |
| ITAs issued | 2,000 |
| Minimum CRS score | 518 |
| Tie-breaking date | February 13, 2026 |
| Tie-breaking time | 8:48 p.m. UTC |
The 518 CRS cut-off is one point lower than the 519 score recorded in the September 15 CEC draw. Before that, IRCC issued 2,000 invitations in the September 1 CEC round at a CRS cut-off of 521.
This makes the latest draw another significant selection for candidates who have Canadian work experience and are eligible under the CEC.
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CEC Continues to Account for a Large Share of 2026 Draws
Canadian Experience Class candidates have been selected regularly throughout 2026. The program has now appeared in 17 Express Entry draws this year.
The latest draw also takes the total number of Express Entry invitation rounds conducted in 2026 to 58.
The September schedule has included selections for several different groups, including provincial nominees, senior managers, healthcare and social services workers, physicians and CEC candidates.
Express Entry Draws in 2026
| Date | Draw Type | CRS cut-off score | ITAs issued |
| September 29 | Canadian Experience Class | 518 | 2,000 |
| September 28 | Provincial Nominee Program | 725 | 733 |
| September 16 | Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience | 389 | 250 |
| September 15 | Canadian Experience Class | 519 | 2,000 |
| September 14 | Provincial Nominee Program | 734 | 576 |
| September 4 | Healthcare and social services | 475 | 3,500 |
| September 3 | Physicians with Canadian Work Experience | 198 | 229 |
| September 1 | Canadian Experience Class | 521 | 2,000 |
| August 31 | Provincial Nominee Program | 697 | 562 |
| August 19 | French-Language proficiency | 382 | 5,000 |
| 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 |
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CEC Is the Second-Most Frequent Express Entry Draw Type
CEC has been one of the main categories used by IRCC during 2026. Provincial Nominee Program draws have occurred most frequently, followed by CEC selections and French-language draws.
The distribution of the 58 invitation rounds is as follows:
| Draw Type | Number of Draws |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 19 |
| Canadian Experience Class | 17 |
| French-Language proficiency | 10 |
| Physicians with Canadian work experience | 3 |
| Healthcare and social services | 3 |
| Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience | 3 |
| Trades | 1 |
| Transport | 1 |
| Skilled Military Recruits | 1 |
This pattern shows that candidates with a Canadian connection, including Canadian work experience or a provincial nomination, have accounted for a substantial portion of the year’s Express Entry selections.
More Than 131,000 ITAs Issued in 2026
IRCC has issued 131,715 Invitations to Apply through Express Entry draws during 2026. CEC candidates account for more than 55,000 of these invitations.
French-language candidates have also received a large number of invitations, while healthcare and social services, PNP and trades candidates have been selected through dedicated rounds.
The distribution of ITAs by draw category is:
| Draw type | ITAs Issued |
| Canadian Experience Class | 55,250 |
| French-Language proficiency | 50,500 |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 9,270 |
| Healthcare and social services | 11,500 |
| Trades | 3,000 |
| Transport | 300 |
| Physicians with Canadian work experience | 891 |
| Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience | 1,000 |
| Skilled Military Recruits | 4 |
Conclusion
The September 29 selection provides another opportunity for eligible skilled workers already building their careers in Canada. Candidates who received an ITA can now proceed with their permanent residence application, provided they continue to meet the applicable requirements.
For people still in the Express Entry pool, the latest CRS cut-off also provides a current reference point for CEC selections. However, CRS thresholds can change from one draw to another depending on the number of invitations issued, the candidates in the pool and the type of draw conducted.
Candidates who did not receive an invitation in this round can continue to maintain an eligible Express Entry profile and improve their ranking where possible, such as through additional qualifying work experience, improved language results or other factors that affect their CRS score.
