2,000 ITAs Issued in September 1 CEC Draw

September 2, 2026
CIC News Update
Canada, Express Entry
0

Canada has opened another route toward permanent residence for skilled workers already established in the country. In its latest Express Entry selection, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 2,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to candidates eligible under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

The September 1, 2026 selection required candidates to have a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of at least 521. The draw also applied a profile cut-off under IRCC’s tie-breaking rule, with candidates required to have created their Express Entry profile before 3:24 a.m. UTC on August 18, 2026.

The latest round adds another significant group of candidates to the pool of prospective Canadian permanent residents and brings further attention to the role of Canadian work experience in the country’s 2026 immigration selections.

Also Read IRCC invites 2,000 Canadian Experience Class Candidates

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2,000 ITAs Issued in September 1 CEC Draw

The latest draw was specifically reserved for Canadian Experience Class candidates rather than being an all-program invitation round.

Successful candidates can now proceed with their permanent residence applications, provided they continue to meet the requirements associated with their application.

The key figures from the September 1 selection are:

Date	Draw Type	CRS Cut-Off Score	ITAs Issued
September 1	Canadian Experience Class	521	2,000

The CRS threshold is an important part of the selection process because Express Entry candidates are ranked against one another using the Comprehensive Ranking System. A higher score can improve a candidate’s position when IRCC conducts an invitation round.

Canadian Experience Class Remains a Major Express Entry Route

CEC is intended for eligible skilled workers who have obtained qualifying work experience in Canada.

For individuals who have already worked in the country, this program can provide an opportunity to transition from temporary status toward permanent residence through Express Entry.

However, being eligible for the CEC does not by itself guarantee an invitation. Candidates must enter the Express Entry pool and receive a sufficiently high CRS ranking when IRCC conducts a CEC selection.

The September draw also demonstrates that the number of invitations and the required CRS score can shift between individual rounds.

Recent Express Entry Results Show Changing CRS Requirements

The latest CEC selection follows a busy period of Express Entry activity.

In August, IRCC conducted several different types of draws, including selections for provincial nominees, French-speaking candidates, transport workers and CEC candidates. The August 18 CEC draw issued 1,000 ITAs with a CRS cut-off of 523, while the August 5 CEC round invited 3,000 candidates at 516 points.

The complete 2026 draw record provided in the reference is shown below:

Date	Draw Type	CRS Cut-Off Score	ITAs Issued
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

51 Express Entry Draws Conducted in 2026

With the September 1 selection, IRCC had completed 51 Express Entry draws during 2026.

CEC and provincial nominee selections have featured prominently in the year’s invitation activity, while IRCC has also continued conducting category-based rounds aimed at candidates with particular professional backgrounds or language abilities.

The number of draws conducted under each category is:

Draw Type	Number of Draws
Provincial Nominee Program	17
Canadian Experience Class	15
French-Language proficiency	10
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

The distribution highlights how Canada’s Express Entry system has been used for several targeted selection strategies during the year rather than operating exclusively through CEC or PNP invitations.

More Than 117,000 Invitations Issued This Year

The September 1 draw also contributes to a substantial number of ITAs issued through Express Entry in 2026.

According to the figures in the reference, IRCC had issued 122,427 ITAs across all Express Entry draw categories during the year. The CEC accounted for 51,250 invitations, while French-language proficiency selections accounted for another 50,500.

The full distribution is:

Draw Type	ITAs Issued
Canadian Experience Class	51,250
French-Language proficiency	50,500
Provincial Nominee Program	7,961
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

Conclusion

The issuance of another 2,000 CEC invitations keeps Canadian work experience at the centre of Canada’s Express Entry activity.

With 51 draws already conducted in 2026 and more than 117,000 invitations issued across the various selection categories, the latest CEC round represents another substantial opportunity for candidates seeking Canadian permanent residence.

For skilled workers with qualifying Canadian experience, maintaining a strong Express Entry profile and understanding how CRS ranking works remain important steps toward improving their prospects in future invitation rounds.

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