CEC Cut-Off Climbs to New 2026 High as Canada Issues 2,000 Express Entry Invitations
The April 14 round marks the 22nd Express Entry draw of 2026 and the seventh dedicated CEC selection of the year. With 250 fewer invitations than the March 31 CEC round — which issued 2,250 ITAs — it is now the smallest CEC-specific draw IRCC has held this year.
To qualify for the latest round, candidates needed to meet both of the following requirements:
- A minimum CRS score of 515; and
- A profile created in the Express Entry pool before 2:46 a.m. UTC on June 10, 2025.
The six-point jump in the cut-off score is the largest movement seen between any two Express Entry rounds in 2026 to date. Analysts note that pairing a smaller invitation pool with a higher score threshold signals a tighter selection bar for the CEC stream, with candidates needing stronger combinations of language ability, education and Canadian work experience to land within the invitation cut.
The broader 2026 picture continues to favour candidates already in Canada. The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) and CEC streams together have absorbed the bulk of this year's draws, with provincially nominated and Canadian-experienced candidates remaining the primary recipients of Express Entry invitations. The breakdown of 2026 draws by category to date is as follows:
| Draw Type | Number of Draws |
|---|---|
| Provincial Nominee Program | 8 |
| Canadian Experience Class | 7 |
| French-Language Proficiency | 3 |
| Physicians with Canadian Work Experience | 1 |
| Healthcare and Social Services | 1 |
| Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience | 1 |
| Trades | 1 |
The dominance of CEC is even more pronounced in volume: of the 61,154 ITAs IRCC has issued in 2026 so far, 32,250 — more than half — went to CEC candidates, with French-language draws a distant second at 18,000 invitations. The full breakdown is as follows:
| Draw Type | ITAs Issued |
|---|---|
| Canadian Experience Class | 32,250 |
| French-Language Proficiency | 18,000 |
| Healthcare and Social Services | 4,000 |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 3,263 |
| Trades | 3,000 |
| Physicians with Canadian Work Experience | 391 |
| Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience | 250 |
Taken together, the latest round delivers two clear messages: IRCC continues to prioritize candidates with Canadian work experience, and the competitive threshold is climbing as the candidate pool expands. For CEC candidates already in Canada who fall short of the 515 mark, accumulating additional Canadian work experience, improving language scores or pursuing a provincial nomination remain the main levers for boosting CRS standings ahead of future draws.
For more draw details, visit the UNA Express Entry page.
Friendly reminder: There are many pathways to immigrate to Canada. We recommend first using UNA AI to generate an objective and neutral immigration plan, so you can gain an initial understanding of the possible immigration pathways and their requirements, and then choose to proceed with one-on-one consultations with a licensed Canadian immigration consultant partnered with UNA.
International Student Population in Canada Falls by More Than 200,000 Over Two Years as Study Permit Caps Take Effect
Canada's population of international students holding only a study permit has dropped sharply over the past two years, signalling a clear structural shift in federal immigration policy. According to the latest data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the number of study-permit-only holders fell from 673,920 in December 2023 to 460,695 in January 2026, a net reduction of more than 210,000 people, or over 30 percent. The decline became visible from mid-2024, accelerated sharply between March and July 2025, and has remained consistently below 500,000 since late 2025. Analysts broadly attribute the drop to Ottawa's systematic effort to cap international student volumes — a policy first introduced under Justin Trudeau's government in January 2024 and since extended and tightened under Prime Minister Mark Carney, whose 2025 budget slashed the 2026 new study permit allocation from 305,900 to 155,000 (a 49 percent cut), alongside stricter eligibility rules, tougher scrutiny of designated learning institutions (DLIs) and explicit links between intake and housing and labour market capacity. Observers say this is not a short-term correction but a structural turning point that will reshape tuition revenues at Canadian post-secondary institutions, the future pool of permanent resident candidates and housing demand in major cities.
04/17/2026
Canada Holds Fourth French-Language Express Entry Draw of 2026, Issuing 4,000 Invitations
On April 15, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held its fourth Express Entry draw of the year targeting candidates with French-language proficiency, issuing 4,000 invitations to apply (ITAs) with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off of 419 for candidates who had created their Express Entry profiles before 7:14 a.m. UTC on November 14, 2025; this was the second consecutive French-category draw with a reduced invitation count, and the twenty-third overall Express Entry draw of 2026, reinforcing the broader trend of IRCC prioritizing in-Canada candidates—particularly those holding provincial nominations or Canadian work experience—while year-to-date invitations across all categories have now reached 65,154.
04/16/2026
CEC Cut-Off Climbs to New 2026 High as Canada Issues 2,000 Express Entry Invitations
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 2,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence to Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates in an Express Entry round held on April 14, 2026, with the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off settling at 515 — six points higher than the previous CEC round on March 31 and the largest single jump in CRS thresholds between draws this year, which also makes it the smallest CEC round of 2026 and underscores IRCC's continued tilt toward in-Canada candidates with domestic work experience or provincial nominations even as the bar to receive an invitation continues to rise; year-to-date, IRCC has issued 61,154 ITAs across all Express Entry categories, with the CEC stream alone accounting for more than half of that total.
04/15/2026
Canada Issues 324 Invitations to Provincial Nominees in April 13 Express Entry Draw
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held another targeted Express Entry draw on April 13, 2026, issuing 324 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residence to candidates in the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off of 786 and a profile-creation tie-breaker set at 6:53 p.m. UTC on November 19, 2025; this marks the 21st Express Entry round of 2026 and the eighth PNP-specific draw of the year, reinforcing the program's position as the most frequently used draw category in the current year's invitation calendar; year-to-date, IRCC has now issued 59,154 ITAs across all categories, led by the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) with 30,250 and followed by the French-Language Proficiency stream, confirming Ottawa's continued preference for candidates already working in Canada, holding provincial nominations, or able to serve French-speaking communities.
04/14/2026
Canada Proposes Sweeping Express Entry Overhaul: Three Programs to Merge, High-Wage Occupations to Drive Selection
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has shared detailed proposals with immigration lawyers to overhaul the Express Entry system, Canada's primary pathway for selecting skilled permanent residents. The proposed reforms would merge the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) into a single immigration stream with unified eligibility requirements — standardizing work experience at one year of cumulative experience within the past three years (Canadian or foreign), setting language proficiency at CLB 6 for all candidates, and eliminating the FSWP's 67-point selection grid. The most consequential change involves a fundamental restructuring of the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), introducing a "High Wage Occupation" factor that awards points based on whether a candidate's occupation earns above the national median wage, while proposing to remove or modify points currently awarded for Canadian education credentials, French proficiency, siblings in Canada, and spousal factors. These proposals remain at an early stage, with public consultations planned for Spring 2026 and no implementation timeline announced.
04/11/2026
Ontario Issues Over 1,800 Immigration Invitations Across Four Targeted Draws, Healthcare Accounting for Nearly 90%
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) conducted four targeted draws on April 8, 2026, issuing a total of 1,828 invitations to apply (ITAs) across four categories: healthcare and early childhood education, Francophone candidates, the Regional Economic Development through Immigration (REDI) pilot, and physicians. The healthcare and early childhood education draw dominated with 1,635 invitations — nearly 90% of the total — while the Foreign Worker stream minimum score dropped to just 20, down sharply from 36 in the February 2 healthcare draw, signaling Ontario's intensified push to fill critical staffing gaps in these sectors. This marked the province's sixth set of draws in 2026, with all targeted candidates required to hold a valid work or study permit and currently reside in Canada. Notably, these draws come as Ontario prepares for a sweeping overhaul of its immigration system, with legal amendments to the Ontario Immigration Act set to take effect on May 30, 2026, revoking all existing nomination categories — including the Foreign Worker, International Student, and In-Demand Skills streams used in these draws.
04/10/2026
Canada Moves to Overhaul Express Entry: Three Federal Skilled Immigration Programs May Be Merged Into a Single New Class
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has proposed a sweeping restructuring of its flagship Express Entry system in its newly released Forward Regulatory Plan: 2026–2028, under which the three federal economic immigration programs currently managed through Express Entry — the Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSWC), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and the Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC) — would be repealed and replaced by a single new class with streamlined eligibility requirements, which IRCC says would help support Canada's economy and businesses by building a more diverse pool of international talent while making the system easier for applicants, employers and partners to navigate; the department has indicated that the reform is still in the proposal phase and plans to consult partners, stakeholders and the public in spring 2026, and if implemented, the change would represent the most significant overhaul of Canada's federal high-skilled immigration framework since Express Entry was launched in 2015.
04/09/2026
Alberta Introduces $135 Fee for Worker Expression of Interest Submissions Under AAIP, Effective April 7
The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) has confirmed that, starting April 7, 2026, foreign nationals submitting a Worker Expression of Interest (WEOI) will be required to pay a new $135 fee, a step that ends the previously free submission process and applies across every worker stream and pathway — including the Alberta Opportunity Stream, the Alberta Express Entry Stream (covering the Accelerated Tech Pathway, the Law Enforcement Pathway and priority sector draws), the Dedicated Health Care Pathways, the Rural Renewal Stream and the Tourism and Hospitality Stream — while remaining entirely separate from the existing $1,500 application fee; the change follows the February 25, 2026 addition of new wage and hours-of-work fields to the WEOI form and comes as more than 44,000 WEOIs sit in the selection pool, with Alberta holding a 2026 allocation of 6,403 nominations from IRCC, of which 1,475 had been issued as of April 1 and 4,928 remain available, with upcoming draws expected to prioritize health care, technology, construction, manufacturing, aviation, agriculture and occupations tied to designated Rural Renewal communities.
04/08/2026
Canada Targets 58 Funding Agreements Under Foreign Credential Recognition Program for 2026-27, Aiming to Support Over 32,000 Professionals
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) has set a concrete annual target for its Foreign Credential Recognition (FCR) Program in its 2026-27 Departmental Plan: 58 funding agreements expected to benefit approximately 32,000 internationally trained professionals (ITPs) seeking to work in their fields in Canada. Alongside this target, the federal government has formally committed $97 million CAD over five years, beginning in 2026-27, to establish the FCR Action Fund — a dedicated funding stream designed to work with provinces and territories to improve the fairness, transparency, timeliness, and consistency of credential recognition processes, with a particular focus on the healthcare and construction sectors. These developments signal a shift in Ottawa's approach from project-level funding toward systemic reform of Canada's credential recognition framework.
04/06/2026
Eight Immigration Changes Take Effect in Canada as of April 1, 2026
Between March 31 and April 1, 2026, the Canadian federal and provincial governments rolled out eight immigration-related changes affecting a wide range of applicants and residents. Canadian passport fees have risen for the first time since 2013, with a 10-year adult passport now costing $163.50, up from $160. At the same time, a new "30 days or free" processing guarantee promises automatic full refunds when applications exceed the 30-business-day window. The right of citizenship fee increased by $3.25 to $123, and permanent residence application fees are set to rise on April 30. The Super Visa program now offers two additional ways for hosts to meet the minimum income threshold, giving more families the chance to bring parents and grandparents to Canada. Provinces and territories have gained greater authority over assessing nominees' intent to reside and economic establishment prospects. Economic-class permanent residents now face a six-year time limit on access to federally funded settlement services, tightening to five years in 2027. Rural employers can hire low-wage temporary foreign workers at up to 15% of their workforce under the TFWP, up from 10%. Saskatchewan has also extended its $500 application fee and $250 second review fee to all SINP worker categories.
04/04/2026
