Canada Holds Fourth French-Language Express Entry Draw of 2026, Issuing 4,000 Invitations
Details of the latest draw
In its April 15 draw, IRCC extended 4,000 invitations to apply (ITAs) to candidates in the French-language proficiency category. To be considered, applicants needed to meet both of the following criteria:
- A minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 419; and
- An Express Entry candidate profile created before 7:14 a.m. UTC on November 14, 2025.
This draw marks the fourth French-category selection of 2026 and the twenty-third Express Entry draw overall this year. Notably, it is the second consecutive round in which the number of invitations issued to French-speaking candidates has been reduced compared to earlier draws, pointing to IRCC's dynamic allocation of invitation volumes across categories.
Breakdown of 2026 draws by category
IRCC has largely concentrated this year's Express Entry activity on candidates already inside Canada, particularly those holding provincial nominations or possessing Canadian work experience. As of this latest draw, the number of draws held in each category breaks down as follows:
| Draw Type | Number of Draws |
|---|---|
| Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) | 8 |
| Canadian Experience Class (CEC) | 7 |
| French-language proficiency | 4 |
| Physicians with Canadian work experience | 1 |
| Healthcare and social services | 1 |
| Senior managers with Canadian work experience | 1 |
| Trades | 1 |
Year-to-date invitations issued
So far in 2026, IRCC has issued a total of 65,154 ITAs across the various Express Entry categories, distributed as follows:
| Draw Type | ITAs Issued |
|---|---|
| Canadian Experience Class (CEC) | 32,250 |
| French-language proficiency | 22,000 |
| Healthcare and social services | 4,000 |
| Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) | 3,263 |
| Trades | 3,000 |
| Physicians with Canadian work experience | 391 |
| Senior managers with Canadian work experience | 250 |
The Canadian Experience Class accounts for more than two-thirds of all invitations issued, with the French-language category in second place; together the two streams represent well over 80% of 2026's total invitations. The distribution clearly illustrates IRCC's selection priorities for the year: continuing to favour candidates already living and working in Canada who are well on their way to integration, while reserving a substantial share of invitations through targeted French-language draws to support Canada's official-language diversity goals.
For French-speaking candidates still awaiting an invitation, the per-draw allocation may have dipped, but the French category's overall share of the year's ITAs remains robust. Candidates outside Canada who do not qualify under the French-language stream, however, continue to face comparatively limited opportunities under the current draw structure.
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.
Ontario Issues Over 1,300 OINP Invitations in Back-to-Back In-Demand Skills Draws
On April 15, 2026, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) held two back-to-back draws under its Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills stream, issuing a combined 1,334 invitations to apply (ITAs) to candidates with qualifying job offers in either agriculture-related occupations or other priority occupations, of which 315 invitations (minimum score 35) went to agriculture candidates and 1,024 (minimum score 36) went to non-agriculture priority occupation candidates — approximately 77% of the total; the two draws together targeted 39 National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes and required candidates to be residing in Canada with a valid work or study permit at the time of selection, with eligible profiles having been created and attested to no earlier than July 2, 2025 and no later than 11:59 p.m. on April 13, 2026, marking OINP's third round of selections in April; notably, OINP is expected to undergo a major program overhaul on May 30, 2026 that will revoke existing applicant categories and consolidate the three current Employer Job Offer streams into a single unified stream, though the province has yet to clarify how existing candidates will be transitioned.
04/20/2026
Prince Edward Island Issues 127 Invitations in Largest PNP Draw of 2026
Prince Edward Island's Office of Immigration held its fourth provincial nominee draw of 2026 on April 16, issuing 127 invitations — the largest single round of the year so far. The draw was conducted through the Labour Impact and PEI Express Entry pathways, the only two streams the province has used this year, and focused on candidates currently working in Prince Edward Island (PEI) in priority occupations and sectors deemed to have high economic impact. International graduates from three local post-secondary institutions — the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI), Holland College and Collège de l'Île — were given further priority. With this round, PEI has now issued a total of 363 invitations under the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) in 2026. The draw took place on the exact date listed in the province's publicly released invitation schedule. Candidates who receive an invitation now have 30 calendar days — down from the previous 60-day window — to file a complete application for provincial nomination.
04/19/2026
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
