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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

On April 2, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted the year's first category-based Express Entry draw targeting Trades Occupations, issuing 3,000 invitations to apply (ITAs) with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 477. The draw marks a significant milestone as the first Trades selection since IRCC raised the minimum work experience requirement from six months to one year in February 2026, and represents the twentieth Express Entry draw of the year. Notably, the 3,000 ITAs issued in this single draw already exceed the 1,250 total issued under the Trades category throughout all of 2025, underscoring IRCC's growing emphasis on skilled tradespeople. With 58,830 ITAs issued across all categories in 2026 so far, the Canadian Experience Class and French-language proficiency categories continue to account for the largest share.

On March 31, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) closed out the month with an Express Entry draw targeting Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates, issuing 2,250 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residence at a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 509. This marked the 19th Express Entry draw of 2026 and the sixth dedicated CEC round this year. With 55,830 ITAs issued across the first three months of the year — 30,250 of which went to CEC candidates alone — the federal government's strategy of prioritizing immigration applicants already living and working in Canada has come into sharp focus.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued 356 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to candidates under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) in the 18th Express Entry draw of 2026. Candidates in this draw were required to have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 802 and to have created their Express Entry profile before 3:54 a.m. UTC on February 12, 2026. So far in 2026, IRCC has focused its draws primarily on candidates residing in Canada, especially those with provincial nominations and Canadian work experience. A total of 53,580 ITAs have been issued to date.

The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) held a new selection round on March 26, 2026, issuing 14 Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs) under the Skilled Worker Stream to candidates in Manitoba and overseas. Those invited had declared in their Expression of Interest (EOI) profiles that they had been directly invited by the province through a strategic recruitment initiative. Among the various initiatives, the Francophone Community initiative accounted for the highest number of invitations, with eight LAAs issued. In addition, three invitees declared valid Express Entry profile numbers and job seeker validation codes.

Canada has further expanded work permit access for family members of foreign workers employed by selected companies. As of March 23, 2026, foreign workers employed in British Columbia by Lululemon Athletica or Microsoft Vancouver can support an open work permit application for their spouse or common-law partner, without the usual restrictions based on the principal applicant’s skill level, salary, or seniority. The new measure applies to applications received on or after that date and represents a targeted exemption for companies tied to significant investment projects, even as Canada continues tightening spousal open work permit rules more broadly.