Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada issued 2,000 invitations to apply in an Express Entry draw for Canadian Experience Class candidates on September 15, 2026. The Comprehensive Ranking System score cut off for this draw was 519 points, a drop of two points from the previous CEC draw. This return to larger draw sizes is welcome news for many CEC candidates, as the CRS score cut off is continuing to fall back towards average levels for the year.
The September 15 draw maintained 2,000 invitations to apply, the same number as the CEC draw two weeks prior. This number remains on the lower end for CEC draws in 2026. The draw occurred earlier in the day than usual, before IRCC’s regular working hours. The reason for the early timing is unclear, though it may have to do with website maintenance IRCC has scheduled later in the day.
Prior to August 18, all 2026 CEC draws issued at least 2,000 invitations, with some draws issuing 4,000, 6,000, and even 8,000 invitations to apply in a single draw. This kept the CRS score relatively stable within a range of 507 and 518 up until the small draw in August. That small draw caused the CRS score cut off to jump to 523 points. The August 18 CEC draw issued only 1,000 invitations to apply, marking the smallest CEC draw of the year.
The tie breaking rule for the September 15 draw was March 26, 2026 at 00:16:39 UTC. As of today’s draw, CEC candidates have received a total of 53,250 invitations this year, which is about 42 percent of all invitations to apply issued in 2026. The latest Express Entry pool update as of September 13 shows 20,784 candidates with a CRS score between 501 and 600. The previous update on August 30 showed 19,542 candidates in the same range, and on July 19 there were 18,133 candidates in this range. A recent report suggested that CEC refusal rates have risen to more than 15 percent, up from four percent two years ago.
If the trend of a higher rate of competitive candidates entering the pool continues, the CRS score cut off could remain elevated. Express Entry hopefuls should prepare for fewer invitations to be issued and what that could mean for their immigration plans if a slowdown occurs. Candidates with a CRS score close to or above the recent cut off range of 507 to 523 have good reason to feel optimistic. Although CEC draw frequency and size have recently been slowing down and may slow further, Canada is committed to welcoming high numbers of skilled worker immigrants with a priority for those with Canadian work experience. A provincial nomination adds 600 additional CRS points, which almost guarantees an invitation to apply through Express Entry. Candidates need to be diligent when preparing applications for permanent residence to ensure that they are not refused for missing information or insufficient documentation. Skilled workers with Canadian work experience will still be competitive under the new program if the Express Entry system overhaul goes through.
A category based draw is predicted for September 16. It is hard to know whether IRCC will continue with large draws for a little longer, or if they might slow down at some point. IRCC recently announced plans for a massive overhaul of the Express Entry system. If it goes through, this overhaul will replace CEC, FSW, and FST with a single federal high skilled immigration program. It is possible that during the implementation of this overhaul, Express Entry draws will be paused so the system can be updated. More details about the reforms will be released later.
As of today’s draw, CEC candidates have received a total of 53,250 invitations this year, which is about 42 percent of all invitations to apply issued in 2026. The relatively consistent CRS score cut off range of 507 to 523 points allows CEC candidates to get a sense of their competitiveness. The recent pace of CEC draws, with small and modest invitations to apply, might be evidence that a slowdown is already upon us.