Within a span of 24 hours, IRCC (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada) has conducted its latest CEC (Canadian Experience Class) and PNP (Provincial Nominee Program) draws under the Canada Express Entry program.
The latest round of Express Entry invitations invited candidates under the PNP program, followed by the CEC category draw the next day. With the two consecutive draws, IRCC invited more than 4,300 candidates, bringing them closer to securing Canada permanent residency.
Canada Express Entry Latest Draw
Canada Express Entry's latest draw invited candidates under PNP and CEC categories. To be eligible under the PNP program and CEC category, candidates are required to have certain requirements which are as follows:
Latest PNP Draw
The latest PNP draw was issued on March 16, 2026, inviting 362 candidates. To be eligible under the latest PNP draw, candidates are required to have:
❖ A minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) Score of 742; and
❖ Created an Express Entry profile before 8:35 p.m., Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) on October 5, 2025
Latest CEC Draw
A total of 4,000 ITAs were issued in the latest CEC latest draw, issued on March 17, 2026. To be eligible under the latest CEC draw, candidates are required to have:
❖ A minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) Score of 507; and
❖ Created an Express Entry profile before 6:57 p.m., Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) on May 11, 2025
Express Entry Canada: List of Draws in 2026
Draw Date | Draw Type | CRS Score | ITAs Issued |
March 17, 2026 | Canadian Experience Class | 507 | 4,000 |
March 16, 2026 | Provincial Nominee Program | 742 | 362 |
March 5, 2026 | Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience | 429 | 250 |
March 4, 2026 | French Language Proficiency | 397 | 5,500 |
March 3, 2026 | Canadian Experience Class | 508 | 4,000 |
March 2, 2026 | Provincial Nominee Program | 710 | 264 |
February 20, 2026 | Healthcare and Social Services | 467 | 4,000 |
February 19, 2026 | Physicians with Canadian Work Experience | 169 | 391 |
February 17, 2026 | Canadian Experience Class | 508 | 6,000 |
February 16, 2026 | Provincial Nominee Program | 789 | 279 |
February 6, 2026 | French Language Proficiency | 400 | 8,500 |
February 3, 2026 | Provincial Nominee Program | 749 | 423 |
January 21, 2026 | Canadian Experience Class | 509 | 6,000 |
January 20, 2026 | Provincial Nominee Program | 746 | 681 |
January 7, 2026 | Canadian Experience Class | 511 | 8,000 |
January 5, 2026 | Provincial Nominee Program | 711 | 574 |
Key Highlights from the Canada Express Entry Draws
With a total of sixteen draws, the IRCC has invited a total of 49,604 ITAs thus far in 2026. And the latest PNP draw marks the sixth draw under the Express Entry program, whereas the latest CEC draw is considered to be the fifth draw in the year 2026.
Express Entry draws in 2026, have seen its focus towards the Canadian Experience Class category, making them the second most frequently drawn category after the Provincial Nominee Program. Inviting candidates under the CEC category, the country highlights its intention of attracting professionals who understand its labour market forces and the on-going demand of skilled and competent professionals. With the back-to-back draws frequently underline Canada’s planned approach to fill in labour shortage quickly while prioritizing ready to integrate candidates making the economical needs more efficient. The following is the breakdown of number of Express Entry draws held in 2026 thus far under each respective category:
Draw Type | Number of Draws | Total ITAs Issued |
Provincial Nominee Program | 6 | 2,583 |
Canadian Experience Class | 5 | 28,000 |
French Language Proficiency | 2 | 14,000 |
Physicians with Canadian Work Experience | 1 | 391 |
Healthcare and Social Services | 1 | 4,000 |
Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience | 1 | 250 |
Analysis of the Express Entry Draws
The PNP draws ranks ahead in the race of attracting professionals with its continuous draws, i.e., six draws, whereas the CEC category ranks second in the list but attracts the largest number of candidates, i.e., 28,000 ITAs who have Canadian work experience and now hold the dream of residing in the country as Canada permanent residents. IRCC had also paid attention towards attracting French-speaking candidates so as to promote bilingualism in the country. Apart from all these categories, IRCC has also released its first draw under the three newly introduced occupation categories, being the “senior managers with Canadian work experience category."
What does IRCC hold in the future?
By conducting consecutive and frequent draws, IRCC aims to accelerate the immigration process and meet Canada’s labour market needs. It is expected that the federal government of Canada will process more frequent draws in the near future. Applicants who aspire to immigrate to Canada must ensure certain requirements so as to secure Canada permanent residency, such as:
● Secure canadian work experience while on a post-study work permit
● Secure Provincial Nomination, as it provides additional 600 points to the Express Entry profile
● Learn French as an additional and second language
These are some of the requirements that, if paid attention towards, can help professionals immigrate to the country and secure Canada permanent residency.
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