Express Entry is Canada’s flagship immigration management system for skilled workers seeking permanent residence. Think of it as a competitive pool where candidates are ranked using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)—a points-based system that evaluates factors like age, education, work experience, and language ability.
Every few weeks, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada conducts invitation rounds, selecting the highest-ranking candidates from this pool Canada Immigration. What makes 2025-2026 particularly significant is the shift away from general draws toward more targeted selections. IRCC now focuses on three draw types: Program-Specific (targeting Canadian Experience Class or Provincial Nominee Program candidates), Category-Based (focusing on French-speakers, healthcare workers, or specific occupations), and occasionally General rounds.
As of early April 2026, IRCC has conducted 20 draws issuing 58,830 invitations to apply Canada Immigration. The first Trades Occupations draw of 2026 took place on April 2, issuing 3,000 invitations at a CRS cutoff of 477 CIC News—the first trades-specific draw since September 2025.
For candidates, the CRS cutoff score is everything. Score above it, you receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA). Score below it, you wait for the next draw. CEC draws have stabilized at 507-511 throughout Q1 2026, while French-language draws remain the most accessible pathway with scores as low as 393 Amir Ismail And Associates.
Here are the latest express entry draw from latest down to 2025.
Express Entry Draw Results: 2026-2025
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| Draw # | Date | Draw Type | CRS Cutoff | ITAs Issued | Tie-Break Date/Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 409 | Apr 2, 2026 | Trades Occupations | 477 | 3,000 | Feb 14, 2026 20:53:54 UTC |
| 408 | Mar 31, 2026 | Canadian Experience Class | 509 | 2,250 | Mar 18, 2026 08:27:11 UTC |
| 407 | Mar 30, 2026 | Provincial Nominee Program | 802 | 356 | Feb 12, 2026 03:54:03 UTC |
| 406 | Mar 18, 2026 | French Language Proficiency | 393 | 4,000 | Dec 29, 2025 12:47:31 UTC |
| 405 | Mar 17, 2026 | Canadian Experience Class | 507 | 4,000 | May 11, 2025 18:57:31 UTC |
| 404 | Mar 16, 2026 | Provincial Nominee Program | 742 | 362 | Jan 20, 2026 21:02:51 UTC |
| 403 | Mar 5, 2026 | Senior Managers (Canadian Experience) | 429 | 250 | Aug 19, 2025 15:10:18 UTC |
| 402 | Mar 4, 2026 | Healthcare & Social Services | 467 | 1,250 | Jan 7, 2026 12:16:28 UTC |
| 401 | Mar 4, 2026 | French Language Proficiency | 397 | 5,500 | Mar 1, 2026 12:24:07 UTC |
| 400 | Mar 3, 2026 | Canadian Experience Class | 508 | 4,000 | Jun 24, 2025 22:35:48 UTC |
| 399 | Mar 2, 2026 | Provincial Nominee Program | 710 | 264 | Aug 7, 2025 18:02:56 UTC |
| 398 | Feb 19, 2026 | Physicians (Canadian Experience) | 169 | 391 | Jan 3, 2026 03:25:14 UTC |
| 397 | Feb 17, 2026 | Canadian Experience Class | 508 | 6,000 | Jan 20, 2026 08:14:23 UTC |
| 396 | Feb 16, 2026 | Provincial Nominee Program | 789 | 279 | Dec 16, 2025 22:30:36 UTC |
| 395 | Feb 6, 2026 | French Language Proficiency | 400 | 8,500 | Feb 3, 2026 11:11:44 UTC |
| 394 | Feb 3, 2026 | Provincial Nominee Program | 749 | 423 | Dec 16, 2025 22:30:36 UTC |
| 393 | Jan 21, 2026 | Canadian Experience Class | 509 | 6,000 | Oct 29, 2025 04:35:24 UTC |
| 392 | Jan 20, 2026 | Provincial Nominee Program | 746 | 681 | Oct 6, 2025 01:54:31 UTC |
| 391 | Jan 7, 2026 | Canadian Experience Class | 511 | 8,000 | Oct 29, 2025 04:35:24 UTC |
| 390 | Jan 5, 2026 | Provincial Nominee Program | 711 | 574 | Oct 6, 2025 01:54:31 UTC |
| 2025 DRAWS | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
| 389 | Dec 17, 2025 | French Language Proficiency | 399 | 6,000 | Dec 14, 2025 09:49:13 UTC |
| 388 | Dec 11, 2025 | Healthcare & Social Services | 476 | 1,000 | Nov 26, 2025 07:44:32 UTC |
| 387 | Dec 10, 2025 | Canadian Experience Class | 520 | 2,200 | Nov 8, 2025 03:23:04 UTC |
| 386 | Dec 9, 2025 | Canadian Experience Class | 515 | 2,700 | Nov 8, 2025 03:23:04 UTC |
| 385 | Dec 8, 2025 | Provincial Nominee Program | 729 | 1,123 | Mar 5, 2025 05:10:58 UTC |
Key Observations from Latest Draws:
- Trades Category Returns: The April 2 Trades Occupations draw issued 3,000 ITAs at CRS 477—the first trades-specific draw since September 2025, when only 1,250 invitations were issued for the entire year in that category Moving2Canada. This signals IRCC’s renewed focus on filling construction and skilled trades shortages.
- CEC Scores Drop to 18-Month Low: The March 17 CEC draw at 507 points represents the lowest cutoff for Canadian Experience Class in 18 months Immigration News Canada. This trend continued as CEC draws throughout Q1 2026 ranged from 507-511, showing gradual erosion of the competitive threshold Amir Ismail And Associates.
- French Draws Hit Record Lows: The March 18 French-language draw at 393 points represents one of the lowest cutoffs ever for this category Amir Ismail And Associates. French-proficiency candidates have already received 18,000 invitations in 2026—the second-highest of any category CIC News, confirming this as the most accessible pathway.
- New Senior Managers Category Launches: On March 5, IRCC held its first-ever Senior Manager draw, issuing 250 ITAs at CRS 429 Amir Ismail And Associates—opening a new pathway for executives with Canadian leadership experience in NOC codes 00012, 00013, 00014, and 00015.
- PNP Cutoffs Fluctuate Wildly: PNP draws in late March and early April showed dramatic variation—from 710 to 802 points—reflecting the 600-point provincial nomination boost plus varying base CRS scores of successful nominees.
- Q1 2026 Totals: Through 20 draws by early April, IRCC issued 58,830 invitations Canada Immigration, putting Canada well on track to meet annual immigration targets while maintaining strategic focus on in-Canada candidates, French-speakers, and critical occupations.
- Pool Composition: As of March 29, 2026, the Express Entry pool contained 230,186 candidates, with the largest concentration (73,445) in the 451-500 CRS range CIC News—making category-based draws increasingly important for mid-tier candidates.
The data confirms that Q1 2026 represents one of the most active and strategically diverse periods in Express Entry history, with IRCC successfully deploying its expanded category-based selection framework to address specific labour market needs while managing overall immigration volumes.
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As of April 11, 2026
