Express Entry 2026- Second-Largest Draw Ever Invites 8,000 CEC Candidates

In the latest draw, IRCC invited 8,000 candidates to apply for permanent residence through Express Entry. To receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA), candidates needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 511. Eligible profiles must also have been submitted before 3:59 p.m. (UTC) on June 10, 2025.

Express Entry Draw Result – 7 January 2026

Date	EE Draw Category	No. of ITAs	Minimum CRS Score Requirement	Tie-breaking rule
Jan 7, 2026	Canadian Experience Class (CEC)	8,000	511	June 10, 2025 at 15:59:25 UTC

Click here to see the complete list of Express Entry draws until date

This round stands out as the second-largest CEC draw ever held. It is surpassed only by the exceptional draw during the pandemic period, when more than 27,000 candidates were invited in a single round. Notably, the CRS cut-off of 511 is lower than any score seen in Express Entry draws throughout 2025. Before this, the lowest CEC cut-off was 509, recorded on September 19, 2024.

The January 7 draw is also the second Express Entry selection of the year. It follows a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw conducted on January 5, which issued 574 invitations with a CRS cut-off of 711.

Express Entry draws so far in 2026

Draw Date	Draw Type	CRS Cut-off	ITAs Issued
January 7	Canadian Experience Class	511	8,000
January 5	Provincial Nominee Program	711	574

These early draws suggest that IRCC is continuing its focus on candidates who already have Canadian work experience or who have received provincial nominations. So far this year, one CEC draw and one PNP draw have been conducted.

Draw Type	ITAs Issued
Canadian Experience Class	8,000
Provincial Nominee Program	574

Despite being only the first full week of 2026, more than 8,500 ITAs have already been issued through Express Entry.

Last 5 Express Entry Draws:

January is traditionally an active period for Express Entry, as IRCC works to issue invitations that will count toward its annual immigration targets. Since there is usually a gap of several months between receiving an ITA and actually landing in Canada—due to processing times and application reviews—most admissions from these early draws are expected to take place at least six months later.

Also read-

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Express Entry Targets French Speakers with 6,000 Invitations at Highly Competitive CRS 408

Latest Express Entry Draw Targets Canadian Experience Class- 1,000 ITAs Issued

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- Rajneesh Kumar