Canada has invited 2,000 Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates to apply for permanent residence in an Express Entry round held on September 15, 2026. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score required was 519.
This was the 443rd Express Entry round overall and the 55th of 2026. At 519, it is the third-highest CEC cut-off of the year, two points below the 521 recorded in the September 1 CEC round and four below the 523 set on August 18.
It also arrives one day after a Provincial Nominee Program round, giving IRCC back-to-back draws on September 14 and 15.
Full Details of the September 15 Canadian Experience Class Draw
| Draw detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Round type | Canadian Experience Class |
| Round number | 443 |
| Date and time | September 15, 2026 at 10:21:41 UTC |
| Number of invitations issued | 2,000 |
| CRS score of lowest-ranked candidate invited | 519 |
| Tie-breaking rule | March 26, 2026 at 00:16:39 UTC |
The tie-breaking rule means that candidates with a CRS score of 519 who submitted their Express Entry profile before 00:16:39 UTC on March 26, 2026 received an invitation. Candidates with the same score who entered the pool after that moment did not.
Canadian Experience Class Rounds in 2026
| Date | Invitations | CRS cut-off |
|---|---|---|
| September 15, 2026 | 2,000 | 519 |
| September 1, 2026 | 2,000 | 521 |
| August 18, 2026 | 1,000 | 523 |
| August 5, 2026 | 3,000 | 516 |
| July 21, 2026 | 2,000 | 516 |
| July 7, 2026 | 2,000 | 517 |
| June 23, 2026 | 4,000 | 516 |
| May 27, 2026 | 3,000 | 518 |
| April 28, 2026 | 2,000 | 514 |
| April 14, 2026 | 2,000 | 515 |
| March 31, 2026 | 2,250 | 509 |
| March 17, 2026 | 4,000 | 507 |
| March 3, 2026 | 4,000 | 508 |
| February 17, 2026 | 6,000 | 508 |
| January 21, 2026 | 6,000 | 509 |
| January 7, 2026 | 8,000 | 511 |
Across those 16 rounds, IRCC has issued 53,250 invitations to Canadian Experience Class candidates in 2026 — more than 40 per cent of all Express Entry invitations this year. Round sizes have tightened considerably since the spring: the first three CEC draws of 2026 averaged 6,667 invitations, while the last six have averaged 2,000.
Express Entry in 2026 So Far
The September 15 round brings the 2026 running total to 128,732 invitations across 55 rounds, already well beyond any previous year. As of September 13, 2026, there were 226,793 candidates in the Express Entry pool.
Who Qualifies for the Canadian Experience Class
To be eligible for the Canadian Experience Class, a candidate must have at least one year of full-time skilled work experience in Canada — or the part-time equivalent — gained in the three years before applying, in a job classified under TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 of the National Occupational Classification.
Language requirements are Canadian Language Benchmark 7 for TEER 0 and TEER 1 occupations, and CLB 5 for TEER 2 and TEER 3 occupations. Candidates must also hold a valid Express Entry profile, and the Canadian work experience must have been gained with authorization. Full details of each round are published on the Government of Canada’s rounds of invitations page.
If you are working in Canada and your CRS score is below 519, the gap is usually closable: another language test attempt, a completed Canadian credential, or a second year of Canadian work experience can each move a score by double digits. Use our free CRS score calculator to work out your Comprehensive Ranking System score, see how far you sit from the 519 cut-off, and identify which factors would lift you into invitation range for the next CEC round.