Canada has conducted a new Express Entry draw targeting the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), issuing 3,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence on August 5, 2026. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score required was 516 — unchanged from the previous CEC round on July 21, which also cut off at 516.
The round arrived one day after the Provincial Nominee Program draw on August 4, which issued 507 invitations at a cutoff of 768. Back-to-back PNP-then-CEC rounds have been a recurring feature of IRCC’s 2026 selection pattern, and the August 5 draw keeps the Canadian Experience Class at the centre of that strategy.
Full Details of the August 5 Canadian Experience Class Draw
| Program | Canadian Experience Class |
| Date | August 5, 2026 |
| Number of invitations issued | 3,000 |
| CRS score of lowest-ranked candidate invited | 516 |
| Rank needed | 3,000 or above |
| Tie-breaking rule | July 3, 2026 at 9:35 p.m. UTC |
| Round number | 432nd overall (44th of 2026) |
The tie-breaking rule determines which candidates receive invitations when more than one profile shares the same CRS score at the cutoff. Candidates with a CRS score of exactly 516 needed to have submitted their Express Entry profile before July 3, 2026 at 9:35 p.m. UTC. Anyone at 516 who submitted after that timestamp was not selected in this round.
How This Round Compares
At 3,000 invitations, the August 5 draw is 50% larger than each of the last two Canadian Experience Class rounds, which issued 2,000 ITAs apiece on July 7 and July 21. Despite that jump in volume, the CRS cutoff held exactly at 516, matching the July 21 round. That combination — a bigger round with no change in the cutoff — suggests the pool of CEC-eligible candidates near the top of the ranking has continued to replenish quickly enough to absorb higher invitation numbers without pushing the score down.
The CEC cutoff has now held within a narrow 514–518 band for several months, even as invitation volumes for the category have varied considerably from round to round.
With this round, IRCC has now issued 108,123 invitations across all Express Entry draws so far in 2026.
Every Canadian Experience Class Draw in 2026
Canada has now held the following CEC Express Entry rounds in 2026:
| Date | Invitations | CRS cutoff |
| 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 |
The August 5 round is the 13th Canadian Experience Class draw of 2026, bringing total CEC invitations for the year to roughly 48,250 — keeping the Canadian Experience Class the single largest source of Express Entry invitations in 2026.
Tie-Breaking Rule and Round Number
The tie-breaking rule for this round was July 3, 2026 at 9:35 p.m. UTC. If more than one candidate held the minimum CRS score of 516, only those who submitted their Express Entry profiles before that date and time received invitations. This was the 432nd round of invitations under Express Entry since the system launched in January 2015, and the 44th round of 2026.
Candidates who received an ITA have 60 days to submit a complete application for permanent residence, which is typically processed within the six-month service standard.
Who Qualifies for Canadian Experience Class Draws
The Canadian Experience Class targets candidates who already have skilled Canadian work experience, whether they are inside or outside Canada. To qualify, candidates must have at least 12 months of full-time (or equivalent part-time) skilled work experience in Canada within the previous three years, in a National Occupational Classification TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 occupation. Language results must meet a minimum of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 for TEER 0 or 1 occupations and CLB 5 for TEER 2 or 3 occupations. Full details are available on the Government of Canada’s Canadian Experience Class page.
What This Draw Means for Your CRS Score
If your CRS score is 516 or higher, you were within range for this round. Keep your profile accurate, ensure your language results remain valid, and have your documents ready for the 60-day application window.
If your score sits between 507 and 515, you are just below the current cutoff. The CEC cutoff has held close to 515 since April, so modest gains — a higher language test result or additional Canadian work experience — could move you into range in an upcoming round. Recalculate your score with our free Express Entry CRS calculator and compare it against the 516 cutoff.
If your score is below 507, CEC rounds are not currently reaching your range. A provincial nomination, which adds 600 CRS points, remains the single most powerful way to secure an invitation. Use our free CRS calculator to see exactly how many points you would need to make up.
What to Expect in the Coming Days
The August 4 PNP round followed by this August 5 CEC draw confirms that IRCC’s draw-cluster sequence remains in operation. If the pattern holds, a category-based round — French-language proficiency or an occupation-based category such as healthcare or trades — could follow within days. Candidates eligible for those categories should keep their profiles active and their supporting documents current.
Resources
- Express Entry Draws 2026 — full archive
- Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) calculator
- Express Entry: Rounds of invitations (Canada.ca)