Maple News reports that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 2,000 Invitations to Apply in a Canadian Experience Class draw conducted through the Express Entry system, marking the first CEC-specific draw of July 2026. The invitation round underscores Canada’s continued use of Express Entry to attract skilled workers.
To be eligible for this draw, candidates needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 517 and had to have created an Express Entry profile before 5:49 p.m. UTC on December 29, 2025.
IRCC has conducted 36 Express Entry rounds in 2026 to date, with the year’s draws increasingly emphasizing candidates who already have strong Canadian ties. In addition to the Canadian Experience Class, recent rounds have included Provincial Nominee Program draws, French-language proficiency draws, and specialty streams for physicians, healthcare workers, and other professions.
Year-to-date figures show IRCC has issued 91,601 ITAs across all Express Entry draw types. The breakdown includes 43,250 ITAs through the Canadian Experience Class, 35,500 through French-language proficiency streams, 5,939 via Provincial Nominee Program draws, 8,000 for healthcare and social services workers, 3,000 for trades, 662 for physicians with Canadian work experience, and 750 for senior managers with Canadian work experience. These numbers illustrate a pattern of steady growth in invitations and a focus on applicants with concrete Canadian work experience or provincial nominations.
For prospective applicants, the trend suggests that building Canadian work experience or securing a provincial nomination can meaningfully bolster Express Entry prospects. Maple News will continue to monitor upcoming rounds and provide timely analysis on how policy shifts may affect the competition for permanent residence in Canada.