Canada Invites 1,000 Skilled Workers for Permanent Residence Through Express Entry Draw

Canada has issued invitations to 1,000 skilled workers to apply for permanent residence through its Express Entry system, giving eligible candidates another opportunity to secure a future in the country.

The latest invitation round, conducted on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, targeted applicants under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), one of the three immigration programmes managed through Canada’s Express Entry system.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that candidates needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 523 to receive an invitation. The department confirmed that the top 1,000 eligible candidates in the ranking pool were selected.

The draw was conducted at 10:13:44 UTC on August 18, with a tie-breaking rule applied for candidates who shared the lowest qualifying score. Under the rule, applicants who submitted their Express Entry profiles earlier received priority.

The Canadian Experience Class is designed for skilled foreign workers who already have professional experience in Canada and want to transition to permanent residency. Applicants generally need at least one year of eligible skilled work experience gained in Canada within the last three years, along with meeting language requirements.

Unlike some other immigration pathways, the CEC does not require applicants to provide proof of settlement funds or meet an education requirement. However, successful candidates must plan to live outside Quebec.

Express Entry remains Canada’s main immigration selection platform for skilled workers. The system ranks candidates based on factors such as age, education, language ability, work history and other personal qualifications before issuing invitations during scheduled draws.

The latest draw follows a series of Canadian Experience Class-focused selections in 2026. An earlier CEC round on August 5 issued 3,000 invitations with a lower CRS cut-off score of 516, making the latest draw more competitive.

By mid-August 2026, IRCC had issued more than 113,000 invitations through Express Entry, with Canadian Experience Class applicants receiving a significant share of the invitations.