On March 17, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held a new Express Entry draw targeting candidates under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). A total of 4,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) were issued in round #404, with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off score of 507 points.

Draw Details

• Round number: #404
• Date: March 17, 2026
• Program: Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
• Invitations issued: 4,000
• Minimum CRS score: 507
• Tie-breaking rule: May 11, 2025 at 18:57:31 UTC

The tie-breaking rule means that candidates who held a CRS score of 507 were only invited if they had submitted their Express Entry profile before that date and time.

Pool and Year-to-Date Figures

As of March 15, 2026, there were 231,362 profiles registered in the Express Entry pool. With this draw, IRCC has now issued a total of 49,224 invitations through the Express Entry system in 2026.

What Is the Canadian Experience Class?

The Canadian Experience Class is one of three federal immigration programs managed through Express Entry. It is designed for temporary foreign workers and international graduates who have gained skilled work experience in Canada. Candidates are ranked in the pool using the Comprehensive Ranking System, and those with the highest scores are invited to apply for permanent residence in rounds of invitations held throughout the year.

Candidates who received an ITA in this round have 60 days to submit a complete permanent residence application to IRCC.

If you work with Express Entry clients, our upcoming Express Entry Applications 2026 course on July 29, 2026 is an essential resource. This 5-hour course with Andrew Carvajal takes an in-depth look at the Express Entry system and mastering federal applications for skilled workers. Learn more and register here.

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