Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) closed out the first quarter of 2026 with a new Express Entry draw targeting Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates.

Draw at a Glance

On March 31, 2026, IRCC held Draw #407, issuing 2,250 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence to CEC-eligible candidates. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score required for selection was 509 points, two points higher than the cut-off in the previous CEC-specific draw held on March 17, 2026. The increase reflects the smaller number of invitations issued in this round compared to the 4,000 ITAs issued two weeks prior.

When multiple candidates share the lowest CRS score in a draw, IRCC applies a tie-breaking rule based on the date and time a candidate submitted their Express Entry profile. For Draw #407, the tie-breaking timestamp was March 18, 2026, at 08:27:11 UTC.

Express Entry Pool Snapshot

As of March 29, 2026, there were 230,186 active profiles registered in the Express Entry pool. This draw was the sixth CEC-specific draw of 2026 and the nineteenth Express Entry draw of the year overall. Since January 1, 2026, the Government of Canada has issued a total of 55,830 invitations under Express Entry across all draw types.

What is the Canadian Experience Class?

The Canadian Experience Class is one of three federal economic immigration programs managed through the Express Entry system. It is designed for temporary foreign workers and recent international graduates who have gained at least one year of skilled work experience in Canada and wish to transition to permanent residence. CEC draws exclusively invite candidates who meet the eligibility criteria for this program.

What Happens After Receiving an ITA?

Candidates who received an ITA in Draw #407 have 60 days to submit a complete application for permanent residence to IRCC. Required documentation typically includes police certificates, immigration medical exams, proof of funds, employment records confirming Canadian work experience, and valid language test results.

Practitioners supporting clients through the Express Entry process are encouraged to review IRCC’s official rounds of invitations page for the most current draw data and to keep client profiles updated and ready for selection.

Join us for our upcoming Express Entry Applications 2026 course on July 29, 2026, a 5-hour deep dive into the Express Entry system and federal skilled worker applications, led by Andrew Carvajal. Register here.

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