OTTAWA — Canada has invited 1,000 candidates to apply for permanent residence through the Express Entry system in its latest draw under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
According to ministerial instructions published by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the invitation round was conducted on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, with candidates required to have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 523.
The draw was conducted at 10:13:44 UTC, with a tie-breaking rule set at August 17, 2026, at 22:09:00 UTC.
IRCC explained that where multiple candidates had the lowest qualifying score, invitations were determined based on the date and time their Express Entry profiles were submitted.
The department said the invitations were issued to eligible foreign nationals ranked among the first 1,000 candidates in the pool.
The ministerial instructions, signed by Canada’s Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Lena Metlege Diab, in Ottawa on August 18, stated that invitations could be issued between August 18 and August 19.
Who qualifies under the Canadian Experience Class?
The Canadian Experience Class is one of three federal economic immigration programs managed through Canada’s Express Entry system. It is designed primarily for skilled workers who have already gained eligible work experience in Canada and want to obtain permanent residence.
Generally, applicants must have at least one year, or 1,560 hours, of eligible skilled work experience in Canada within the three years preceding their application.
The work experience must fall under National Occupational Classification (NOC) TEER categories 0, 1, 2 or 3.
Applicants must also meet minimum language requirements. Those with work experience in TEER 0 or 1 occupations generally require Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7, while applicants in TEER 2 or 3 occupations require CLB 5.
Unlike some other economic immigration streams, the CEC does not have a minimum education requirement, and applicants are not required to demonstrate settlement funds.
Applicants must also intend to live outside Quebec.
How Express Entry works
Express Entry is Canada’s online immigration system for managing applications from skilled workers under three federal economic programs: the Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program and Federal Skilled Trades Program.
Candidates create profiles and are ranked using the CRS, which awards points for factors including age, education, language proficiency, work experience and other characteristics.
The highest-ranked candidates are invited during periodic draws to submit applications for permanent residence.
The August 18 invitation round comes amid a series of Canadian Experience Class-focused draws conducted by the Canadian government in 2026.
