In the latest Canadian Experience Class Express Entry draw held on January 21, 2026, IRCC has issued 6,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence to overseas skilled professionals. In the previous Canadian Experience Class draw, held on January 7, IRCC sent 8,000 ITAs to foreign skilled workers.

The CRS score of the lowest-ranked candidate invited was 509. This means the rank required to be invited to apply will be 6,000 or above for the foreigners applying under the latest Express Entry draw for the Canadian Experience Class Program. In the January 7 draw, the cut-off CRS score was 511.

Compared to the previous draw, the CRS score of the lowest-ranked candidate under the latest Express Entry Draw for Canadian Experience Class has fallen by 2 points.

The date and time of the latest round was January 21, 2026 at 12:37:42 UTC, while the Tie-breaking rule date was October 29, 2025 at 04:35:24 UTC.

IRCC employs the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to rank Express Entry candidates, inviting top applicants for permanent residence applications every two weeks.

The numbers in the table below reflect the total number of people in the pool overall, a few days before an invitation round. The score distribution may change as people submit new profiles and other profiles expire.

The table numbers not in bold are a detailed breakdown of the bold number immediately above.

CRS score distribution of candidates in the pool as of January 19, 2026

Canadian Experience Class

The Canadian Experience Class is intended for talented Canadian workers seeking permanent residency, with minimal requirements including Canadian skilled job experience and language competence.

To be eligible for the Canadian Experience Class, you must have performed at least one year of paid skilled work in Canada (or equivalent part-time work) within the three years preceding your application.

Additionally, you must have gained this work experience while working in Canada as a temporary resident.

Volunteering and unpaid internships are not appropriate forms of compensation for competent work experience; instead, you should receive a salary or commissions.

Furthermore, if you worked without permission and gained work experience while temporarily staying outside of Canada, you are ineligible for the Canadian Experience Class.

Foreigners seeking to settle in Canada can apply to one of three immigration programs controlled through the Express Entry process: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, or the Canadian Experience Class.

To become a skilled immigrant in Canada, complete a profile and submit it to the Express Entry pool. If they qualify, they are placed in a pool, assigned a score, and asked to apply for permanent residency. However, filling out an online profile does not ensure a permanent residency invitation.