Canada invites 1,000 skilled workers to apply for permanent residence

Canada has extended invitations to 1,000 candidates to apply for permanent residence through its Express Entry system, specifically targeting those eligible under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). The latest invitation round, conducted on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, required applicants to achieve a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 523.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced the draw, noting that candidates ranked among the first 1,000 eligible foreign nationals in the CEC pool received invitations. The draw utilized a tie-breaking rule, with profiles submitted on August 17, 2026, at 22:09:00 UTC being prioritized if multiple candidates shared the lowest score.

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Number of invitations issued: 1,000.

The Canadian Experience Class is one of three federal economic immigration programs managed by the Express Entry system. It is designed for skilled workers who have already gained Canadian work experience and wish to transition to permanent residency. Eligibility typically requires at least one year of skilled work experience in Canada within the past three years, along with meeting specific language proficiency requirements.

This invitation round occurred amidst a series of CEC-specific draws throughout 2026. Notably, a previous draw on August 5 issued a larger number of invitations, totaling 3,000, with a lower CRS cut-off score of 516. The August 18 draw, while issuing fewer invitations, continues Canada's strategy of managing its immigration intake through the points-based Express Entry system.

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If more than one candidate has the lowest score, the cut-off is based on the date and time they submitted their Express Entry profiles.