IRCC held an Express Entry draw from the Canadian Experience Class immigration category on April 28, 2026, awarding 2,000 invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence.
The Comprehensive Ranking System score cut-off for the lowest-ranking applicant receiving an ITA in this particular round is 514 points.
That is 1 point less than the 515-point cut-off reported in the last CEC draw held on April 14, 2026, but it is 5 points more than the cut-off reported in the March 31st, 2026, draw.
IRCC continues with a policy of issuing only 2,000 invites to applicants in each Canadian Experience Class draw. This particular round is the third straight draw with this cut-off number.
The decreasing size of CEC draws during 2026 has caused CRS score cut-offs to go from below 510 at the start of the year to now above 510 for all draws since April.
Applicants with CRS scores from 500 to 513 are stranded in the Express Entry pool without any hope of a CEC draw invite.
Express Entry Draw Details For April 28, 2026
The following table shows the official details of today’s draw for the Canadian Experience Class, as announced by IRCC.
| Draw Detail | Information |
| Date and Time | April 28, 2026 at 10:36:46 UTC |
| Draw Category | Canadian Experience Class |
| Number of Invitations Issued | 2,000 |
| CRS Score of Lowest Ranked Candidate | 514 |
| Rank Required to Be Invited | 2,000 or above |
| Tie-Breaking Rule | September 24, 2025 at 14:18:43 UTC |
Tie-breaking rule specifies how ties among applicants for the minimum CRS score will be broken when there are more than one applicant with the same minimum score.
If your CRS score was 514, you could get an invitation only if you submitted your Express Entry application before September 24, 2025, at 14:18:43 UTC.
The tie-breaking date set in September 2025 is approximately 7 months old, meaning that there is still a large number of applicants stuck at the 514 CRS score mark.
Applicants who joined the pool after this date will have to wait until further invitations.
CRS Cutoff Has Shifted From Under 510 To Around 515 In 2026
The pattern of CRS cutoff scores for 2026 is straightforward and demonstrates how draw size determines the minimum CRS score required for an invitation.
IRCC began the year with an 8,000 invitation CEC draw on January 7 with a CRS cutoff score of 511.
With declining draw sizes from 8,000 to 6,000 to 4,000 throughout the months of January, February, and March, the CRS cutoff fell as low as 507 in the March 17 draw.
A 507 CRS cutoff score was the lowest CEC score ever recorded since August 2024, giving candidates in the 507 to 510 range a fleeting chance.
Conversely, April saw a reversal of fortunes when IRCC scaled down the CEC draw invitations to only 2,000 invitations.
The April 14 draw witnessed a CRS cutoff score of 515, and today’s draw stands at 514.
Below is the table representing all CEC draws that took place in 2026 and the trend that is observed through it.
| # | Date | Round type | Invitations issued | CRS score of lowest-ranked candidate invited |
| 413 | April 28, 2026 | Canadian Experience Class | 2,000 | 514 |
| 410 | April 14, 2026 | Canadian Experience Class | 2,000 | 515 |
| 407 | March 31, 2026 | Canadian Experience Class | 2,250 | 509 |
| 404 | March 17, 2026 | Canadian Experience Class | 4,000 | 507 |
| 400 | March 3, 2026 | Canadian Experience Class | 4,000 | 508 |
| 396 | February 17, 2026 | Canadian Experience Class | 6,000 | 508 |
| 392 | January 21, 2026 | Canadian Experience Class | 6,000 | 509 |
| 390 | January 7, 2026 | Canadian Experience Class | 8,000 | 511 |
The total number of invitations issued to CEC applicants in 2026 is currently 34,250 in 8 draws.
Draw volumes have fallen by 75% from a high of 8,000 in January to the current volume of 2,000.
Without an increase in the number of CEC draws by IRCC to 4,000 or higher, the CRS cut-off will likely remain between 510 and 515.
French Language Proficiency Draw Expected Later This Week
The IRCC usually conducts a category-specific draw shortly after the CEC draw during the same week.
Given the 2026 trend, a draw for French language proficiency is the most likely category-specific draw that may be conducted in the upcoming days.
French language proficiency has been among the most active and generous categories in the Express Entry system in 2026.
The IRCC has conducted four draws for French language proficiency in 2026, issuing 22,000 invitations at much lower CRS cut-off scores than the CEC draws.
The following table provides an overview of all French language proficiency draws that occurred during 2026.
| # | Date | Round type | Invitations issued | CRS score of lowest-ranked candidate invited |
| 411 | April 15, 2026 | French-Language proficiency 2026-Version 2 | 4,000 | 419 |
| 405 | March 18, 2026 | French-Language proficiency 2026-Version 2 | 4,000 | 393 |
| 401 | March 4, 2026 | French-Language proficiency 2026-Version 2 | 5,500 | 397 |
| 394 | February 6, 2026 | French-Language proficiency 2026-Version 2 | 8,500 | 400 |
The most recent French draw held on April 15 had a CRS cut-off score of 419, a score that is exceptionally low compared to the 514 that applicants must currently obtain to qualify for the current CEC round.
Applicants who obtained a score of NCLC 7 or above in all four categories of the French language are still eligible for the draws, regardless of their CRS score.
Under the French language proficiency category, applicants must possess a language test score from either TEF Canada or TFC Canada with a minimum of NCLC 7 in all four sections.
This category remains highly favorable for French-speaking applicants living outside of Quebec.
Major Express Entry Overhaul Announced With Public Consultations Now Open
The IRCC announced its public consultations on April 23, 2026, regarding sweeping changes which will mark the most significant structural reform to the Express Entry program since its introduction in 2015.
According to the government’s proposals, the Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience, and Federal Skilled Trades Programs are to be amalgamated into one unified immigrant category.
In addition, the Comprehensive Ranking System will be updated and more emphasis will be placed on high earnings and real job offers.
Finally, there is a minimum eligibility criterion for all candidates: they will have to obtain CLB 6 English language proficiency and one year of work experience in TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 occupation.
A new minimum eligibility requirement would necessitate applicants to demonstrate language ability at CLB 6 level and one year of skilled work experience in TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 jobs.
IRCC is also looking at a high-wage occupation criterion which will provide extra CRS points for candidates who are employed in occupations having median salaries higher than the national median.
The public consultation period ends on May 24, 2026, and any individual can contribute to the discussion via an online questionnaire available on Canada.ca.
The following are potential amendments that have not yet been finalized.
Prospective candidates residing in the Express Entry pool must prepare their applications based on the current framework while keeping track of official communications from IRCC.
What This Draw Means For Candidates In The Express Entry Pool
If your CRS score is 515 or higher, you can expect to receive an invitation in upcoming CEC draws, considering the current draw size.
Individuals who have a score from 510 to 514 are in a competitive bracket where everything will depend on whether IRCC keeps increasing the number of invitations for future CEC draws.
Individuals with scores lower than 510 should not count on CEC draws as a potential solution, and they should consider other methods immediately.
Obtaining a provincial nomination award adds 600 CRS points, which means you are guaranteed an invitation in the upcoming PNP-specific draw.
By raising their language skills to NCLC 7, French-language draw eligibility is now available, where cut-offs can range as low as 393 for 2026.
Applicants can receive CRS points via a new Educational Credential Assessment, by improving their language test results, or obtaining an extra year of experience as a skilled worker.
As of April 26, 2026, the Express Entry pool included more than 233,555 applicants and still continues to be replenished at a higher rate than that at which draws are being made.