On September 29, IRCC invited 2,000 Canadian Experience Class candidates to apply for permanent residence. The minimum CRS score dropped to 518 points — lower than two weeks ago, but still higher than at the beginning of the year. The slowdown in invitation pace coincides with growing competition in the pool: the number of candidates with scores of 501–600 increased from 20,800 to 21,000 in two weeks.

Score dynamics in the third quarter

In September, IRCC conducted three selection rounds for CEC. The first draw of the month set the cutoff at 521 points, two weeks later it dropped to 519, and in today’s round it reached 518. For the entire third quarter (July–September), IRCC conducted seven CEC draws, issuing a total of 14,000 invitations. The minimum scores in this period ranged between 516 and 523 points.

For comparison: in the first quarter of 2026, cutoffs ranged from 507 to 511 points, and 30,250 invitations were issued. In the second quarter, there was a sharp decline — only four draws with 11,000 invitations, and minimum scores rose to the 514–518 range.

Why invitations are being reduced

Two factors explain the current situation. First: IRCC issued a huge number of invitations at the beginning of the year and aims to reach the federal target of 109,000 permanent residents through the Federal Skilled Worker category (which includes CEC and other programs). As of early September, there were nearly 59,000 CEC applications under processing in the system.

The second factor is processing times. CEC applications are reviewed over approximately 6 months. This means invitations issued today will only result in new permanent residents in 2027. At this stage, IRCC is planning for 2027, so the size of current draws may remain modest if the agency is not falling behind on next year’s targets.

Requirements for CEC participation

To participate in the Canadian Experience Class, you must have a minimum of one year of full-time employment in a qualified position in Canada within three years prior to submitting your application. This is the basic requirement, in addition to which your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score is evaluated based on age, education, language skills, and work experience.

Growing competition in the pool

As of September 27, the Express Entry pool contained just over 21,000 candidates with scores in the range of 501–600 points. This is higher than two weeks ago (20,800 people) and significantly higher than in July (approximately 18,000). Despite IRCC inviting 6,000 CEC candidates since the beginning of September, the number of competitors in the critical score range continues to grow, which prevents further lowering of minimum cutoffs.

What to expect next

Good news for CEC candidates: selection rounds are conducted regularly, and scores are gradually declining. Bad news: competition remains high, invitation sizes have been significantly reduced compared to the beginning of the year, and in the 500–600 point range there are more candidates than in the first quarter. If you are waiting for CRS scores to drop to the low 500s at your current 510–515 points, keep in mind: there is still significant competition ahead.