published on 23 February 2026 @ 4:27 pm · COMMENT

Express Entry Draws – February 2026

This month, IRCC held the largest category-based draw in Express Entry history, issuing 8,500 ITAs for candidates with French-language proficiency. They also invited 6,000 Canadian Experience Class candidates at the lowest CRS cut-off score since 2024.

February 17, 2026 – Canadian Experience Class: 6,000 invitations issued, minimum CRS score 508
February 16, 2026 – Provincial Nominee Program: 279 invitations issued, minimum CRS score 789
February 6, 2026 – French-Language Proficiency: 8,500 invitations issued, minimum CRS score 400
February 3, 2026 – Provincial Nominee Program: 423 invitations issued, minimum CRS score 749

High-volume draws continued for French-language candidates and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) applicants, while provincial nominee draws remain highly competitive, yet frequent and reliable. With the introduction of new occupational categories, all eyes will be on upcoming category-based selection (CBS) draws to see how often they occur and where the average CRS cut-off scores will settle.

filed under: IMMIGRATIONPERMANENT RESIDENCE