Express Entry Draw (April 2026) Issues 2,000 ITAs Through Canadian Experience Class

On April 28, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 2,000 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residence in a Canadian Experience Class (CEC) round. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score was 514, with a tie-breaker of September 24, 2025. It was the 24th Express Entry draw of 2026 and the third consecutive CEC round held at the reduced 2,000-ITA volume.

The April 28 round closes out a four-month stretch in which IRCC has held draws across general categories, three new category-based streams launched in 2026, and continued Francophone selections. The 2026 record to date offers a clear picture of how IRCC has used the system through Q1 and into Q2.

The 2026 Statistics by Stream and Category

Through April 28, IRCC has issued more than 67,000 ITAs across 24 Express Entry rounds. The breakdown by category, drawing on figures reported by IRCC after each round:

• Canadian Experience Class: Eight rounds, approximately 34,250 ITAs. CRS cut-offs ranged from 507 (March 17) to 515 (April 14). Today's draw at 514 sits one point below the 2026 CEC high.

• French language proficiency: Four rounds, 22,000 ITAs. Cut-offs ranged from 393 (March 18) to 419 (April 15). The February 6 round, at 8,500 ITAs, was the largest single draw of the year.

• Provincial Nominee Program: Seven rounds across the year, with CRS cut-offs ranging from 710 to 802. The 802 cut-off, set on March 30, was the highest PNP cut-off of 2026.

• Category-based selection rounds for occupational categories: Three first-of-year draws — a Physicians draw on February 19 (391 ITAs at CRS 169), a Senior Manager draw on March 5 (250 ITAs at CRS 429), and a Trades Occupations draw on April 2 (3,000 ITAs at CRS 477).

The Downward Shift in CEC Volume

CEC remains the most active draw category in 2026, but draw size has changed substantially over the year. IRCC opened January with two large-volume CEC rounds: 8,000 ITAs on January 7 (CRS 511) and 6,000 ITAs on January 21 (CRS 509). From February forward, CEC rounds settled into a pattern of 2,000 to 4,000 ITAs per round, with the three most recent CEC draws.

Three new category launches in early 2026

Three category-based selection streams held their first-ever draws in 2026: Physicians with Canadian Work Experience (February 19), Senior Managers (March 5), and the 2026 Trades Occupations round (April 2). The Physicians draw produced a CRS cut-off of 169, the lowest threshold recorded in any Express Entry round since the system launched in 2015.

New Unified Express Entry Stream

The April 28 round is the most recent in a sequence that has carried the system through the first four months of 2026. IRCC's regulatory framework for Express Entry remains unchanged. The proposed restructuring of the federal economic streams, signalled in IRCC's Forward Regulatory Plan and detailed in the April 10 stakeholder slide deck, is at the consultation stage with no implementation timeline announced.

Harris Amir, RCIC (CICC #R707703) — Harris Amir Canada Immigration Consulting

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