Canada issues 1,000 Express Entry invitations for permanent residence under CEC

Canada issued 1,000 Express Entry invitations on August 18, 2026, for Canadian Experience Class candidates, with a higher CRS score requirement of 523.

Canada's CEC draw on August 18, 2026, issued 1,000 invitations at a cut-off score of 523, up from 516 on August 5, highlighting growing competition for Express Entry

Canada has invited 1,000 candidates to apply for permanent residence through its Express Entry system under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). The post Canada invites 1,000 skilled workers to apply for permanent residence appeared first on Vanguard News.

Canada’s Express Entry system invited 1,000 candidates for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class. Learn about the latest draw and require Read More: https://punchng.com/canada-invites-1000-candidates-to-apply-for-permanent-residence/

Canada has invited 1,000 candidates to apply for permanent residence through its Express Entry system, specifically under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). The draw took place on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, according to ministerial instructions released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).To qualify, candidates needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score of 523. Invitations were issued to the top 1,000 ranked foreign nationals, with a tie-breaking rule applied to profiles submitted before August 17, 2026, at 22:09 UTC.The Canadian Experience Class targets skilled workers with at least one year of Canadian work experience in the past three years. Eligible occupations fall under National Occupational Classification TEER categories 0, 1, 2, or 3, with language proficiency requirements set at CLB 7 for TEER 0/1 jobs and CLB 5 for TEER 2/3 roles. Unlike other streams, applicants do not need to meet education requirements or show settlement funds, but must plan to live outside Quebec.This latest round follows a larger CEC draw on August 5, which invited 3,000 candidates with a lower CRS cut-off of 516. The August 18 draw’s smaller pool and higher cut-off make it one of the more selective rounds of 2026. By mid-August, IRCC had already issued over 113,000 invitations through Express Entry, with a significant share going to CEC applicants.Express Entry remains Canada’s primary pathway for skilled workers seeking permanent residence, managing applications under three programs: the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program.