Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted an unexpected Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw on 10 December 2025, inviting 6,000 candidates to apply for permanent residence. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off fell to 520—11 points lower than last month’s CEC round and the second-lowest CEC threshold since 2023.
The draw is significant for employers who rely on work-permit holders already living in Canada. CEC candidates typically include former international students and intra-company transferees who have accumulated at least one year of skilled Canadian work experience. By focusing on the CEC pool, IRCC is signalling that settlement experience and labour-market integration remain top selection criteria even as overall immigration levels plateau.
For applicants scrambling to assemble police certificates, proof of funds, or even a bridging work permit, VisaHQ can streamline the paperwork. The company’s Canadian portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers step-by-step assistance with visa renewals, document procurement and courier submission—giving both HR teams and foreign workers a single, reliable resource to keep applications on track.
![IRCC issues 6,000 Invitations in largest Canadian Experience Class Express Entry draw of 2025]()
Consultants note that the 6,000 invitations exceed the government’s own monthly planning targets, suggesting Ottawa is capitalising on unused quotas from other categories such as the suspended Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) stream. Successful applicants have 60 days to submit police certificates, medicals and proof of funds. Many will transition from employer-specific work permits to open bridging work permits while their applications are processed, easing compliance burdens for HR teams.
Corporations should audit internal mobility pipelines immediately: foreign employees with CRS scores around 500 who hold valid language results could jump several positions if they update education credentials or secure a provincial nomination. Meanwhile, candidates below the threshold may still benefit from upcoming targeted draws for healthcare, STEM and francophone profiles expected in early 2026.
The next Express Entry pool snapshot is due 17 December. Mobility managers are advised to prepare reference letters in advance and remind employees that any material misrepresentation can trigger a five-year ban on future applications.
The draw is significant for employers who rely on work-permit holders already living in Canada. CEC candidates typically include former international students and intra-company transferees who have accumulated at least one year of skilled Canadian work experience. By focusing on the CEC pool, IRCC is signalling that settlement experience and labour-market integration remain top selection criteria even as overall immigration levels plateau.
For applicants scrambling to assemble police certificates, proof of funds, or even a bridging work permit, VisaHQ can streamline the paperwork. The company’s Canadian portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers step-by-step assistance with visa renewals, document procurement and courier submission—giving both HR teams and foreign workers a single, reliable resource to keep applications on track.
Consultants note that the 6,000 invitations exceed the government’s own monthly planning targets, suggesting Ottawa is capitalising on unused quotas from other categories such as the suspended Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) stream. Successful applicants have 60 days to submit police certificates, medicals and proof of funds. Many will transition from employer-specific work permits to open bridging work permits while their applications are processed, easing compliance burdens for HR teams.
Corporations should audit internal mobility pipelines immediately: foreign employees with CRS scores around 500 who hold valid language results could jump several positions if they update education credentials or secure a provincial nomination. Meanwhile, candidates below the threshold may still benefit from upcoming targeted draws for healthcare, STEM and francophone profiles expected in early 2026.
The next Express Entry pool snapshot is due 17 December. Mobility managers are advised to prepare reference letters in advance and remind employees that any material misrepresentation can trigger a five-year ban on future applications.
