Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada conducted Express Entry Draw #407 on 31 March 2026, inviting 2,250 Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates to apply for permanent residence. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score required was 509, eight points higher than the previous CEC-only draw in February. IRCC has now issued 55,830 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) across all draw types in 2026, including 30,250 to the CEC stream, reflecting the department’s continued focus on candidates already living and working in Canada.
![CEC-only Express Entry draw issues 2,250 invitations with 509 CRS cut-off]()
For applicants who also need assistance securing travel documents or understanding entry formalities while their permanent residence file is in process, VisaHQ offers streamlined online support. Their dedicated Canada section (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) enables individuals and corporate mobility teams to quickly verify requirements, submit applications, and track status in real time, ensuring a smoother relocation journey.
With processing times for CEC averaging six months, successful applicants could become permanent residents by Q4 2026, in time to count toward Ottawa’s 2026 admissions target of 485,000 newcomers. For employers, the draw offers an expedited PR pathway for in-country talent, reducing the need for work-permit renewals and easing compliance burdens. Mobility teams should encourage eligible staff with CRS scores above 509 to finalise documentation quickly; the 60-day ITA validity window remains in force. Given the higher-than-expected cut-off, candidates lacking CRS-boosting factors such as higher education or French proficiency might look to provincial nomination streams for additional 600 points. Immigration consultants note that the continued separation of draw categories—CEC, Provincial Nominee, and category-based selections for healthcare, STEM and trades—allows IRCC to fine-tune intake while managing inventory. If economic conditions tighten later this year, analysts expect a possible slowdown in all-program draws in favour of CEC and targeted categories that fill acute labour gaps. Applicants should monitor their profiles for updated scores following language-test renewals or new Canadian work experience, which can trigger automatic rank increases ahead of future rounds.
For applicants who also need assistance securing travel documents or understanding entry formalities while their permanent residence file is in process, VisaHQ offers streamlined online support. Their dedicated Canada section (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) enables individuals and corporate mobility teams to quickly verify requirements, submit applications, and track status in real time, ensuring a smoother relocation journey.
With processing times for CEC averaging six months, successful applicants could become permanent residents by Q4 2026, in time to count toward Ottawa’s 2026 admissions target of 485,000 newcomers. For employers, the draw offers an expedited PR pathway for in-country talent, reducing the need for work-permit renewals and easing compliance burdens. Mobility teams should encourage eligible staff with CRS scores above 509 to finalise documentation quickly; the 60-day ITA validity window remains in force. Given the higher-than-expected cut-off, candidates lacking CRS-boosting factors such as higher education or French proficiency might look to provincial nomination streams for additional 600 points. Immigration consultants note that the continued separation of draw categories—CEC, Provincial Nominee, and category-based selections for healthcare, STEM and trades—allows IRCC to fine-tune intake while managing inventory. If economic conditions tighten later this year, analysts expect a possible slowdown in all-program draws in favour of CEC and targeted categories that fill acute labour gaps. Applicants should monitor their profiles for updated scores following language-test renewals or new Canadian work experience, which can trigger automatic rank increases ahead of future rounds.
