Canada Invites 2,000 Canadian Experience Class Candidates at CRS 518: Who Qualified and What to Do Next
September 29, 2026, Canada invites 2,000 Canadian Experience Class candidates to apply for permanent residence in the latest Express Entry draw. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score was 518.
If you're working in Canada and hoping for permanent residence, a draw like this raises a few questions. Did my score make the cut? Is 518 going up or down? And what happens if I got an invitation, or didn't?
This guide covers who qualified, what the CRS 518 cut-off tells us about recent trends, and the next steps. It also includes a quick FAQ at the end.
Canada Invites 2,000 Canadian Experience Class Candidates: The Draw at a Glance
Here are the key details from the September 29 round of Canadian Experience Class invitations:
- Draw type: Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
- Invitations to apply (ITAs) issued: 2,000
- Minimum CRS score: 518
- Profile cut-off: profiles created before 8:48 p.m. UTC on February 13, 2026
An ITA is an invitation to submit a permanent residence application. It is not an approval, and it doesn't guarantee that your application will be accepted.
Who Qualified for This Draw?
To be considered, a candidate needed to meet two conditions at the same time.
1. A CRS score of 518 or higher
The CRS is the points system Express Entry uses to rank candidates in the pool. Points come from factors such as age, education, language ability and Canadian work experience. In a CEC draw, IRCC works down the ranked list until it reaches the number of invitations it wants to send. The score of the last person invited becomes the cut-off, which this time was 518.
2. A profile created before February 13, 2026 (8:48 p.m. UTC)
This part is easy to miss. Along with the CRS cut-off, IRCC set a profile creation date. Candidates who created their Express Entry profile after that moment weren't considered for this round, even with a strong score.
Put simply, a high score and an early profile date both mattered.
What Is the Canadian Experience Class?
The Canadian Experience Class is one of the federal economic programs managed through Express Entry. It's designed for skilled workers who already have Canadian work experience and want to become permanent residents.
In general, you need:
- At least 12 months of skilled work experience in Canada within the three years before you apply, in an occupation in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 of the National Occupational Classification (NOC)
- Authorized work: time worked without proper authorization doesn't count
- A qualifying language test result: the minimum depends on your job's TEER category (typically CLB 7 for TEER 0 and 1, and CLB 5 for TEER 2 and 3)
- A plan to live outside Quebec, since Quebec runs its own selection system
Self-employment and work done while you were a full-time student don't count toward the minimum experience. There's also no education requirement for the program itself, although education still earns CRS points.
Rules can change, so confirm the current requirements on the official IRCC website before you rely on any summary.
What Does a CRS of 518 Mean?
A cut-off number means more when you compare it with the draws before it. Here are the last four CEC rounds:
| Date | CRS cut-off | ITAs issued |
|---|---|---|
| September 29 | 518 | 2,000 |
| September 15 | 519 | 2,000 |
| September 1 | 521 | 2,000 |
| August 18 | 523 | 1,000 |
Two things stand out.
The cut-off has been easing. It dropped from 523 to 518 in about six weeks. That's a modest slide, but it's a steady one, and it's good news for candidates sitting just below the recent range.
Draw sizes have settled at 2,000. The last three CEC draws each invited 2,000 candidates. That is smaller than earlier in the year, when rounds reached 6,000 and even 8,000 invitations.
Across all 2026 CEC draws, cut-offs have ranged from 507 (March 17) to 523 (August 18). A score of 518 sits in the upper half of that range, so it's competitive but not out of reach.
How This Draw Fits Into 2026
The September 29 round is one piece of a busy year. According to the figures published with the draw, Canada has held 58 Express Entry draws in 2026 and issued 131,715 invitations.
- Canadian Experience Class: 17 draws, 55,250 ITAs
- French-language proficiency: 10 draws, 50,500 ITAs
- Provincial Nominee Program: 19 draws, 9,270 ITAs
- Healthcare and social services: 3 draws, 11,500 ITAs
- Trades, transport, physicians, senior managers and military recruits: smaller categories making up the rest
CEC and French-language draws account for roughly 80 per cent of all invitations this year. If you have Canadian experience, that's a strong signal that the CEC remains a major route to permanent residence.
It also helps to know that category-based draws often have very different cut-offs. In 2026, French-language draws have gone as low as 382, and the healthcare draw on September 4 had a cut-off of 475. Your CRS may not reach 518, but it could still be competitive in another category.
What to Do If You Received an ITA
Congratulations! Here's how to approach the next stage:
- Check your deadline. An ITA comes with a deadline to submit your application, usually 60 days. Confirm the exact date on your invitation.
- Gather your documents early. Typical items include language test results, proof of Canadian work experience (employment letters, pay records and so on), identity documents, police certificates and medical exam results.
- Make sure your profile is accurate. Your application must match what you declared in your Express Entry profile. Errors or missing details can lead to delays or refusal.
- Keep your work authorization in order. If your permit is close to expiring, look into your options now rather than later.
- Don't wait until the last week. Some documents take time to obtain.
What to Do If You Didn't Get an Invitation
Missing out is frustrating, but there's plenty you can do to improve your chances in the next round.
- Retake your language test. Stronger scores in English or French can raise your CRS considerably.
- Add Canadian work experience. More time in a skilled job can increase your points.
- Explore provincial nomination. A provincial nomination adds 600 CRS points. That's why Provincial Nominee Program draws, like the one on September 28 (cut-off 725), have much higher scores.
- Look at category-based draws. French-language ability, healthcare experience, trades, transport and other categories may suit your profile better than a general CEC round.
- Keep your profile active and updated. Changes to your language results, job offers or family situation can all affect your score.
Work Permit Options While You Wait
If you're in Canada and have submitted a permanent residence application under Express Entry, you may qualify for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP).
Some key points:
- If your current work permit expires before your BOWP application is finalized, you may be able to keep working under maintained status, under the conditions of your previous permit, as long as you stay in Canada.
- Eligible family members may also qualify for an open work permit.
Eligibility depends on your situation, so check the details before relying on them.
Need Help Understanding Your Express Entry Options?
Express Entry can feel like a moving target. Cut-offs change from draw to draw, categories come and go, and one small mistake in a profile can cost points or time.
Foothills Immigration Inc., based in Calgary, Alberta, helps people understand their pathways to permanent residence, including the Canadian Experience Class. If you're unsure whether your work experience qualifies, or how your CRS score compares with recent draws, the team can walk you through your options and the application steps.
Final Thoughts
When Canada invites 2,000 Canadian Experience Class candidates at CRS 518, it shows that the CEC remains a major pathway for people already building their lives here. Cut-offs have eased slightly, draw sizes have steadied, and category-based draws offer extra options.
Whether you're above or below the latest cut-off, the best next step is to know where you stand. Review your CRS, check that your profile is accurate and keep an eye on upcoming draws.
