IRCC held a new Express Entry draw on April 28, 2026, inviting 2,000 Canadian Experience Class candidates to apply for permanent residence. The CRS cut-off was 514.

This program-specific draw affects candidates with qualifying Canadian skilled work experience and confirms that CEC rounds remain active in 2026.

• Express Entry draw #413 invited 2,000 Canadian Experience Class candidates on April 28, 2026.
• The CRS score of the lowest-ranked invited candidate was 514.
• CEC candidates below the cut-off should review CRS improvement, PNP options, and category-based draw eligibility.

Express Entry Draw April 28, 2026: IRCC Invites 2,000 CEC Candidates

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada held a new Express Entry round of invitations on April 28, 2026. The draw targeted candidates eligible under the Canadian Experience Class, making it a program-specific Express Entry draw rather than a general or category-based invitation round.

In this round, IRCC issued 2,000 Invitations to Apply for permanent residence. The Comprehensive Ranking System cut-off score was 514. Candidates who received an invitation can now move forward with an electronic application.

for permanent residence, provided they continue to meet program eligibility and admissibility requirements.

Official Express Entry draw information is published through IRCC’s Express Entry rounds of invitations page and the Ministerial Instructions for Express Entry rounds.

Express Entry Draw Results

Draw	Date	Invitations	CRS Score	Draw Type
413	April 28, 2026	2,000	514	Canadian Experience Class

The April 28 draw is important because it continues IRCC’s use of program-specific rounds for candidates with Canadian work experience. A Canadian Experience Class draw means IRCC selected candidates who qualified under the CEC program and ranked high enough in the Express Entry pool.

Candidates with CRS scores above 514 should generally have been positioned to receive an invitation if they met. the Canadian Experience Class requirements and had an active Express Entry profile at the time of the round.

Candidates at the exact CRS cut-off are subject to IRCC’s tie-breaking rule, which gives priority based on when the Express Entry profile was submitted.

Facts: What Changed in This Draw

The key fact is that IRCC issued another Canadian Experience Class invitation round on April 28, 2026. The round invited 2,000 candidates and used a CRS cut-off of 514.

This draw follows other recent Express Entry activity, including program-specific and category-based rounds. The continued use of CEC rounds matters for temporary residents in Canada who.

have gained skilled Canadian work experience and are trying to transition to permanent residence.

The CRS cut-off remains high. Although a score of 514 is within reach for some candidates with strong language results, Canadian work experience, education,.

and age factors, many CEC candidates will still need a strategy to increase their score or access another pathway.

Who Is Affected by the April 28 Express Entry Draw

CEC Candidates With CRS 514 or Higher

Candidates who received an Invitation to Apply should begin preparing their permanent residence application immediately. The information submitted after receiving an invitation must be accurate, complete, and consistent with the Express Entry profile.

Applicants should review employment letters, pay records, language test validity, education documents, police certificates, travel history, address history, and family information before submitting. A mistake or missing document can create refusal risk even after receiving an invitation.

CEC Candidates Below CRS 514

Candidates below the cut-off were not invited in this draw. They should review whether their CRS score can be improved through language testing, French-language results, additional Canadian work experience, spouse factors, or education credentials.

A candidate close to the cut-off should not assume the profile is already optimized. Even a small improvement can matter in a competitive Express Entry pool. Candidates may want to review how to improve your CRS score and confirm that their profile information is complete and correctly entered.

Candidates Outside Canada

Candidates outside Canada are less directly affected unless they already have qualifying Canadian work experience and meet the Canadian Experience Class requirements. Outland candidates may need to focus on Federal Skilled Worker eligibility, category-based selection, or Provincial Nominee Program pathways.

Candidates With Expiring Status in Canada

If a candidate is inside Canada and temporary status is expiring, they should not rely only on the possibility of a future Express Entry draw. They should review extension options, maintained status rules, employer-specific work permit options, open work permit.

eligibility, and whether a future permanent residence application may support a bridging open work permit.

Analysis: CRS Trend and IRCC Invitation Strategy

Analysis: The April 28 CEC draw suggests that IRCC continues to prioritize candidates with Canadian work experience as part of its Express Entry invitation strategy. However, the CRS cut-off of 514 shows that competition remains strong.

Compared with the previous CEC round on April 14, 2026, where the cut-off was 515, the April 28 cut-off decreased by only one point. This modest movement suggests that a 2,000-invitation CEC draw may not be large enough.

to produce a major CRS decrease when many candidates remain clustered above 500 points.

Possible interpretation: IRCC may be balancing CEC invitations with Provincial Nominee Program draws and category-based rounds. This does not confirm what the next draw will be. It does suggest that candidates should prepare for continued competition, especially if their CRS score is below the current CEC range.

Category-based draws may still follow. IRCC continues to use category-based selection to invite candidates who meet specific labour market or language priorities. Candidates with French-language ability or eligible work experience in a targeted occupation should make sure their profile accurately reflects that eligibility. More information is available on IRCC’s official category-based selection page.

Practical Strategy for Express Entry Candidates

Candidates who received an invitation should focus on document quality. Receiving an Invitation to Apply is not an approval. The applicant still has to prove that they meet the program requirements and that the information in the Express Entry profile was accurate.

Candidates who did not receive an invitation should take practical steps before the next round. Waiting without improving the profile may not be enough if CRS cut-offs remain above 500.

• Retake an approved language test if higher scores are realistic.
• Consider French-language testing if the candidate has French ability.
• Confirm that Canadian work experience is entered under the correct NOC and TEER level.
• Review whether spouse factors are helping or reducing the overall CRS score.
• Explore Express Entry-linked provincial nominee streams.
• Check eligibility for category-based Express Entry rounds.

Candidates may also benefit from reviewing Express Entry profile optimization strategies before assuming their CRS score cannot improve. In some cases, incorrect work history, missing education information, or unclaimed spouse factors can affect the score.

What Applicants Should Do Next

If you received an Invitation to Apply, start collecting documents immediately. Employment letters should clearly describe job title, duties, hours, salary, dates of employment, and employer contact information.

The duties should be consistent with the claimed NOC code.

If you are below the cut-off, review both short-term and long-term options. Short-term options may include language retesting or correcting profile details.

Longer-term options may include gaining more qualifying work experience, pursuing a provincial nomination, or building eligibility for a category-based draw.

If you were previously refused, do not submit a new application without addressing the refusal reason. A refusal involving missing documents, employment concerns, inconsistency, or possible misrepresentation should be reviewed carefully before a new submission.

Need Help Reviewing Your Express Entry Strategy?

A professional case review can help identify whether your CRS score can be improved, whether a. provincial nomination is realistic, and whether your documents are ready if you receive an Invitation to Apply.

Candidates close to the cut-off should consider reviewing their profile before the next round.

For personalized guidance, consider an eligibility check, document review, or Express Entry strategy session. Book a consultation to review your Express Entry profile and permanent residence options.

Compliance Disclaimer

This article provides general information and does not constitute legal advice.