29 September 2026 CEC Draw: 2,000 Invitations, CRS 518

IRCC held two Express Entry rounds at the end of September 2026: a Provincial Nominee Program round on 28 September and a Canadian Experience Class round on 29 September.

What changed

The tie-breaking time means that candidates with exactly the cut-off score were invited only if they submitted their profile before that moment.

How the CEC cut-off compares

The last five CEC rounds were very stable:

Across all 17 CEC rounds in 2026, cut-offs have stayed between 507 and 523. French-language rounds in 2026 have needed 382 to 420, which is why French matters so much for many candidates.

And the PNP round

Provincial Nominee Program rounds are a different picture. A nomination adds 600 CRS points, so their cut-offs sit far higher: the 19 PNP rounds of 2026 have ranged from 697 to 805, with 9,270 invitations in total. The 28 September round's 725 is in the lower half of that range.

Who it affects

• CEC round: candidates eligible for the Canadian Experience Class (generally at least one year of skilled work experience in Canada within the last 3 years) with 518 points or more.
• PNP round: candidates who already hold a provincial or territorial nomination. The nomination adds 600 points, which is why PNP cut-offs look so high.
• French-speaking candidates below 518: these rounds did not change your chances in French-category rounds, which are held separately. There has been no French round since 19 August 2026.

What to do now

1. Compare your score: check your CRS score, including any French points you may be missing.
2. Look at the trend: the full draw history shows every round since 2025, filterable by type.
3. If you speak French: reaching NCLC 7 in all four skills opens French-category rounds. Read French for Express Entry and how many CRS points French is worth.

The next round after this one was a trades round on 1 October 2026: see the 1 October 2026 trades draw.