Updated July 2026. On December 17, 2025, IRCC issued 6,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates — the largest single Express Entry draw of 2025 and the biggest CEC round in more than 16 months.
Draw Details
The CRS cutoff for this round was 520, a notable drop from the 533-534 range that had held steady across the previous five CEC draws. To be considered, candidates needed to have created their Express Entry profile before 5:30 p.m. UTC on July 15, 2025.
Why This Draw Stood Out
Two things made this round significant: the sheer size (6,000 ITAs, matching the largest CEC rounds of the year) and the drop in the CRS cutoff, which broke a months-long plateau. A lower cutoff combined with a large invitation round meant candidates who had been sitting just below 533 for months suddenly became eligible.
What This Means for the CEC Pool
Large draws like this one tend to happen when IRCC is working through a backlog of eligible candidates relative to its annual admission targets. If you’re in the CEC pool with a CRS score in the 500-530 range, a round like this is exactly the kind of movement that can result in an unexpected invitation — it’s worth keeping your profile active and up to date even during periods where cutoffs seem stuck.
For the complete, current record of every Express Entry round, see IRCC’s official Rounds of Invitations page.
Related Reading
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- New Express Entry Draw On March 31 Sends 2,250 PR Invitations
General information only gets you so far. For a report built around your specific profile — province options, CRS score, and timeline — check out our personalized reports.
