On January 7, 2026, IRCC held an Express Entry round for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC): the minimum passing score (CRS) was 511, and 8,000 candidates received an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
This is a clear signal for those who already have Canadian work experience or are targeting the CEC: when the number of invitations increases and the threshold decreases at the same time, the chance of “fitting in” the draw becomes higher for a wider group of candidates.
What happened (briefly in numbers)
- Round date: January 7, 2026
- Program: Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
- CRS cutoff: 511
- Number of ITAs: 8,000
IRCC also applies a tie-breaking rule: if several people have the same minimum score, preference is given to those who submitted their profile earlier (based on the date and time of submission).
Comparison with December: lower score, more invitations
The most recent previous CEC round was on December 16, 2025:
- at that time, the CRS cutoff was 515,
- and there were 5,000 invitations.
So, on January 7, the threshold dropped by 4 points (515 → 511), and the number of ITAs increased by 3,000 (5,000 → 8,000).
Important clarification about “lowest in 1.5 years”
The phrase “lowest in the last year and a half” is not entirely accurate when it comes to the CEC: within the last ~18 months, there have been CEC draws with lower thresholds (for example, 507 in August 2024).
But 511 is indeed the lowest CEC threshold in approximately the last 12 months (i.e., for 2025 to January 2026).
What this means for candidates
If you are already in Canada and have Canadian experience
CEC rounds directly “play” in your favor: a lower cutoff + a large number of ITAs usually means that the passing “window” is wider than in previous rounds.
If your CRS is around 511–520
Such fluctuations show that even a slight improvement in your profile can make a difference (language, experience, education, document verification) — especially when IRCC increases the number of invitations.
Practical checklist of “what to do now”
- Check/recalculate your CRS (current data on age, education, language, experience, family status).
- Update your Express Entry profile if there are new facts (new work experience, test results, diploma/grades, etc.).
- Do not delay submitting your profile, because tie-breaking in equal scores depends on the date/time of profile creation.
- If you are under CEC, make sure that your Canadian experience is entered correctly (NOC/TEER, periods, hours, confirmation).