Welcome to the Guberman // Appleby Immigration Update. We hope you find the information provided relevant to your immigration needs. Our objective is to highlight recent updates in immigration that are of interest to our readers.
Today’s topic:
- August 05, 2026, Express Entry draw for the Canadian Experience Class
In this update we discuss the most recent draws under the express entry system and discuss what individuals who are interested in the system should consider.
Express Entry System
The Express Entry system is a process for managing the admission of applicants to three permanent resident (PR) programs. If an applicant qualifies for either the Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker, or Federal Skilled Trades programs then they can submit a profile to IRCC and enter the Express Entry pool. Profiles in the pool are given a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score which is based on a variety of factors including level of education, foreign and Canadian work experience, age, language ability, and more. The government of Canada will then intermittently issue Invitations to Apply to applicants over a certain point threshold which allows them to apply for permanent residence.
August 5, 2026, Draw for the Canadian Experience Class
On August 5, 2026 the Canadian government issued invitations to 3000 applicants who had a CRS score of 516 or above. This continues the trend in Canadian Experience Class draws only resulting in invitations to applicants with at least 514 CRS points. All Canadian Experience Class draws have had minimum CRS scores between 514 and 518 since March 2026. These scores represent a high threshold that many who are interested in Express Entry may struggle to meet, reflecting the high demand and limited capacity for permanent residence programs in Canada.
Targeted Categories
For applicants who are not able to achieve a CRS score above 500, they may still be able to utilize Express Entry if they are captured by one of the specific categories the government is prioritizing. The benefit of falling into a category is that category-based draws typically have considerably lower point thresholds. the targeted categories include:
- French-language proficiency
- Healthcare and social services occupations
- Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations
- Trade occupations
- Education occupations
- Transport occupations
- Physicians with Canadian work experience
- Senior managers with Canadian work experience
- Researchers with Canadian work experience
- Skilled military recruits
Recently, the government has recently been focusing on the French-Language proficiency category as well as the Healthcare and Social Services occupations and Physicians with Canadian work experience categories.
Possible Changes to Express Entry on the Horizon
Individuals interested in pursuing the Express Entry system should also be aware that earlier this year the government completed a consultation about possible changes to the program. The focus of these changes is on simplifying the eligibility requirements for the program as well as altering how CRS scores are calculated. It appears that the government is planning to award CRS points for high-wage occupations and is considering removing CRS points that are awarded based on Canadian education, Canadian siblings, and points awarded based on an applicant’s spouse’s education, language, and work experience. Similarly the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program has just completed an overhaul of the program and introduced the new Ontario Workforce Priority Stream, providing another option for individuals interested in obtaining permanent resident status.
// CONTACT US
Lawyers at Guberman Appleby are well versed in both the Federal Express Entry system and provincial nominations, and we welcome you to contact us directly to discuss the above. Please contact one of our Toronto immigration lawyers, by reaching out to our general line 416 548 7100 or via email info@gaimmlaw.com. Our immigration lawyers are always available to discuss any of your specific Canadian or US immigration queries either virtually or in person. We look forward to hearing from you.
