Express Entry Update — June 15, 2026
Monday, June 15, 2026
IRCC held 30 Express Entry draws between January 5 and May 28, 2026, issuing 79,841 total ITAs; the most recent CEC draw on May 27 issued 3,000 ITAs at a CRS cutoff of 518, while the May 28 French-language draw issued 4,500 ITAs at a cutoff of 409.
CEC cutoffs have ranged between 507 and 518 in 2026, hovering near two-year lows, while French-language draw cutoffs have ranged from 393 to 419 — reflecting IRCC's sustained push toward category-based selection.
Draw scheduling has become less predictable in 2026, with observers noting skipped draw weeks (including the week of May 11 and June 8–12), suggesting a possible slowdown in draw frequency.
What You Should Do
- Check your current CRS score against recent cutoffs (518 for CEC, 409 for French-language) using IRCC's official Express Entry profile tool at canada.ca/express-entry — if you're close to the cutoff, ensure your profile is up to date.
- If you have French-language proficiency, confirm your language test results (TEF Canada or TCF Canada) are valid and uploaded to your Express Entry profile — French draws are running every month in 2026 with cutoffs as low as 393.
- Monitor IRCC's official 'Rounds of Invitations' page at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/mandate/policies-operational-instructions-agreements/ministerial-instructions/express-entry-rounds.html for confirmed draw dates and cutoffs — do not rely on third-party predictions for official dates.
- If you work in trades, healthcare, STEM, or education, check whether your NOC code qualifies for a category-based draw — 10 active categories existed as of June 2026 — via the IRCC Express Entry category-based selection page.
Sources
Topics Covered
Category-Based Selection System: IRCC ran 10 active category-based draw types in 2026, with French-language proficiency draws occurring every single month and Trades, Senior Managers, and PNP draws also running. French draws consistently show the lowest cutoffs.
CRS Cutoff Trends: CEC draw cutoffs have ranged from 507 to 518 in 2026, near two-year lows, while French-language draw cutoffs have ranged from 393 to 419. As of late May, the CEC cutoff rose slightly to 518 from a low of 507 in March.
How these topics connect
Candidates should not evaluate their CRS competitiveness against a single benchmark — a score of 420 is uncompetitive for CEC draws but highly viable for French-language draws, and a score of 169 was sufficient for the Physicians category, illustrating how category-based selection has fundamentally fragmented what it means to be 'competitive' in Express Entry.
The dramatic range in CRS cutoffs (169 for Physicians to 802 for PNP) is not random volatility but a structural outcome of the category-based system; candidates should assess their scores relative to their specific eligible category rather than the overall pool.
The wide variation in CRS cutoffs reflects Canada's strategic shift toward targeted selection, where occupation-specific needs drive dramatically different entry requirements.
More Express Entry Updates
Express Entry Update — August 13, 2026
Aug 13, 2026
Express Entry Update — August 10, 2026
Aug 10, 2026
Express Entry Update — August 3, 2026
Aug 3, 2026
Get immigration updates in your inbox
Weekly analysis. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.