Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted its latest Express Entry draw on December 16, 2025, inviting 5,000 candidates under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). The round recorded a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 515, making it the lowest CRS cut-off for a CEC draw this year.
The draw followed a series of Express Entry rounds earlier in December, including both category-based and CEC selections, signalling IRCC’s continued focus on retaining skilled workers already established in Canada while advancing its 2025 immigration targets.
Details of the Draw
The December 16 round marked one of the largest CEC-specific draws of the year. Key details of the draw are as follows:
Program: Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
Date of draw: December 16, 2025
Number of Invitations to Apply (ITAs): 5,000
Minimum CRS score: 515
Tie-breaking rule: September 9, 2025, at 18:58:59 UTC
The drop in CRS score compared to earlier CEC rounds reflects a broader invitation range, allowing more in-Canada candidates to receive invitations.
Purpose of the CEC Draw
The Canadian Experience Class targets skilled workers who have gained qualifying work experience in Canada, including international graduates and temporary foreign workers.
By prioritising this stream, IRCC aims to select candidates who are already contributing to the Canadian economy and are well positioned to integrate permanently.
This approach reduces settlement challenges and helps employers retain experienced workers, particularly in sectors facing ongoing labour shortages.
High-volume CEC draws are often used to stabilise the workforce while meeting permanent residence targets efficiently.
Impact on Express Entry Candidates
The reduction in the CRS cut-off to 515 is a positive development for candidates with Canadian work experience whose scores were previously just below invitation levels.
It increases the likelihood of selection for individuals in the mid-500 CRS range and may encourage eligible workers to remain in the Express Entry pool.
For international graduates and temporary residents, the draw reinforces the importance of Canadian work experience within the Express Entry system.
It also indicates that CEC candidates are likely to remain a priority heading into early 2026, especially as IRCC continues to balance category-based selections with general program draws.
Overall, the December 16 CEC draw highlights IRCC’s ongoing emphasis on retaining in-Canada talent while maintaining flexibility in its Express Entry invitation strategy.
How This Draw Fits Into December’s Express Entry Activity
The December 16 draw followed two notable rounds earlier in the month:
December 11, 2025: A targeted Healthcare and Social Services category-based draw issued 1,000 ITAs with a CRS cut-off of 476.
December 10, 2025: A CEC draw issued 6,000 ITAs with a CRS cut-off of 520.
Compared to the December 10 round, the latest draw invited fewer candidates but at a lower CRS threshold, suggesting IRCC is fine-tuning its selection strategy rather than relying on a single fixed approach.