Express Entry Invitations Surge in First Half of 2026 as IRCC Issues Nearly 90,000 ITAs

You’ve been wondering what’s happening with Express Entry draws? How does 2026 compare to recent years? Well, this is our complete analysis of Express Entry invitations in the first half of 2026. Spoiler alert:

It’s been a huge year so far.

The total ITAs for the first half of 2026 is more than double the number of invitations issued during the same period in both 2025 and 2024. It’s also nearly 50 percent higher than the number of invitations issued in the first half of 2023.

To put that figure in perspective, IRCC has already issued about 78 percent as many invitations in the first six months of 2026 as it issued during all of 2025.

Why has IRCC Issued So Many Invitations?

The increase in invitations is particularly notable because Canada’s admissions targets for federal high-skilled immigrants have remained relatively stable over the past several years.

As stated earlier, IRCC has already issued about 78 percent as many invitations in the first six months of 2026 as it issued during all of 2025. At first glance, that may seem difficult to reconcile with Canada’s immigration targets. However, invitations and admissions are not the same thing.

Candidates who receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) must still submit a permanent residence application and wait for that application to be processed. As a result, there is often a significant delay between receiving an ITA and becoming a permanent resident.

So, with relatively similar overall targets, why would Canada be issuing more invitations in the first half of 2026 than in previous years?

One possible explanation for the increase in invitations is that IRCC is building an inventory of approved applicants to support admissions in 2027. Most candidates who receive invitations during the second half of 2026 won’t have their applications finalized until next year, as it currently takes an average of seven months to process an application.

To support this possibility, recent inventory data shows IRCC is already managing a substantial volume of previously submitted applications. As of June 8, 2026, the department had 60,900 Canadian Experience Class (CEC) applications and 52,000 Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) applications awaiting processing. If all those applications were approved (which they won’t be), it would be enough to meet the entire target for 2026 admissions.

Note: In the first half of 2026, 5,405 ITAs were issued to PNP candidates. Those admissions will not count towards the federal high-skilled targets, instead counting towards the targets for provincial nominees (91,500 in 2026).

Most of the Growth Came from CEC, French, and Category-Based Draws

The sharp increase in invitations was not spread evenly across all Express Entry draw types.

Instead, most of the growth came from Canadian Experience Class draws, French-language proficiency draws, and category-based selection draws.

Canadian Experience Class invitations more than doubled compared to the first half of 2025. French-language draw ITAs were close behind with 65 percent higher ITAs than last year and more than double the first half of 2024. Category-based draw ITAs almost quadrupled compared to the first half of 2025 and were higher than the first half of 2024, too.

By contrast, Express Entry-aligned Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) invitations remained broadly in line with recent years and accounted for a relatively small share of overall invitations.

This trend mirrors IRCC’s application inventory. As of June 8, 2026, there were approximately 14,000 Express Entry-aligned PNP applications awaiting processing, compared to 110,200 non-Express Entry PNP applications. Again, the PNP admissions target for 2026 is 91,500.

The data shows that IRCC’s increased use of Express Entry in 2026 has been driven primarily by federal economic immigration programs rather than provincial nominations.

CRS Score Trends in the First Half of 2026

Although invitation numbers increased substantially, Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off scores remained relatively steady compared to recent years.

Canadian Experience Class draws

CEC draw cut-offs ranged from a low of 507 on March 17 to a high of 518 on May 27.

Despite larger invitation rounds, all CEC draws during the first half of 2026 required candidates to have CRS scores above 500. But – that’s been the case for the past three years:

French-language proficiency draws

French-language proficiency draws continued to produce some of the lowest CRS cut-off scores in Express Entry.

The lowest French-language proficiency draw of the year had a cut-off score of 393, while the highest reached 419. This range of CRS scores is significantly smaller than what we’ve seen in recent years where French-draw cut-offs have had a range of more than 100 points:

Category-based selection draws

Category-based selection draws produced the widest range of CRS scores. The lowest category-based draw cut-off was just 169 in a draw targeting physicians with Canadian work experience. The highest category-based draw cut-off was 477 in a trades occupations draw.

The large variation reflects the fact that category-based draws are designed to target specific labour market priorities rather than invite candidates solely based on their CRS score.

Notably, 2026 was the first year with a category targeting physicians with Canadian work experience and this category produced a much lower CRS score cut-off than in any category-based draw since they were introduced. This is likely due to the extremely strict requirements to work as a physician in Canada, limiting the pool of candidates considered for this draw.

Want more analysis on category-based draws? In a few days, we’ll be publishing a full review of category-based draws in the first half of 2026.

Express Entry Invitations: Predictions for the Second Half of 2026?

The first half of 2026 has already produced nearly 90,000 Express Entry invitations, putting the year on pace to potentially exceed invitation levels seen in recent years.

Whether that pace continues through the second half of the year remains to be seen. Candidates should pay particular attention to the frequency of Canadian Experience Class, French-language proficiency, and category-based selection draws, as these draw types have driven most of the increase in invitations so far. However, as we’ve written about recently, it is possible that Express Entry draws could slow down for a few months.

Even if invitation volumes slow later in the year, the first six months of 2026 have already reshaped the Express Entry landscape and created opportunities for tens of thousands of candidates seeking permanent residence in Canada.

A Quick Note on Methodology

This analysis includes all Express Entry invitations issued between January 1 and June 30 of each year from 2023 through 2026. Invitation data was compiled from official Express Entry draw results published by IRCC.