3,000 Invited in a Canadian Experience Class Draw on June 26, 2025

Key Takeaways From The CEC Draw on June 26, 2025

• Type of draw: Canadian Experience Class
• Draw number: 353
• Invitations issued: 3,000
• CRS score: 521
• Tie-breaking rule: November 21, 2024 at 15:56:13 UTC
• Prediction for the next draw: Potentially a French category-based draw or trades draw tomorrow. Otherwise, PNP in two weeks.
• New to the excitement of Express Entry draws? Check out our guide to Express Entry

Resources To Help You Immigrate Through Express Entry

Our Analysis of This Express Entry Draw

This draw didn’t happen until a little later in the day, 11:30AM on the West Coast so that’s 2:30pm for those in Toronto. IRCC had us nervous that we would not be seeing a return to bi-weekly draws. Luckily, it did — and this draw offered further relief in terms of the CRS cut-off too that may bring hope to those currently waiting in the pool.

This week’s draw, which saw 3,000 invitations issued to candidates with eligible Canadian work experience, had a CRS cut-off of 521. This is 8 points lower than the CEC draw two weeks ago, which issued 3,000 invitations to candidates with a CRS of 529 or higher.

That being said, the fact that the draws are so large and the decrease in points is ‘only’ 8 points shows that there is very high competition in the pool above the 501+ range. If you’re currently in the pool with a score of 501+ and there’s room for improvement in your language results, it may be worth considering studying and rebooking a test.

Check out our partner at E2 test prep for additional resources.

The last item of note on this week’s draw is that IRCC didn’t offer us an updated glimpse into the pool between this week’s PNP round and today’s round of invitations. These two sneak peeks into the pool within a week (when we get them) really are invaluable. So we’re disappointed to not get that additional bit of data from IRCC this week.

When is the next CEC Draw in July 2025?

After two bi-weekly draws for CEC, on Thursdays, we are hopeful that IRCC has returned to business as usual, with consistent, predictable bi-weekly draws. However, we’re still looking for a few more Thursday CEC draws before we call this a trend.

You can keep an eye on our predictions on our page dedicated to the question when is the next Express Entry draw.

We still don’t know why there was such a lengthy pause in the Canadian Experience Class draws. IRCC has not yet released information explaining the decision to cease CEC draws despite publicly stating that there is an in-Canada focus.

We will keep our fingers crossed for another large CEC draw in two weeks, and we’ll keep you posted on any updates.

What If You Didn’t Get An Invitation in This CEC Round?

There are a few reasons you may not have received an invitation through this Express Entry round:

1. You were not eligible for the Canadian Experience Class draw. This program-specific draw only invited candidates with eligible work experience in Canada.
2. You did not have a high enough Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. If your score is below today’s cut-off score, check out past results to view trends in the CRS in your program/category. Need to improve your score? Our CRS calculator tool can help. It’s free, you just need to create or log into your Moving2Canada account.
3. Finally, what if you were eligible for the program AND had the right CRS score? Well, it’s possible the tie-breaking rule excluded you. If you entered the Express Entry pool after the tie-breaking date and you had a CRS that was equal to the CRS for this round, unfortunately, you will miss out this round.

Need To Improve Your CRS for a CEC Draw?

If this is you, we suggest doing what you can in the short term to improve your CRS. Your language proficiency results are the lowest hanging fruit here, and we suggest retaking your language test if possible to improve your results. But you can use our interactive CRS calculator to learn what you have received points for and what areas you have for improvement.

Applying for a provincial nomination is another option, since competition remains low at the moment in the Express Entry pool. That said, competition is extremely high at the provincial level, with many provinces delaying or pausing programs to cope with very high levels of demand. So, receiving a provincial nomination is a strong strategy this year but, if you choose to go this route, you should have alternatives planned.

Canada launched its Rural and Francophone Community Pilots for 2025. These programs offer a pathway to permanent residency for those willing to move to and work in certain rural communities or communities looking to attract French speakers.

Finally, there is the option of learning French. We have a special offer for those looking to learn French — but you can only get it in our Facebook group or by joining our email list for Express Entry news.

How Does The Canadian Experience Class Work Under Express Entry?

If you’re not familiar with Canada’s Express Entry system, it’s an application management system used to manage economic immigrants to Canada. It offers streamlined application timelines for those who are invited to apply for permanent residence.

• Keen to learn more about Express Entry? Check out our dedicated Express Entry page.

With that in mind, the Canadian Experience Class is a program for people in the Express Entry pool and who have qualifying work experience in Canada. The idea is that those who have lived and worked in Canada before becoming a permanent resident are more likely to succeed in and stay in Canada — and the research shows that those who come through the Canadian Experience Class are more likely to earn more in Canada than those who become permanent residents without working in Canada as a temporary resident first.

Not sure if you’re eligible for the Canadian Experience Class? Sign up for our free account to access helpful tools, like an eligibility quiz.

You can also sign up for up-to-date information about Express Entry draws via your free Moving2Canada account. Just subscribe to our newsletter for news about the draws and our analysis as it happens, so you’ll never miss the latest results. This can be a powerful tool to help you identify trends and map your pathway to permanent residence in Canada.

For up-to-date information about Express Entry draws, consider creating a free Moving2Canada account and subscribing to our newsletter. We share news about the draws and our analysis as it happens, so you’ll never miss the latest results.

Further Resources for CEC Candidates

For more information:

• Learn more about the latest Express Entry draws.
• Learn more about the state of the Express Entry pool.
• Learn when to expect the next Express Entry draw.
• Use our online Express Entry CRS calculator to learn more about your current score and how to improve it.