Biggest CEC Draw of 2025: 6,000 Candidates on December 10, 2025

Key Takeaways From the CEC Draw on December 10, 2025 

• Type of draw: Canadian Experience Class 

• Invitations issued: 6,000 

• CRS score: 520

• Tie-breaking rule: October 8, 2025 at 19:02:26 UTC 

• Prediction for the next draw: A category-based selection round later this week. 

Our Analysis of This Express Entry Draw 

This is the 14th targeted CEC draw of 2025, and it’s likely the last CEC round of the year, which means we’re wrapping up 2025 on a real high note. 6,000 ITAs were issued, giving CEC candidates a much-needed boost heading into 2026.

This was by far the largest CEC draw of 2025. The next biggest round only issued 4,000 ITAs, so this one didn’t just beat the record, it blew past it.

And it’s even more impressive when you look at the recent trend: the last six CEC draws since August were stuck at 1,000 ITAs each. After months of smaller, cautious rounds, this draw feels like a big shift in tone.

The part that may be surprising

Even though this was the biggest draw of the year, it wasn’t the lowest CRS cutoff. The cutoff for today’s CEC draw came in at 520, which is actually two points higher than the lowest CEC cutoff of 2025.

That low happened back on July 8, when the cutoff dropped to 518, and that draw only issued 3,000 ITAs, half the size of this one.

What today’s CEC draw says about the pool

This is a good reminder that volume alone doesn’t guarantee lower scores. If anything, this shows how much the CEC pool has filled up in the last few months. A record-setting 6,000-ITA round still needed a 520 cutoff, which tells us the competition for CEC candidates has heated up noticeably since mid-summer, which makes sense considering the smaller draws.

What CEC hopefuls should watch for in 2026

Here are the key trends CEC candidates should keep on their radar in 2026, the stuff that’s most likely to shape draw patterns, competition, and overall chances in the year ahead:

A bigger shift toward “CEC-layered” category draws,  and what that means for regular CEC rounds: The new doctors category points to IRCC nudging categories toward an in-Canada model, prioritizing people with recent Canadian work experience in targeted occupations. If that approach expands into other categories, we’ll likely see more hybrid draws that act as a direct bridge from temporary status to PR for in-demand jobs, rather than categories operating mainly as global recruitment tools.

The knock-on effect for CEC is big: as more in-Canada candidates get selected through category–CEC rounds, fewer of them are competing in CEC-only draws. That could ease pressure in the general CEC pool and help CRS cutoffs soften, assuming overall draw volumes hold. At the same time, IRCC may rebalance the draw calendar to make room for hybrids, which could mean fewer stand-alone CEC rounds even as in-Canada selection stays strong.

The 33,000 TR-to-PR transition spaces: With 33,000 work permit holder spaces available in the next 2 years, there’s another major in-Canada option feeding into permanent residence. How quickly those spaces are used, and who they’re aimed at, will shape the overall competition for CEC and hybrid category draws, since they’re all pulling from the same broad in-Canada talent pool.

More Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) activity: In addition to the largest CEC draw of the year, we also saw the biggest PNP draw of 2025 on Monday. Taken together, those back-to-back high-volume rounds reinforce the same message heading into 2026,  Express Entry momentum matters, but you can’t build a strong EE plan without a provincial one running alongside it. The best-positioned candidates will be the ones watching both tracks at once, and ready to move if their province opens a stream that fits their job, location, and timeline.

How Does the Canadian Experience Class Work Under Express Entry? 

For anyone new to this the Canadian Experience Class is designed for people who’ve already gained skilled work experience inside Canada. 

• Learn more about Express Entry with our dedicated Express Entry page.

Under Express Entry, your profile is scored using the CRS system, same as the other programs. The advantage for CEC candidates is that Canadian experience tends to bump scores higher and make candidates more competitive. And the performance data backs it up: CEC newcomers consistently rank among the strongest economic performers after landing. They tend to settle into stable jobs faster, earn higher wages sooner, and move up the ladder more quickly than many other groups in the Express Entry mix.

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.