Toronto, Canada – Canada has commenced the second half of January with a substantial Express Entry draw aimed at individuals who already possess Canadian work experience, Starnews NG reports on Thursday.
On January 21, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced on its immigration portal that it issued 6,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), with the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off set at 509.
For CEC candidates, this level of draw size can significantly impact the pool of applicants. Should the IRCC continue to issue similarly large batches of ITAs to CEC candidates in the upcoming rounds, it is reasonable to anticipate a decreasing trend in the CRS cut-off scores.
In this context, a drop below 500 by mid- to late February 2026 may soon become a possibility.
Details concerning today’s draw include guidance on how to respond if you received an ITA, potential red flags that could lead to application refusal, and the best steps to take if you did not receive an invitation.
IRCC also confirmed that candidates at the cut-off score were only invited if their Express Entry profile was created before the tie-breaking timestamp.
How To Respond If You Received An ITA
“Getting an ITA is not approval. It is a time-limited invitation to submit a complete electronic Application for Permanent Residence (eAPR).
“Your next steps matter because errors at this stage can lead to refusals or misrepresentation findings.
“IRCC’s rule is clear: your ITA is valid for 60 days only, and you should start the application right away so you can gather documents before the deadline,” the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) stated on their portal on Wednesday.
Starnews NG can report that this recent draw underscores Canada’s ongoing commitment to attracting skilled workers and further opens doors for individuals looking to establish permanent residency in the country.
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