Canada Announces Plan To Welcome 1,000 New Permanent Residents
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada conducted a Canadian Experience Class draw on August 18, 2026
- The August 18 round set a minimum CRS score of 523, higher than the 516 cut-off recorded in the previous CEC draw on August 5
- Canada has issued over 113,000 Express Entry invitations so far in 2026, with a large share going to CEC candidates
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Canada's Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) extended 1,000 invitations to apply for permanent residence on August 18, 2026, through a draw conducted exclusively under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) stream of the Express Entry system.
The draw took place at 10:13:44 UTC, with ministerial instructions signed by Canada's Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Lena Metlege Diab, in Ottawa confirming that invitations could be issued between August 18 and August 19, 2026.
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August 18 draw more selective than previous round
Candidates required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 523 to qualify, marking a notable increase from the 516 cut-off recorded in the previous CEC draw held on August 5, when IRCC issued 3,000 invitations.
The combination of a reduced invitation volume and a higher score threshold makes the August 18 round one of the most competitive CEC draws recorded so far this year.
Where more than one candidate shared the lowest qualifying score, a tie-breaking rule applied based on profile submission date and time, set at August 17, 2026, at 22:09:00 UTC.
The ministerial instructions confirmed that invitations were issued to eligible foreign nationals ranking among the first 1,000 eligible candidates in the group.
How the Canadian Experience Class works
The CEC targets skilled workers who already hold Canadian work experience and wish to settle permanently.
To qualify, candidates generally need at least one year of skilled work experience in Canada within the preceding three years, covering 1,560 hours, in occupations falling under National Occupational Classification TEER categories 0, 1, 2, or 3.
Language requirements are set at Canadian Language Benchmark 7 for TEER 0 or 1 positions and CLB 5 for TEER 2 or 3 roles.
Unlike several other federal immigration programmes, the CEC carries no education requirement and no obligation to demonstrate settlement funds. Applicants must also intend to reside outside Quebec.
Express Entry manages three federal economic immigration streams: the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Programme, and the Federal Skilled Trades Programme.
Profiles are ranked using the CRS, which weighs factors including age, education, language proficiency, and Canadian work experience.
The highest-ranked candidates receive invitations during periodic draws.
By mid-August 2026, IRCC had already issued more than 113,000 Express Entry invitations across all programmes, with CEC candidates accounting for a significant portion of that total.
Canada publishes 2026 oath for new citizens
In a related development, YEN.com.gh reported that Canada has published the precise wording of the oath that all immigrants are required to recite before they are formally recognised as Canadian citizens.
With this, the government has urged all prospective citizens to practise the oath and the national anthem before attending their citizenship ceremony.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
