IRCC issues 4,000 ITAs in Express Entry round 420 CEC draw at CRS 516
Canadian Experience Class draw conducted June 23, 2026 issues 4,000 ITAs at a CRS cut-off of 516 — the largest CEC round since March, two points below May's 518.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada conducted Express Entry round 420 on June 23, 2026, issuing 4,000 Invitations to Apply to Canadian Experience Class candidates with a Comprehensive Ranking System cut-off of 516. It is the largest Canadian Experience Class round since March 2026 and follows the May 27 round 417 draw, which invited 3,000 candidates at a cut-off of 518.
What's changed
Round 420 invited 4,000 candidates who hold work experience under the Canadian Experience Class stream with a Comprehensive Ranking System score of 516 or higher. The cut-off is two points below the May 27 round 417 threshold of 518 and nine points above the March 17 round, which set the year's lowest Canadian Experience Class cut-off at 507 while issuing the same 4,000 invitations. The 4,000-invitation volume matches the March 3 and March 17 rounds and is the largest Canadian Experience Class draw since IRCC reduced round sizes through April. Invited candidates needed Express Entry profiles with a date of effect on or before April 14, 2026 at 00:03:10 UTC, the round's published tie-break.
The June 23 round followed a Provincial Nominee Program draw on June 22 that issued 955 invitations, restoring the Provincial Nominee Program-then-Canadian Experience Class sequence after a gap of nearly four weeks between Canadian Experience Class rounds. According to IRCC pool data, the Express Entry pool held 239,645 candidates as of June 21, 2026, including 20,012 in the 501-to-600 score band. Round 420 is the 420th Express Entry round since the system launched in January 2015.
Who's affected
The invitations land with Canadian Experience Class candidates — foreign nationals with at least 12 months of skilled Canadian work experience within the previous three years in a National Occupational Classification TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 occupation. The pool draws heavily from international graduates of Canadian institutions on post-graduation work permits and from temporary foreign workers transitioning to permanent residence. Indian, Filipino, and Chinese candidates are consistently the largest Canadian Experience Class cohorts, mirroring Canada's broader skilled-worker mix.
Candidates invited in earlier 2026 rounds are not affected by round 420. With this draw, Canadian Experience Class invitations in 2026 reach roughly 41,250 across ten rounds.
When it takes effect
The 4,000 invitations are live as of the June 23 draw date. Each invited candidate has 60 days to submit a complete electronic application for permanent residence, with supporting documentation including language-test results, an Educational Credential Assessment where required, proof of funds, and police certificates. The application window for round 420 invitees closes on August 22, 2026.