- Canada has issued one hundred fourteen thousand eight hundred sixty-five invitations as of August eighteenth, twenty twenty-six.
- The twenty twenty-six total has already surpassed the previous annual record set back in twenty twenty-one.
- Invitations focused heavily on Canadian Experience Class candidates and those with French-language proficiency.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has issued 114,865 invitations to apply through Express Entry as of August 18, making 2026 the biggest year in the program’s history, according to the year-to-date tally. The total has already passed the 113,988 invitations issued in 2025.
The milestone arrived with more than four months still left in the calendar year. A separate pandemic-era comparison places the previous record at 114,224 invitations in 2021, a figure also exceeded by this year’s total.
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The latest draw added 1,000 Canadian Experience Class candidates. They needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score of 523.
That round followed a provincial nominees draw on August 17. Immigration officials invited 442 candidates who had a minimum CRS score of 760.
The pace has been unusually high. Express Entry has often held four draws per week in 2026, according to additional reporting on the year’s draw schedule.
Canadian workers and French speakers supplied most of the invitations
The year’s category totals show where the invitations went. The Canadian Experience Class led with 49,250, followed by French-language proficiency at 45,500.
The figures below come from the year-to-date category breakdown:
| Category | 2026 invitations |
|---|---|
| Canadian Experience Class | 49,250 |
| French-language proficiency | 45,500 |
| Healthcare and social services | 8,000 |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 7,399 |
| Trades | 3,000 |
| Senior managers with Canadian work experience | 750 |
| Physicians with Canadian work experience | 662 |
| Transport | 300 |
| Skilled Military Recruits | 4 |
The category totals point to a system focused heavily on people already working in Canada and applicants with French-language ability. General all-program draws have been largely absent this year.
A separate breakdown puts the Canadian Experience Class total at about 48,250, with an average CRS score of 512. It lists provincial nominee invitations at about 7,822, with an average score of 754, while placing the French-language average at 403.
Those alternate figures differ from the category totals reported elsewhere, but both show the same concentration in the three main pathways. The overall year-to-date count remains 114,865.
The draw schedule widened beyond traditional categories
Canada introduced or refreshed several targeted categories in February under the International Talent Attraction Strategy. They included researchers and senior managers with Canadian work experience, transport occupations, and highly skilled military recruits.
The transport category covers pilots, aircraft mechanics and inspectors. Its first draw of 2026 came August 7, when officials invited 300 candidates with a CRS score of 470.
The military category targets doctors, nurses and pilots for the Canadian Armed Forces. Only 4 invitations appear in the year-to-date category totals.
Physicians with Canadian clinical experience, a category introduced in late 2025, also received dedicated consideration. A February 19 draw produced a CRS score of 169, the lowest score recorded this year for that group.
French-language candidates reached another low point on August 6. Officials issued 5,000 invitations in that draw, with a cutoff score of 391.
The category has offered a route for candidates outside the occupations receiving dedicated draws. Its average CRS score in the alternate breakdown was 403.
The government says the categories follow labour needs
Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab described the strategy as a response to changing workforce demands in a February 18 statement.
“Canada’s future depends on a workforce ready to meet the challenges of a changing economy. By refining Express Entry to focus on the skills our communities truly need, we are strengthening our labour market, supporting provincial priorities and ensuring newcomers can contribute from day one.”
The policy has also shifted the balance toward temporary residents already in Canada. Candidates with Canadian work experience have received the largest volume of invitations, while physicians, pilots and researchers have gained dedicated routes that can avoid the higher thresholds seen in broad draws.
That approach comes as Canada debates reductions in overall immigration levels. The system has nevertheless been used to move more temporary residents into permanent residence.
Critics say the categories divide a smaller pool
Daniel Bernhard, CEO of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, criticized the category-based changes on August 8. He said the government had expanded the number of targeted groups without creating a broader talent strategy.
“This announcement reveals a deeply confused talent policy that will cost the Canadian economy dearly. Yesterday's announcement amounts to splitting a shrinking pie into many more pieces. That is not a strategy. That is the appearance of action.”
The record total therefore masks different outcomes across the candidate pool. Canadian workers and French speakers have benefited from frequent targeted rounds, while applicants without French skills, Canadian experience or a priority occupation have faced fewer opportunities.
The next draws will determine how far 2026 moves beyond the previous annual totals. The calendar still has more than four months remaining after the August 18 count reached 114,865.
