Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has sent out a big wave of invitations to skilled workers currently residing in the nation for the second time in just seven days. On December 16, 2025, the government unexpectedly released 5,000 invitations to apply (ITAs) for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
In addition to its size, this most recent CEC draw express entrance round (Draw #387) is drawing attention due to its score, as the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) threshold was lowered to 515. This exceeds the previous low of 518 and represents the lowest CRS requirement for a CEC-specific draw in the entire year of 2025.
Inside the Draw on December 16
This latest round solidifies a December pattern of giving preference to homegrown talent, coming right after Draw #384 (which attracted 6,000 hopefuls).
- #387 is the draw number.
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is the draw type.
- 5,000 CRS invitations were sent out. The score cutoff is 515, and the tie-breaking rule is September 9, 2025, at 18:58:59 UTC.
What this implies An invitation should be waiting in your account if you are a CEC candidate with a score of 515 or better and you submitted your profile prior to the tie-break date.
11,000 Invitations
A significant change in approach is indicated by the frequency of these draws. Large-scale CEC draws are rarely held back-to-back by IRCC. The federal government is making it plain that keeping the workforce that is now contributing to the Canadian economy is the top goal for late 2025 by awarding 11,000 ITAs in a single week (6,000 in the previous round +5,000 in this round).
Why is it so urgent now?
Work Permit Expiries: These draws serve as a stabilizer to avoid status lapses for hundreds of thousands of temporary residents whose work permits are set to expire in 2026.
Labor Market Stability: Choosing applicants who are already employed helps manage housing restrictions and public services because they don’t need the same settling assistance as applicants from abroad.
Year-in-Review: Dominance of CEC
Throughout 2025, the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) and French-language draws were common, although the CEC draw express entry category was used near the conclusion of the year.
| Date | Draw # | Draw Type | ITAs Issued | CRS Score |
| Dec 16 | 387 | Canadian Experience Class | 5,000 | 515 |
| Dec 15 | 386 | Provincial Nominee Program | 399 | 731 |
| Dec 11 | 385 | Healthcare Occupations | 1,000 | 476 |
| Dec 10 | 384 | Canadian Experience Class | 6,000 | 520 |
It appears from this aggressive selection trend that IRCC is eager to get rid of the pool’s high-skilled profiles before the new year starts.
Prospects for 2026
The momentum is evident as January approaches. Through Q1 of 2026, the IRCC express entry draw plan may continue to rely significantly on Canadian applicants if the economy stays steady.
This reduction to 515 is a crucial lifeline for candidates who were barely below the prior cutoff of 520. Experts caution that scores and draw sizes are still subject to change. In order to raise their scores if they stay below the cutoff, candidates are advised to update their profiles and think about other options, like PNP streams.