Round #396 — February 17, 2026. IRCC issued 6,000 ITAs under the Canadian Experience Class; the CRS cut-off for that round was 508.
The numbers
| Date | February 17, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Round number | #396 |
| Round type | Canadian Experience Class |
| Invitations to apply (ITAs) | 6,000 |
| CRS cut-off | 508 |
| Change vs. previous round of the same type | −1 point |
| Days since the previous round of the same type | 27 days |
How it compares
The cut-off fell 1 point against round #392 (January 21, 2026), which closed at 509. That is 27 days after the previous one, where the recent average across 10 rounds under this program is 19 days. IRCC issued exactly the same number of invitations as last time, 6,000.
No round among the last 10 rounds under this program closed lower; those rounds span 508 to 534 points. The volume is mid-table for the set, which averages 3,600 invitations per round (1,000 to 8,000). Counting this one, 3 rounds under this program have been held in 2026, for 20,000 invitations in total. Across the last 10 rounds of any kind, the cut-offs sat between 399 and 789.
What this round selects
The Canadian Experience Class is one of the three federal programs Express Entry manages, and it is for people who already have skilled work experience gained inside Canada. A CEC round invites only profiles that qualify under that program.
What it means for your profile
Getting an invitation in this round took a CRS score of 508 or above, in the pool and qualifying under Canadian Experience Class on February 17, 2026. Scoring under the cut-off changes nothing about a profile — it remains in the pool for twelve months and enters every round it is eligible for. This page does not forecast where the next cut-off will land. Each round depends on how many profiles are in the pool at the time and on the instructions in force that day, so a past cut-off is a record, not a target.
- Immigration evaluation — we work out your CRS score, check which programs and categories you are eligible for, and tell you what is missing. If your profile does not qualify, we say so before you pay.
- All Express Entry draws — the live history with charts and filters, updated as each new round is published.
Source: the rounds of invitations IRCC publishes, read automatically through our data service. GerCanada is a private consultancy and is not part of the Government of Canada.