Latest Express Entry CEC Draw: 6,000 ITAs Issued, CRS 520

A big CEC-only Express Entry round just took place, and many people working in Canada will want to look at their scores again. On December 10, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) invited 6,000 Canadian Experience Class candidates to apply for permanent residence, with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 520.

To be picked in this round, candidates needed to have both:

• A CRS score of at least 520; and
• An Express Entry profile submitted before 5:30 p.m. UTC on July 15, 2025.

This is the largest CEC-specific draw in more than 16 months, and it breaks a long stretch where CEC cutoffs sat at 533 or 534.

At a glance:

If you are currently working in Canada and sitting near that score range, this round is a useful reference point for your plans.

What Happened in This CEC Draw?

IRCC held a program-specific round that targeted only Canadian Experience Class candidates in the Express Entry pool. In this type of round, all invitations go to people who meet CEC eligibility and who rank high enough based on their CRS scores.

In this case:

• 6,000 invitations to apply (ITAs) were issued.
• Every invited candidate had a CRS score of 520 or higher.
• Candidates with a score of 520 needed to have created their profile before the tie-breaking time of 5:30 p.m. UTC, July 15, 2025.

The tie-breaking time matters because several candidates can share the same CRS score. When that happens, IRCC uses the date and time a profile was submitted to separate candidates, and only those with an earlier timestamp are invited.

For many people in the pool, this round will be the first time they have seen the CEC cutoff slip below the low 530s in several months. Anyone who recently gained extra Canadian work experience or improved language scores may now find themselves much closer to the current line.

Why This Draw Matters for CEC Candidates

This is not just another CEC round. The numbers send a clear signal to people with Canadian work experience who are hoping to transition to permanent residence.

First, the size of the draw stands out. It is the largest CEC-specific round since July 16, 2024, which means more workers in Canada had a chance at an invitation on a single day than at any time in over a year.

Second, the cutoff dropped. Previous CEC rounds had settled at 533 or 534, which kept many otherwise strong candidates just outside the invitation range. This time, the minimum score fell to 520, while invitations increased sharply from 1,000 in the November 26 CEC draw to 6,000 on December 10.

What does that tell you if you are currently in Canada on a work permit?

• CEC remains a key route to permanent residence for people with local experience.
• Candidates who were sitting a little below previous cutoffs now have reason to watch upcoming rounds more carefully.
• Small changes to a profile, such as higher language test scores or another year of skilled Canadian work, may now tip someone into the range that has just been invited.

For readers of SEP Immigration, this is exactly the sort of round that can change timelines. A score that felt out of reach a few months ago may suddenly look closer.

Snapshot of Express Entry Draws in 2025 So Far

To understand this CEC draw properly, it helps to place it in the broader 2025 pattern.

Across the year, IRCC has been running a mixture of:

• Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws
• CEC-specific draws
• French-language category draws
• Healthcare and social services draw
• Smaller rounds for education and trade occupations.

According to recent summaries, by the time of the December 10 CEC round:

• IRCC had held 22 PNP draws, 14 CEC draws, 8 French-language draws, 6 healthcare and social services draws, 2 education draws, and 1 trade draw in 2025.
• A total of 105,599 ITAs had been issued across all Express Entry categories.

Looking at invitations by stream in 2025:

• French-language category: 42,000 ITAs
• Canadian Experience Class: 30,850 ITAs
• Healthcare and social services: 13,500 ITAs
• Provincial Nominee Program: 9,376 ITAs
• Education occupations: 3,500 ITAs
• Trade occupations: 1,250 ITAs

These figures show that French-language and CEC candidates have received a large share of invitations this year, with healthcare, PNP, and other categories also playing important roles. For someone planning their route to permanent residence, this pattern suggests that strong French skills or solid Canadian work experience can open several doors, not just one.

How This CEC Draw Compares With Recent Rounds

When you set the December 10 CEC draw beside other late-2025 rounds, some clear patterns appear. Earlier draws in November often used smaller invitation numbers or higher score cutoffs, which kept many people in the pool waiting. The jump to 6,000 invitations at a lower score changes that picture quite a bit.

Recent examples help illustrate the shift:

• December 10, 2025: CEC, 6,000 invitations, CRS 520
• December 8, 2025: PNP, 1,123 invitations, CRS in the high 700s
• November 28, 2025: French-language category, 6,000 invitations, CRS in the low 400s
• November 26, 2025: CEC, 1,000 invitations, CRS 531
• November 25, 2025: PNP, 777 invitations, CRS just below 700

The change inside the CEC stream is especially important. Moving from a 1,000-person draw at 531 to a 6,000-person draw at 520 opens the door to thousands of additional candidates. 

A difference of eleven points may not sound huge at first, yet in a crowded pool, it can separate those who have been waiting for months from those who finally receive an invitation.

Some readers will wonder what comes next. Will CEC scores rise again quickly, or will a few more rounds sit closer to the 520 mark? No one can predict the exact schedule, although this set of results suggests that late-year draws can bring sudden changes in both volume and cutoff.

What a CRS Score of 520 Means for Many Applicants

A CRS score of 520 often reflects a combination of strong Canadian work experience, solid language results, and competitive age and education. There are many paths to reach that number, yet a few common patterns tend to recur.

For example, many applicants in the low 520s have:

• At least one year of skilled Canadian work, sometimes two or three
• Language test scores near or at CLB 9 in all skills
• A college or university credential, often with extra points for Canadian study
• An age range that still receives a high number of CRS points

Others reach this level after small but important changes. One more year of skilled work in Canada can add points. A retake of a language exam can raise a band or two in one skill area. Since language results feed into multiple parts of the CRS grid, a single improvement can create a jump of ten points or more.

If your score sits just below 520, it is worth asking where you still have room to grow. Could a second try at IELTS, CELPIP, TEF, or TCF raise your score? Are you close to another year of Canadian work that has not yet been reflected in your profile? Minor adjustments can turn into meaningful changes once they are counted.

For candidates already at or above 520, this draw shows that a competitive score can convert into an invitation as soon as your program is selected for a round. That can be reassuring after a long period of waiting and watching the pool.

If You Received an Invitation in This Draw

Receiving an invitation to apply is a major step, and it shifts the nature of your task. Instead of waiting for results, you now work toward a complete application within a set timeline. That clock starts ticking as soon as the invitation appears in your account.

A calm, organized start usually helps. Many applicants begin with a simple checklist:

• Confirm that every detail in your Express Entry profile matches your documents
• Collect employment letters that list duties, dates, hours, and job titles
• Arrange a medical exam if required for your case
• Gather police certificates for each country where you have lived long-term
• Locate diplomas, transcripts, and any official translations that may be needed

It can be useful to create a folder, digital or physical, where all documents are stored together. As you add each item, note any gaps that remain, such as a missing letter from a past employer or a certificate that may take extra time to obtain.

Before uploading anything, many applicants take a quiet hour to read IRCC’s instructions carefully. Requirements and formats can change over time. Reading through the current guidance at the start can help you avoid corrections or extra requests later.

If You Did Not Receive an Invitation This Time

Not being invited to a large round can sting, especially if your score feels close to the cutoff. That reaction is natural. After the first wave of frustration passes, the next step is to look at your profile with a clear, practical eye.

A few questions can guide that review:

• How far is your score from 520: just a few points, or a wider gap?
• Are you nearing another year of skilled Canadian work that will add points?
• Could a second attempt at a language test realistically raise any of your scores?
• Is your spouse or partner able to complete a language test or obtain an education assessment that could add to your total?

Some candidates also consider options beyond CEC alone. A provincial nomination may be available in your province of residence, and that type of nomination carries a significant CRS increase. 

Others look into French-language testing, especially if they studied the language in school or use it in daily life. Even modest gains in a second official language can influence results.

The situation you see on the day of this draw is not fixed forever. Work experience continues to accumulate, study plans move forward, and IRCC adjusts its draw schedule over time. If you treat this round as a reference point rather than a final verdict, you can plan concrete steps that move you closer to a future invitation.