Express Entry draw 446 Highlights
- Date and time: September 29, 2026, at 10:19:21 UTC
- Category: Canadian Experience Class
- CRS cut-off: 518
- Invitations issued: 2,000
- Rank needed: 2,000 or above
- Tie-breaking rule: Candidates who submitted their Express Entry profile before 20:48:08 UTC on February 13, 2026, were prioritised where scores were tied
A Category That Redefined Its Own Pace
CEC has been the single most active program-specific draw category throughout 2026, and this milestone makes that clear in concrete terms. Where 2025 saw a more measured invitation pace for Canadian work-experience candidates, 2026 opened aggressively, with early-year CEC draws issuing 4,000, 6,000, and even 8,000 ITAs in single rounds. That front-loaded approach is exactly why the category blew past its previous annual total with a full quarter still to go.
The Shift From Big Draws to Steady Ones
What’s notable is how differently CEC is behaving now compared to earlier in the year. The massive individual draws that defined the first half of 2026 have given way to a more measured cadence: 2,000 invitations roughly every two weeks since mid-August, with cut-offs holding in a narrow 516-523 range. The category didn’t slow down to reach this milestone, it simply switched from occasional large surges to consistent, predictable rounds that added up just as quickly.
Why This Express Entry draw 446 Matters Beyond the Number
A milestone like this isn’t just a statistics footnote. It reflects a deliberate prioritization: IRCC has consistently favoured candidates who already have Canadian work experience over general pool applicants throughout 2026, treating CEC as a primary channel rather than a secondary one. For a category to outpace its own previous full-year total this early signals that this preference isn’t a temporary adjustment, it’s the operating baseline for how Express Entry is being run this year.
What Comes Next for the Category
With three CEC draws already completed in September alone, the category continues to show strong momentum. Moreover, CEC draws have been taking place roughly every two weeks, highlighting the continued focus on candidates with Canadian work experience.
As a result, if this pace continues, the CEC’s year-end total could climb well beyond 60,000 invitations. This would further widen the gap with 2025 and underline the growing role of Canadian work experience in Canada’s immigration selection strategy in 2026.
Want to know where your CRS score stands? Use our Canada CRS Calculator to estimate your score and assess your Express Entry profile.