The two rounds
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 7,500 invitations to apply (ITAs) in two Express Entry rounds on October 15 and 16, 2026. The CRS score is the Comprehensive Ranking System score of the lowest-ranked candidate invited.
| Round | Date | Type | ITAs | Lowest CRS score invited | Tie-breaking rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #449 | October 15, 2026 | Canadian Experience Class | 2,500 | 519 | September 21, 2026, 19:00:47 UTC |
| #450 | October 16, 2026 | French-language proficiency (2026, version 2) | 5,000 | 435 | October 6, 2026, 21:31:22 UTC |
If more than one eligible candidate had exactly the lowest score, the profile submitted earlier ranked ahead of the later one, using the tie-breaking date and time IRCC published for the round.
Round #449: Canadian Experience Class
Round #449 was limited to candidates eligible for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). To qualify for the CEC, a candidate needs at least one year (1,560 hours) of skilled work experience in Canada in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 within the three years before applying, gained while authorized to work, and the required language level (Canadian Language Benchmark 7 for TEER 0 or 1 jobs; 5 for TEER 2 or 3 jobs). The minimum score was 519, compared with 518 in round #446 on September 29 (2,000 invitations).
Round #450: French-language proficiency
Round #450 was a category-based round for French-language proficiency. This category is for candidates who have French language ability at NCLC 7 or higher in all four skills and who are otherwise eligible for an Express Entry program. IRCC's category rules must still be met on the day of the round.
The minimum score of 435 is higher than in the earlier French-language rounds in August 2026: round #433 (August 6) had a minimum of 391 and round #437 (August 19) had a minimum of 382, both with 5,000 invitations.
IRCC announced Express Entry changes that take effect on November 3, 2026, including a labour market integration factor for CRS points and the end of the labour market impact assessment (LMIA) requirement for qualifying job offers. IRCC says that invitation rounds are expected to pause for up to two weeks while profiles are recalculated. The changes are covered in our article on the October 16 announcement.
What an invitation means
An invitation to apply allows a candidate to submit a permanent residence application. It is not an approval. The candidate must still meet the requirements of the program, provide the required documents within the deadline in the invitation, and be admissible to Canada. A score at or above a past cut-off does not guarantee an invitation in a later round.