IRCC issued 8,214 invitations in four May draws, led by French-language and CEC rounds, and closed its reform consultation on May 24.
May draws at a glance
IRCC held four Express Entry draws in May 2026 and issued 8,214 invitations in total: 380 in a Provincial Nominee Program draw on May 11 (CRS cut-off 798), 334 in a PNP draw on May 25 (805), 3,000 in a Canadian Experience Class draw on May 27 (518) and 4,500 in a French-language proficiency draw on May 28 (409).
The CEC draw came four weeks after the previous one on April 28 (2,000 invitations, cut-off 514). The French-language cut-off was 9 points higher than the 400 recorded on April 29. There were no other category-based draws in May.
Reform consultation closed
IRCC's public consultation on Express Entry reforms ran from April 23 to May 24, 2026. Proposals included merging the Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program and Federal Skilled Trades Program into one program, with minimum requirements of high school completion, CLB/NCLC 6 in all four abilities and one year of skilled work (TEER 0 to 3) in the past three years. IRCC also proposed reweighting CRS factors based on newcomers' employment and earnings outcomes, adding points for high-wage occupations, and bringing back job offer points only for those occupations.
What it means
These are proposals only. IRCC has not set an implementation date and says any program changes will be published in the Canada Gazette. Candidates are still ranked under the current rules, and May's pattern shows French-language ability and Canadian work experience remain the main routes to an invitation.
Key points
- Four draws, 8,214 invitations in May
- French-language draw: 4,500 at 409; CEC: 3,000 at 518
- Reform consultation closed May 24; nothing is in force yet
- Plan under the current CRS rules for now
Sources
Based on official information available at the time of the announcement. General information only, not legal advice. Immigration rules change often; IRCC and provincial websites prevail.