Members explained why Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draws, which used to happen regularly, have become less frequent.
Context (historical, tied to the COVID-19 period):- During the pandemic, IRCC ran frequent CEC draws specifically because travel restrictions meant they were prioritizing candidates already living in Canada — CEC applicants typically already have Canadian work experience and are often physically in the country.
- Once travel restrictions eased, the urgency to specifically prioritize in-Canada candidates dropped, reducing the frequency of standalone CEC draws.
- Members noted CEC's cutoff CRS score is now hard to reach from outside Canada without additional points from French language ability or Canadian siblings, since most CEC-eligible candidates already scoring high are typically already in-country.
Takeaway: CEC draw frequency has historically tracked pandemic-era policy needs rather than being a fixed, permanent cadence — check IRCC's current draw schedule and category mix rather than assuming past patterns will repeat.