Canada has held 59 Express Entry rounds in 2026 through October 1, issuing 135,215 Invitations to Apply for permanent residence.
The latest round was held on October 1, 2026 and targeted candidates in the Trade Occupations category. IRCC issued 3,500 invitations at a CRS cut-off of 476, making it the second Trades draw of the year and the largest of the two.
The 2026 draw pattern looks very different from the older version of Express Entry where candidates often watched a single general CRS cut-off.
So far this year, IRCC has relied heavily on:
- Canadian Experience Class rounds;
- Provincial Nominee Program rounds;
- French-language selection;
- occupation-based categories;
- and the new categories for candidates with specific Canadian work experience.
There has been no general Express Entry round in 2026 through October 1. The year’s published invitation history consists entirely of program-specific and category-based rounds.
That changes how CRS should be interpreted. A score of 390 can be competitive in one targeted category while being far below the threshold of a CEC round held during the same month.
Latest Express Entry Draw
The most recent round was Express Entry Draw #447, held on October 1.
| Detail | Latest Draw |
|---|---|
| Draw number | #447 |
| Date | October 1, 2026 |
| Category | Trade Occupations |
| Invitations issued | 3,500 |
| CRS cut-off | 476 |
| Tie-breaking date | May 28, 2026 at 16:55:23 UTC |
Candidates needed to satisfy the 2026 Trade Occupations category requirements in addition to being eligible for an Express Entry program.
The previous Trades round took place on April 2 and invited 3,000 candidates at CRS 477. The October round therefore issued 500 more invitations while the cut-off fell by one point.
Express Entry Draws by Category
The distribution of invitations gives a clearer picture of IRCC’s 2026 selection pattern than looking at individual CRS scores alone.
| Draw Type | Draws Held | ITAs Issued |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian Experience Class | 17 | 55,250 |
| French-Language Proficiency | 10 | 50,500 |
| Healthcare and Social Services | 3 | 11,500 |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 19 | 9,270 |
| Trade Occupations | 2 | 6,500 |
| Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience | 3 | 1,000 |
| Physicians with Canadian Work Experience | 3 | 891 |
| Transport Occupations | 1 | 300 |
| Skilled Military Recruits | 1 | 4 |
| Total | 59 | 135,215 |
These totals are calculated from the complete 2026 invitation history published through October 1.
CEC and French-language rounds alone account for 105,750 invitations, representing most Express Entry invitations issued so far in 2026.
That does not mean other categories are unimportant. Several of the smaller categories have produced significantly lower CRS thresholds because the eligible candidate pool is much narrower.
Full Express Entry Draw History for 2026
The following table covers every Express Entry round held from January 5 through October 1, 2026.
| # | Date | Draw Type | CRS | ITAs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 447 | Oct 1 | Trade Occupations | 476 | 3,500 |
| 446 | Sep 29 | Canadian Experience Class | 518 | 2,000 |
| 445 | Sep 28 | Provincial Nominee Program | 725 | 733 |
| 444 | Sep 16 | Senior Managers – Canadian Experience | 389 | 250 |
| 443 | Sep 15 | Canadian Experience Class | 519 | 2,000 |
| 442 | Sep 14 | Provincial Nominee Program | 734 | 576 |
| 441 | Sep 4 | Healthcare & Social Services | 475 | 3,500 |
| 440 | Sep 3 | Physicians – Canadian Experience | 198 | 229 |
| 439 | Sep 1 | Canadian Experience Class | 521 | 2,000 |
| 438 | Aug 31 | Provincial Nominee Program | 697 | 562 |
| 437 | Aug 19 | French-Language Proficiency | 382 | 5,000 |
| 436 | Aug 18 | Canadian Experience Class | 523 | 1,000 |
| 435 | Aug 17 | Provincial Nominee Program | 760 | 442 |
| 434 | Aug 7 | Transport Occupations | 470 | 300 |
| 433 | Aug 6 | French-Language Proficiency | 391 | 5,000 |
| 432 | Aug 5 | Canadian Experience Class | 516 | 3,000 |
| 431 | Aug 4 | Provincial Nominee Program | 768 | 507 |
| 430 | Jul 23 | Skilled Military Recruits | 368 | 4 |
| 429 | Jul 22 | French-Language Proficiency | 399 | 5,000 |
| 428 | Jul 21 | Canadian Experience Class | 516 | 2,000 |
| 427 | Jul 20 | Provincial Nominee Program | 744 | 511 |
| 426 | Jul 10 | Senior Managers – Canadian Experience | 392 | 500 |
| 425 | Jul 9 | French-Language Proficiency | 420 | 5,000 |
| 424 | Jul 7 | Canadian Experience Class | 517 | 2,000 |
| 423 | Jul 6 | Provincial Nominee Program | 708 | 534 |
| 422 | Jun 25 | Healthcare & Social Services | 475 | 4,000 |
| 421 | Jun 24 | Physicians – Canadian Experience | 223 | 271 |
| 420 | Jun 23 | Canadian Experience Class | 516 | 4,000 |
| 419 | Jun 22 | Provincial Nominee Program | 730 | 995 |
| 418 | May 28 | French-Language Proficiency | 409 | 4,500 |
| 417 | May 27 | Canadian Experience Class | 518 | 3,000 |
| 416 | May 26 | Provincial Nominee Program | 805 | 334 |
| 415 | May 11 | Provincial Nominee Program | 798 | 380 |
| 414 | Apr 29 | French-Language Proficiency | 400 | 4,000 |
| 413 | Apr 28 | Canadian Experience Class | 514 | 2,000 |
| 412 | Apr 27 | Provincial Nominee Program | 795 | 473 |
| 411 | Apr 15 | French-Language Proficiency | 419 | 4,000 |
| 410 | Apr 14 | Canadian Experience Class | 515 | 2,000 |
| 409 | Apr 13 | Provincial Nominee Program | 786 | 324 |
| 408 | Apr 2 | Trade Occupations | 477 | 3,000 |
| 407 | Mar 31 | Canadian Experience Class | 509 | 2,250 |
| 406 | Mar 30 | Provincial Nominee Program | 802 | 356 |
| 405 | Mar 18 | French-Language Proficiency | 393 | 4,000 |
| 404 | Mar 17 | Canadian Experience Class | 507 | 4,000 |
| 403 | Mar 16 | Provincial Nominee Program | 742 | 362 |
| 402 | Mar 5 | Senior Managers – Canadian Experience | 429 | 250 |
| 401 | Mar 4 | French-Language Proficiency | 397 | 5,500 |
| 400 | Mar 3 | Canadian Experience Class | 508 | 6,000 |
| 399 | Mar 2 | Provincial Nominee Program | 710 | 264 |
| 398 | Feb 20 | Healthcare & Social Services | 467 | 4,000 |
| 397 | Feb 19 | Physicians – Canadian Experience | 169 | 391 |
| 396 | Feb 17 | Canadian Experience Class | 508 | 6,000 |
| 395 | Feb 16 | Provincial Nominee Program | 789 | 279 |
| 394 | Feb 6 | French-Language Proficiency | 400 | 8,500 |
| 393 | Feb 3 | Provincial Nominee Program | 749 | 423 |
| 392 | Jan 21 | Canadian Experience Class | 509 | 6,000 |
| 391 | Jan 20 | Provincial Nominee Program | 746 | 681 |
| 390 | Jan 7 | Canadian Experience Class | 511 | 8,000 |
| 389 | Jan 5 | Provincial Nominee Program | 711 | 574 |
The complete sequence and draw results above correspond to the 2026 invitation history updated through October 1.
CEC Draws in 2026
Canadian Experience Class selection has been one of the central features of Express Entry this year.
IRCC has conducted 17 CEC rounds, issuing 55,250 invitations.
CRS Range
CEC cut-offs have remained within a relatively narrow band:
| CEC Measure | 2026 Result |
|---|---|
| Lowest CRS | 507 |
| Highest CRS | 523 |
| Latest CRS | 518 |
| Total ITAs | 55,250 |
The lowest CEC cut-off occurred on March 17, when 4,000 candidates were invited at CRS 507.
The highest occurred on August 18, when only 1,000 invitations were issued and the cut-off reached 523.
During September, the Express Entry CEC cut-off scores experienced a minor 3-point reduction over three consecutive rounds:
- Sep 01: 521
- Sep 15: 519 (-2 points)
- Sep 29: 518 (-1 point)
Analysis: Although this reflects a temporary cooling trend, it should not be treated as a guaranteed predictor for future round results.
CEC scores move according to the number of candidates available at each CRS level, the size of each round and the time between selections.
French-Language Draws
French-language proficiency has produced the second-highest number of invitations in 2026.
Ten rounds have issued 50,500 ITAs.
CRS Range
| French Draw Measure | 2026 Result |
|---|---|
| Lowest CRS | 382 |
| Highest CRS | 420 |
| Latest CRS | 382 |
| Total ITAs | 50,500 |
The latest French round, held on August 19, invited 5,000 candidates at CRS 382.
The highest French cut-off of the year was 420 on July 9, when another 5,000 candidates were invited.
These scores are much lower than recent CEC cut-offs, but the two groups should not be compared as though they were competing in the same round.
French-category candidates must satisfy the category’s language requirement before CRS ranking takes place.
IRCC then ranks only the candidates eligible for that category.
Healthcare Draws
IRCC has held three Healthcare and Social Services rounds in 2026.
| Date | ITAs | CRS |
|---|---|---|
| February 20 | 4,000 | 467 |
| June 25 | 4,000 | 475 |
| September 4 | 3,500 | 475 |
| Total | 11,500 |
The September round invited 3,500 candidates with a CRS cut-off of 475.
Healthcare has therefore produced considerably lower cut-offs than CEC, while still inviting several thousand candidates at a time.
Candidates first need qualifying work experience in one of the eligible Healthcare and Social Services NOCs before being ranked against the CRS threshold.
Trade Draws
Two Trade Occupations rounds have taken place so far.
| Date | ITAs | CRS |
|---|---|---|
| April 2 | 3,000 | 477 |
| October 1 | 3,500 | 476 |
| Total | 6,500 |
The two results are remarkably close despite being almost six months apart.
IRCC increased the October invitation volume by 500 while the cut-off moved down by one point.
These are Trade category draws, not Federal Skilled Trades Program-specific draws.
Candidates in a category-based round may be invited through FSWP, CEC or FSTP as long as they are eligible for the category and the underlying Express Entry program.
New Canadian-Experience Categories
Three new 2026 categories were designed around specific Canadian work experience:
- Physicians;
- Senior Managers;
- Researchers.
The first two have already produced dedicated rounds.
Physicians
| Date | ITAs | CRS |
|---|---|---|
| February 19 | 391 | 169 |
| June 24 | 271 | 223 |
| September 3 | 229 | 198 |
| Total | 891 |
The physician rounds have generated the lowest CRS cut-offs seen anywhere in Express Entry in 2026.
The February 19 round closed at just 169.
That number only applied to candidates who had already satisfied the narrow physician-category requirements, including the required Canadian physician work experience.
It should not be interpreted as a general Express Entry threshold for doctors.
Senior Managers
| Date | ITAs | CRS |
|---|---|---|
| March 5 | 250 | 429 |
| July 10 | 500 | 392 |
| September 16 | 250 | 389 |
| Total | 1,000 |
The senior-manager cut-off has fallen across each of the three rounds, from 429 to 392 and then 389.
Only candidates with qualifying Canadian experience in the four eligible senior-management NOCs can compete in these rounds.
Researchers
The Researchers with Canadian Work Experience category is active in the 2026 category list, but there has been no dedicated researcher round through October 1.
IRCC notes that a category does not necessarily require its own dedicated round. If enough eligible candidates are already receiving invitations through another type of round, a separate category round may not be needed.
Transport and Military Draws
Two of the newer categories have been used only once so far.
Transport
The August 7 Transport round invited 300 candidates at CRS 470.
This was the first Transport draw under the revised 2026 category.
Skilled Military Recruits
The first Skilled Military Recruits draw took place on July 23.
Only four ITAs were issued, with a CRS cut-off of 368.
The unusually small round reflects the highly specific eligibility requirements of the military category rather than a general shortage of Express Entry candidates.
Categories Without a Dedicated Draw
Three current categories have not had their own dedicated round in 2026 through October 1:
STEM remains an official 2026 category even though the last dedicated STEM round was held in 2024.
Education also remains active but has not had a 2026-specific round after being used in 2025.
Researchers is a newly created 2026 category and has not yet received a dedicated selection round.
The absence of a dedicated draw should not be interpreted as removal of the category.
IRCC explicitly states that it may not need to conduct a category-specific round when enough top-ranking candidates eligible for that category are being selected through other rounds.
PNP Draws
Provincial Nominee Program rounds have been the most frequent draw type in 2026, with 19 rounds.
They have issued 9,270 invitations.
Their CRS cut-offs look much higher than CEC or category-based rounds:
| PNP Measure | 2026 Result |
|---|---|
| Lowest CRS | 697 |
| Highest CRS | 805 |
| Latest CRS | 725 |
The September 28 round invited 733 candidates at CRS 725.
These high numbers need context.
An Express Entry candidate who accepts an enhanced provincial nomination receives 600 additional CRS points.
A PNP cut-off of 725 therefore does not mean a non-nominated candidate needs anything close to 725 core CRS points.
For example, a candidate with approximately 125 points before nomination could theoretically reach a total of 725 after receiving the 600-point nomination, depending on the actual profile.
How Express Entry Rounds Work
IRCC first determines what type of invitation round it will hold and how many candidates it intends to invite.
The system then identifies the highest-ranking candidates who are eligible for that particular round and issues invitations based on CRS.
There are three possible structures.
General Rounds
A general round can invite the highest-ranking candidates eligible for any of the three federal programs managed through Express Entry:
- Canadian Experience Class;
- Federal Skilled Worker Program;
- Federal Skilled Trades Program.
No general round has been held so far in 2026 through October 1.
Program-Specific Rounds
These rounds are restricted to candidates eligible for a particular program.
CEC and PNP rounds are the dominant examples in 2026.
A candidate who is not eligible for the program targeted in the round cannot receive an invitation from that round regardless of CRS.
Category-Based Rounds
Category-based rounds first identify candidates who meet a particular occupational or language category.
CRS is then used to rank the candidates inside that eligible group.
This explains why a category-based cut-off can be significantly lower than a CEC cut-off held during the same period.
The CRS formula has not changed between those rounds. The population being ranked has.
Comparing CRS Scores Properly
One of the easiest ways to misread Express Entry data is to place every CRS result in one column and treat the lowest number as the easiest route.
The September results show why that approach fails.
| Round | CRS |
|---|---|
| Physicians | 198 |
| Senior Managers | 389 |
| Healthcare | 475 |
| CEC | 518 |
| PNP | 725 |
All five are legitimate CRS cut-offs.
They do not represent five different standards for the same pool.
Each round first filters candidates according to its own eligibility rules.
A CRS 400 candidate with no Canadian physician experience could not use the physician round at 198.
Likewise, a candidate with CRS 500 but no provincial nomination could not compete in a PNP round at 725.
The useful comparison is generally within the same draw type.
CEC should be compared with recent CEC rounds. French should be compared with French rounds. Healthcare should be compared with Healthcare.
Cross-category comparisons can provide context, but they do not establish an applicant’s actual chances of receiving an ITA.
Read More: Express Entry CRS Score 2026 →
The Tie-Breaking Rule
A CRS cut-off does not always mean that every candidate at that exact score received an invitation.
If more eligible candidates have the lowest qualifying score than the number of remaining invitations, IRCC applies the profile submission date and time as the tie-breaker.
For the October 1 Trades draw:
- CRS cut-off: 476
- tie-breaking timestamp: May 28, 2026 at 16:55:23 UTC
Candidates above CRS 476 were not affected by the tie-break.
Among candidates sitting exactly at 476, the older qualifying profiles had priority up to the number of invitations available.
This is why the tie-breaking date matters only at the exact cut-off score.
Invitation Size and CRS
The number of ITAs issued can affect how far down the eligible pool a draw reaches, but it is not the only factor.
A larger draw often allows IRCC to reach candidates with lower CRS scores, provided the pool has not been replenished with enough higher-scoring profiles.
The CEC results earlier this year show the relationship.
On January 7, IRCC issued 8,000 CEC invitations at CRS 511.
On August 18, only 1,000 invitations were issued and the cut-off rose to 523.
It would still be too simplistic to conclude that doubling invitations will always reduce CRS by a predictable number of points.
New profiles enter the pool continuously, existing profiles gain points, nominations are issued and profiles expire.
The size of the eligible candidate population between rounds matters just as much as the invitation count.
2026 Selection Pattern
The 2026 invitation history shows several clear developments without requiring predictions about what IRCC will do next.
Strong CEC Selection
CEC has received the largest number of invitations so far, with 55,250.
Large rounds early in the year included:
- 8,000 invitations on January 7;
- 6,000 on January 21;
- 6,000 on February 17;
- 6,000 on March 3.
Later CEC rounds became smaller, typically ranging from 1,000 to 4,000 invitations.
French Remains a Major Category
French-language selection is only slightly behind CEC in total ITAs, with 50,500 invitations through ten rounds.
Several French rounds issued 5,000 or more invitations, including the 8,500-ITA February 6 draw.
Targeted Canadian Experience
The new physician and senior-manager categories have been used repeatedly, rather than appearing as one-off pilot rounds.
Researchers remains the exception among the three Canadian-experience categories because it has not yet received a dedicated draw.
No General Draws
There has been no general all-program Express Entry selection in 2026 through October 1.
Candidates have instead been selected through narrower program-specific or category-based pools.
This makes occupation, Canadian experience, French proficiency and provincial nomination particularly relevant when understanding how a profile fits into the current system.
CRS Cut-Offs by Draw Type
A summary of the lowest and highest 2026 cut-offs provides a useful reference point.
| Draw Type | Lowest CRS | Highest CRS |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians – Canadian Experience | 169 | 223 |
| Skilled Military Recruits | 368 | 368 |
| French-Language Proficiency | 382 | 420 |
| Senior Managers – Canadian Experience | 389 | 429 |
| Healthcare & Social Services | 467 | 475 |
| Transport Occupations | 470 | 470 |
| Trade Occupations | 476 | 477 |
| Canadian Experience Class | 507 | 523 |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 697 | 805 |
These ranges describe draws already held in 2026. They are historical results, not minimum requirements for future rounds.
A future draw can fall outside the current range.
Express Entry Eligibility Comes First
A low category cut-off cannot make an otherwise ineligible candidate eligible for Express Entry.
Before receiving an ITA, the candidate must have a valid Express Entry profile and qualify under at least one of the programs managed through the system:
- Canadian Experience Class;
- Federal Skilled Worker Program;
- Federal Skilled Trades Program.
Category eligibility comes after this.
A healthcare professional abroad may qualify for FSWP and Healthcare category selection.
A skilled worker already in Canada may qualify for CEC and also belong to a category such as STEM, Trades or Healthcare.
A candidate can therefore belong to more than one potential invitation group at the same time.
Frequently Asked Questions
The latest draw was held on October 1, 2026 for Trade Occupations. IRCC issued 3,500 ITAs at CRS 476.
Through October 1, IRCC has issued 135,215 invitations across 59 Express Entry rounds. The total is derived from the complete 2026 invitation history.
The lowest CRS cut-off so far is 169, recorded in the February 19 Physicians with Canadian Work Experience round.
The lowest CEC cut-off in 2026 is 507, from the March 17 round. The latest CEC draw closed at 518 on September 29.
The latest French-language draw was held on August 19 at CRS 382, with 5,000 invitations issued.
No general Express Entry round has been held through October 1, 2026. Selection has instead taken place through program-specific and category-based rounds.
There has been no dedicated Federal Skilled Worker Program round in 2026. FSWP candidates can still receive invitations through category-based selection when they meet the category requirements. For example, official French and Healthcare ministerial instructions permit invitations to eligible FSWP, CEC and FSTP candidates.
There has been no dedicated STEM round in 2026 through October 1. STEM remains one of IRCC’s current Express Entry categories.
There has been no dedicated Education Occupations round in 2026 through October 1. The category remains active.
Final Takeaway
Express Entry in 2026 is no longer well described by a single CRS number.
Through October 1, IRCC has issued 135,215 invitations across 59 rounds, but those invitations have been distributed among very different groups.
CEC has received the largest number of invitations, while French-language selection is close behind. Healthcare and Trades have continued to receive substantial category-based rounds. Physicians and senior managers have gained their own targeted Canadian-experience selections, while Transport and Skilled Military Recruits have each been used once.
At the same time, there has been no general draw, and several active categories, including STEM, Education and Researchers-have not received a dedicated 2026 round.
The practical meaning of a CRS score therefore depends heavily on the rounds a candidate can actually enter.
A score of 480 may sit below recent CEC cut-offs while being above the latest Healthcare, Trades or Transport thresholds. A score in the high 300s may have been competitive in French or Senior Manager selection. None of those comparisons matters unless the candidate first satisfies the relevant program and category requirements.
The most useful way to follow Express Entry draws in 2026 is to track three things together: CRS, draw type and eligibility. Looking at the score alone gives only part of the picture.
