Every Express Entry draw since the program launched in January 2015 is tracked here, the latest CRS cutoffs, invitation counts, and draw categories, kept current as new rounds happen. If you need the full eligibility picture behind these numbers, our Express Entry page covers that in depth. This page exists for one reason, to show you exactly what's actually happening in the Express Entry pool right now.
Express Entry isn’t an immigration program on its own. It’s a selection system IRCC uses to rank candidates in the pool and invite the top-ranked to apply for permanent residence. Candidates submit an Express Entry profile, get ranked using the Comprehensive Ranking System, and wait in the pool until a round of invitations reaches their score.
Rounds of invitations happen roughly every two weeks. In each round, IRCC decides what type of draw to hold, how many candidates to invite, identifies the highest-ranking eligible candidates in the pool, then issues an Invitation to Apply, an ITA, to each one. An invitation isn’t a guarantee of permanent residence on its own, it’s the step that lets you submit a full application.
The most recent round was held September 29, 2026, a Canadian Experience Class draw. IRCC issued 2,000 invitations at a CRS cutoff of 518 for the lowest-ranked candidate invited.
When more than one candidate in the pool shares the lowest invited score, IRCC breaks the tie using the date and time each candidate submitted their Express Entry profile, earlier submissions rank higher. For this round, the tie-breaking rule was set at February 13, 2026, meaning candidates at the cutoff score who submitted their profile before that date and time were invited ahead of those who submitted later.
Open to any candidate in the pool eligible for one of the three federal economic immigration programs, Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades, or Canadian Experience Class. Candidates are ranked purely by CRS score, with no other eligibility filter applied.
Limited to candidates eligible for one specific program only. A Provincial Nominee Program round, for example, only invites candidates holding a valid provincial or territorial nomination, which is why these draws work so differently from general rounds.
The Minister establishes a category to meet a specific economic goal, then IRCC invites the top-ranked eligible candidates within it. Recent 2026 categories have included French language proficiency, healthcare and social services occupations, physicians with Canadian work experience, trades, and senior managers with Canadian work experience. Candidates still need to be eligible for one of the three underlying federal programs to be in the pool at all, the category simply narrows who gets invited within a given round.
These three draw types produce wildly different results, and comparing them directly without understanding why gives a misleading picture of how competitive Express Entry actually is right now.
Recent 2026 numbers make this clear. A Senior Managers category round on September 16 cleared at CRS 389, a new low for that category. A Physicians round on September 3 cleared at just 198. Meanwhile, Provincial Nominee Program rounds have cleared at 697 to 734 across the same period. A reader comparing a CRS of 198 against a CRS of 734 and concluding Express Entry has gotten dramatically harder would be comparing two entirely different competitions, not the same draw getting tougher.
The Comprehensive Ranking System itself has changed over time. Each round of invitations was conducted under whichever version of the Ministerial Instructions respecting Express Entry was legally in force on that specific date. A CRS of 470 from several years ago wasn’t necessarily measuring candidates the same way a CRS of 470 measures them today, since the underlying point allocations behind certain factors have been adjusted more than once since the program launched. Keep this in mind when reading older entries in the full draw history below, a lower historical cutoff doesn’t always mean weaker competition at the time.
Draw date | Category | ITAs issued | CRS cutoff |
September 29, 2026 | Canadian Experience Class | 2,000 | 518 |
September 28, 2026 | Provincial Nominee Program | 733 | 725 |
September 16, 2026 | Senior Managers, Canadian Work Experience | 250 | 389 |
September 15, 2026 | Canadian Experience Class | 2,000 | 519 |
September 14, 2026 | Provincial Nominee Program | 576 | 734 |
September 4, 2026 | Healthcare and Social Services | 3,500 | 475 |
September 3, 2026 | Physicians, Canadian Work Experience | 229 | 198 |
September 1, 2026 | Canadian Experience Class | 2,000 | 521 |
This table is updated as new rounds of invitations are announced. Confirm the very latest figures at IRCC’s own Express Entry page before relying on any single cutoff for your own planning.
Express Entry launched in January 2015 with general rounds only, no category-based selection existed yet. Early CRS cutoffs ran considerably higher than many of today’s category-based rounds, since no narrower pathway existed to invite candidates below the general threshold.
Provincial Nominee Program rounds became a regular, distinct feature during this period, giving nominated candidates their own dedicated draw type separate from general competition.
Processing disruptions during this stretch led IRCC to pause general rounds for an extended period, holding Canadian Experience Class and Provincial Nominee Program draws almost exclusively instead, a genuinely unusual chapter in the program’s history.
Category-based rounds became a defining feature of this period, with French language proficiency, healthcare, trades, education, senior managers, and physicians all receiving dedicated draws, often at CRS cutoffs well below general rounds. The Physicians category, added December 8, 2025, held its first round on February 19, 2026, issuing 391 invitations at a CRS of 169, the lowest cutoff ever recorded in the program’s history. This era also produced the smallest Express Entry draw ever held, just 4 invitations issued on July 23, 2026 for the Skilled Military Recruits category, a genuine illustration of how narrow and specific some current categories have become.
The September 29, 2026 draw was officially round 446 since the program’s January 2015 launch, averaging roughly every two weeks across more than a decade. In 2026 alone, that was the 58th round of the year, bringing the year’s running total to 131,715 invitations issued. This number grows with every new round, so treat it as a current figure rather than a fixed one.
A CRS score that looks uncompetitive against general round data doesn’t necessarily mean you’re far from an invitation. General rounds are only one of three draw types, and they’re often not the most accessible one for a given profile.
Category-based rounds have cleared as low as 198 for physicians and 389 for senior managers in 2026, far below general round cutoffs. If your occupation or language ability fits one of IRCC’s current categories, that pathway may be considerably more realistic than waiting for a general round to reach your score.
Not sure how your own profile compares to recent Express Entry draw results, or which category might fit your background? Our Express Entry page covers eligibility, CRS factors, and how to build a genuinely competitive profile in full.
A provincial nomination adds a flat 600 points to your CRS score, which is exactly why Provincial Nominee Program rounds clear so much higher than every other draw type, 697 to 734 in recent 2026 rounds alone. For many candidates sitting well below general or category-based cutoffs, a provincial nomination is the single most effective way to become competitive. Our Provincial Nominee Program page covers all eleven provincial and territorial programs and which one might actually fit your background.
A client came to Brightlight convinced his CRS score ruled him out of Express Entry entirely, based entirely on general round cutoffs he’d seen online, which had been sitting well above his own score for months.
Brightlight reviewed his occupation and work history and identified that his profile matched a category-based stream that had recently cleared well below his score. He received an invitation within one round of becoming eligible for that category, a path he hadn’t known existed until his file was properly reviewed against current draw data.
No immigration consultant can guarantee an invitation at any specific CRS score, since the pool and cutoffs shift with every round. What Brightlight guarantees is an accurate read on which draw types you’re actually eligible for, and honest guidance on where your real chances sit today.
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Rounds of invitations happen roughly every two weeks, though IRCC can vary this depending on pool composition and current admissions targets. Some months see multiple draws across different categories within just a few days of each other, while other periods space rounds out further. Check IRCC's own processing page for the most current cadence.
The latest round was held September 29, 2026, a Canadian Experience Class draw issuing 2,000 invitations at a CRS cutoff of 518. This page's draw history table is updated as new rounds are announced, so confirm the very latest figure directly before relying on it for your own planning.
A provincial nomination adds a flat 600 points to a candidate's CRS score, which is why Provincial Nominee Program rounds consistently clear far higher than general or category-based draws, 697 to 734 in recent 2026 rounds. This isn't a sign the program is harder to qualify for, it reflects the scoring bonus nominated candidates already carry.
Approximately 447 rounds of invitations as of late September 2026, since the program launched in January 2015. New rounds happen roughly every two weeks, so this number continues growing and should be treated as a current snapshot rather than a fixed figure.
Not always directly. The Comprehensive Ranking System itself has changed over time, and each round was conducted under whichever Ministerial Instructions were in force on that specific date. A historical cutoff that looks lower than today's doesn't automatically mean weaker competition existed at that time.
Not with certainty. IRCC holds draws at its own discretion based on pool composition and current admissions targets, and timing can shift with little notice. Reviewing recent patterns across draw types can give a general sense of likely timing, but no source can guarantee exactly when the next round will happen or at what cutoff.
Have a question not answered here? Speak directly with our licensed RCIC.
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