Canada holds first Express Entry draw under new category, with lowest CRS cut-off score since 2021

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued more invitations to apply (ITA) through the Express Entry system.

The immigration department issued 391 ITAs in a draw for candidates in the Physicians with Canadian work experience category.

To be considered in this draw, candidates needed to have

• A minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 169; and
• Created an Express Entry candidate profile before 3:25 a.m., Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) on January 3, 2026.

See your eligibility for all Express Entry categories

Summary of Express Entry draws in 2026

Date	Draw Type	CRS cut-off score	ITAs issued
March 31	Canadian Experience Class	509	2,250
March 30	Provincial Nominee Program	802	356
March 18	French-Language proficiency	393	4,000
March 17	Canadian Experience Class	507	4,000
March 16	Provincial Nominee Program	742	362
March 5	Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience	429	250
March 4	French-Language proficiency	397	5,500
March 3	Canadian Experience Class	508	4,000
March 2	Provincial Nominee Program	710	264
February 20	Healthcare and social services	467	4,000
February 19	Physicians with Canadian work experience	169	391
February 17	Canadian Experience Class	508	6,000
February 16	Provincial Nominee Program	789	279
February 6	French-Language proficiency	400	8,500
February 3	Provincial Nominee Program	749	423
January 21	Canadian Experience Class	509	6,000
January 20	Provincial Nominee Program	746	681
January 7	Canadian Experience Class	511	8,000
January 5	Provincial Nominee Program	711	574

Today's draw is the first under the newly announced Physicians with Canadian work experience category. It also marks only the second category-based selection draw, and the ninth Express Entry selection of the year overall.

With a CRS cut-off of just 169, this is also the second-lowest cut-off score in Express Entry's history, surpassed only by a 2021 pandemic-era Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw, which featured a CRS score of just 75.

IRCC's physician category was first announced in December of 2025, alongside a suite of measures to boost Canada's supply of doctors through both federal and provincial pathways.

To be eligible under this new category, candidates must:

• Meet the basic eligibility criteria for one of the three Express Entry-managed programs;
• Have gained at least 12 months of full-time work experience within the previous three years (or an equivalent amount of part-time work experience) in an eligible occupation; and
  • This work experience must have been obtained in Canada, and in one of the three occupations included within the category.
• Meet all the requirements in the ministerial instructions for a particular selection round.

Express Entry draws in 2026 have seen Canada's immigration department focus largely on immigration candidates within the country, particularly those with provincial nominations and Canadian work experience.

Draw Type	Number of Draws
Provincial Nominee Program	7
Canadian Experience Class	6
French-Language proficiency	3
Physicians with Canadian work experience	1
Healthcare and social services	1
Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience	1

In 2026 thus far, IRCC has issued 30,848 ITAs across the following draw types:

Draw type	ITAs Issued
Canadian Experience Class	30,250
French-Language proficiency	18,000
Healthcare and social services	4,000
Provincial Nominee Program	2,939
Physicians with Canadian work experience	391
Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience	250

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