Over 5,000 Express Entry candidates invited at lowest cut-off score in the past year
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued more invitations to apply (ITA) through the Express Entry system.
The immigration department issued 5,500 ITAs in a draw for candidates with French-language proficiency.
To be considered in this draw, candidates needed to have
- A minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 397; and
- Created an Express Entry candidate profile before 6:18 p.m., Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) on October 10, 2025.
See how your competitive Express Entry profile is
Summary of Express Entry draws in 2026
| Draw date | Draw Type | CRS cut-off score | ITAs issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 only the second French category-based draw of the year, and the thirteenth Express Entry selection of 2026 in total. It also features the lowest CRS score for this category in more than a year. Of all Express Entry draws within the last year, only the recent Express Entry draw for Physicians with Canadian work experience has seen a lower cut-off score.
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 | 5 |
| Canadian Experience Class | 4 |
| French-Language proficiency | 2 |
| Physicians with Canadian work experience | 1 |
| Healthcare and social services | 1 |
Despite only seeing two draws this year, candidates in Express Entry's French language-proficiency category have already received 14,000 invitations, the second most of any program or category this year.
In 2026 thus far, IRCC has issued 39,112 ITAs across the following draw types:
| Draw type | ITAs Issued |
|---|---|
| Canadian Experience Class | 24,000 |
| French-Language proficiency | 14,000 |
| Healthcare and social services | 4,000 |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 1,798 |
| Physicians with Canadian work experience | 391 |
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