Canada releases data on Express Entry candidate scores

In the two-week period between August 30 and September 13, the Express Entry pool increased by a modest 120 profiles, even with 2,085 fewer profiles reported in the 471–500 range, according to the latest data released by Canada’s immigration department.

Concurrently, the number of top-scoring profiles within the pool increased by 1,257 profiles, from 20,101 to 21,358, largely attributable to the 501–600 score bracket.

See how competitive your Express Entry profile is

The table below compares the latest composition of the Express Entry pool, as of September 13, with the preceding distribution from August 30:

CRS score range	September 13	August 30	Difference
0–300	7,746	7,735	+11
301–350	17,240	17,495	-255
351–400	46,782	46,824	-42
401–410	11,033	10,723	+310
411–420	11,506	11,183	+323
421–430	12,064	11,811	+253
431–440	13,300	13,233	+67
441–450	13,657	13,463	+194
451–460	14,823	14,800	+23
461–470	16,163	16,099	+64
471–480	16,105	16,981	-876
481–490	12,426	13,273	-847
491–500	12,590	12,952	-362
501–600	20,784	19,542	+1,242
601–1,200	574	559	+15
601–1,200	226,793	226,673	+120

The data above is also available in graph form:

 

 

How competitive is the Express Entry pool as of the latest data?

The table below details the share of candidates in each Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score range and the percentile positions represented by the lower and upper limits of those ranges, providing a more detailed measure of competitiveness within the pool.

Calculations reflect the composition of the pool as of September 13.

CRS score range	Number of candidates	Cumulative	Percentile range	Percentage
0–300	7,746	7,746	0.00%–3.42%	3.42%
301–350	17,240	24,986	3.42%–11.02%	7.60%
351–400	46,782	71,768	11.02%–31.64%	20.63%
401–410	11,033	82,801	31.64%–36.51%	4.86%
411–420	11,506	94,307	36.51%–41.58%	5.07%
421–430	12,064	106,371	41.58%–46.90%	5.32%
431–440	13,300	119,671	46.90%–52.77%	5.86%
441–450	13,657	133,328	52.77%–58.79%	6.02%
451–460	14,823	148,151	58.79%–65.32%	6.54%
461–470	16,163	164,314	65.32%–72.45%	7.13%
471–480	16,105	180,419	72.45%–79.55%	7.10%
481–490	12,426	192,845	79.55%–85.03%	5.48%
491–500	12,590	205,435	85.03%–90.58%	5.55%
501–600	20,784	226,219	90.58%–99.75%	9.16%
601–1,200	574	226,793	99.75%–100.00%	0.25%

The percentile figures represent the share of the pool scoring at or below the upper threshold of each CRS range.

They are shown as ranges because candidates within each score band may occupy any percentile position between the two values listed.

Which draws have not been accounted for in the September 13 distribution?

The September 13 pool snapshot does not factor in the two Express Entry draws conducted the following days, on September 14 and 15, which issued a combined 2,576 ITAs for permanent residence (PR).

Date of draw	Round type	Invitations issued	CRS score of lowest-ranked candidate
September 14	Provincial Nominee Program	576	734
September 15	Canadian Experience Class	2,000	519

With these draws taken into account, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued 128,732 ITAs over the course of 2026.

Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates have received the largest proportion of those invitations, at 41.4%.

What accounted for the changes in Express Entry profiles between August 30 and September 13?

IRCC held four Express Entry draws between August 30 and September 13, through which a total of 6,291 candidates received invitations:

Date of draw	Round type	Invitations issued	CRS score of lowest-ranked candidate
August 31	Provincial Nominee Program	562	697
September 1	Canadian Experience Class	2,000	521
September 3	Physicians with Canadian Work Experience	229	198
September 4	Healthcare and Social Services	3,500	475

The August 31 draw saw the lowest PNP cutoff score of 2026, while the September 1 draw produced the second-highest CEC cutoff of the year.

During this period, the Express Entry pool increased by just 120 profiles.

Securing permanent residence through the Express Entry system

Express Entry is the federal government’s flagship system for managing economic immigration applications from skilled workers seeking PR outside Quebec.

Admission to the Express Entry pool requires eligibility for at least one of three economic immigration programs:

• The Canadian Experience Class (CEC);
• The Federal Skilled Worker Program; or
• The Federal Skilled Trades Program.

Candidates who enter the pool are assigned CRS scores based on a range of factors, including their age, education, official-language proficiency, and work experience.

Periodically, IRCC holds draws in which candidates are selected from the pool and invited to apply for PR.

It may also conduct category-based selections, targeting candidates aligned with specific economic or labour-market priorities. These selections generally result in substantially lower CRS cutoffs than other Express Entry draw types.

There are currently 10 Express Entry categories, including French-language proficiency and occupation-based categories such as healthcare and social services, education, transport, and trades.

CRS cutoffs from this year highlight how these selections can differ from other draw types. Healthcare and social services rounds, for example, have fallen within a 467–475 range in 2026, whereas CEC draws have ranged from 507–523.

Candidates selected through Express Entry are given 60 days to file a complete PR application before their invitation expires.

Processing of Express Entry PR applications has historically taken about six months. Base PNP applications have generally taken longer, with recent timelines spanning 12–20 months.

Those whose applications are approved receive a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR), which must be shown to border officials when travelling to Canada.

See how competitive your Express Entry profile is