Canada selects 792 provincial nominees to pursue permanent residence
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued more invitations to apply (ITA) for permanent residence through the Express Entry system.
The immigration department issued 792 ITAs in a draw for Express Entry candidates with a provincial nomination.
To be considered in this draw, candidates needed to have:
- A minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 761; and
- Created an Express Entry candidate profile before 6:00:26 p.m., Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) on April 3, 2026.
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Foreign nationals who have submitted an Express Entry application for permanent residence and reside in Canada may qualify for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP).
Eligible applicants whose existing work permits expire before a decision is made on their BOWP application may retain authorization to work under their previous permit conditions through maintained status, provided they remain in Canada.
Open work permits may also be available to qualifying family members.
Summary of Express Entry draws
| Date | Draw Type | CRS cut-off score | ITAs issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 26 | Provincial Nominee Program | 761 | 792 |
| October 16 | French-Language proficiency | 435 | 5,000 |
| October 15 | Canadian Experience Class | 519 | 2,500 |
| October 13 | Provincial Nominee Program | 772 | 752 |
| October 1 | Trades | 476 | 3,500 |
| September 29 | Canadian Experience Class | 518 | 2,000 |
| September 28 | Provincial Nominee Program | 725 | 733 |
| September 16 | Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience | 389 | 250 |
| September 15 | Canadian Experience Class | 519 | 2,000 |
| September 14 | Provincial Nominee Program | 734 | 576 |
| September 4 | Healthcare and social services | 475 | 3,500 |
| September 3 | Physicians with Canadian Work Experience | 198 | 229 |
| September 1 | Canadian Experience Class | 521 | 2,000 |
| August 31 | Provincial Nominee Program | 697 | 562 |
| August 19 | French-Language proficiency | 382 | 5,000 |
| August 18 | Canadian Experience Class | 523 | 1,000 |
| August 17 | Provincial Nominee Program | 760 | 442 |
| August 7 | Transport | 470 | 300 |
| August 6 | French-Language proficiency | 391 | 5,000 |
| August 5 | Canadian Experience Class | 516 | 3,000 |
| August 4 | Provincial Nominee Program | 768 | 507 |
| July 23 | Skilled Military Recruits | 368 | 4 |
| July 22 | French-Language proficiency | 399 | 5,000 |
| July 21 | Canadian Experience Class | 516 | 2,000 |
| July 20 | Provincial Nominee Program | 744 | 511 |
| July 10 | Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience | 392 | 500 |
| July 9 | French-Language proficiency | 420 | 5,000 |
| July 7 | Canadian Experience Class | 517 | 2,000 |
| July 6 | Provincial Nominee Program | 708 | 534 |
| June 25 | Healthcare and social services | 475 | 4,000 |
| June 24 | Physicians with Canadian Work Experience | 223 | 271 |
| June 23 | Canadian Experience Class | 516 | 4,000 |
| June 22 | Provincial Nominee Program | 730 | 955 |
| May 28 | French-Language proficiency | 409 | 4,500 |
| May 27 | Canadian Experience Class | 518 | 3,000 |
| May 25 | Provincial Nominee Program | 805 | 334 |
| May 11 | Provincial Nominee Program | 798 | 380 |
| April 29 | French-Language proficiency | 400 | 4,000 |
| April 28 | Canadian Experience Class | 514 | 2,000 |
| April 27 | Provincial Nominee Program | 795 | 473 |
| April 15 | French-Language proficiency | 419 | 4,000 |
| April 14 | Canadian Experience Class | 515 | 2,000 |
| April 13 | Provincial Nominee Program | 786 | 324 |
| April 2 | Trades | 477 | 3,000 |
| 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 |
Canada's latest Express Entry selection round was its 63rd of the year.
The latest draw saw the highest number of invitations issued to provincial nominees since June 22, 2026.
So far in 2026, invitations have predominantly targeted candidates with ties to Canada, including provincial nominees and individuals who have gained work experience in the country.
| Draw Type | Number of Draws |
|---|---|
| Provincial Nominee Program | 21 |
| Canadian Experience Class | 18 |
| French-Language proficiency | 11 |
| Physicians with Canadian work experience | 3 |
| Healthcare and social services | 3 |
| Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience | 3 |
| Trades | 2 |
| Transport | 1 |
| Skilled Military Recruits | 1 |
Over the course of 2026, IRCC has issued 144,259 ITAs through the following Express Entry draw types:
| Draw type | ITAs Issued |
|---|---|
| Canadian Experience Class | 57,250 |
| French-Language proficiency | 55,500 |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 10,814 |
| Healthcare and social services | 11,500 |
| Trades | 6,500 |
| Transport | 300 |
| Physicians with Canadian work experience | 891 |
| Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience | 1,000 |
| Skilled Military Recruits | 4 |
Recent Express Entry changes
Beginning Nov. 3, 2026, IRCC will award additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points to Express Entry candidates with job offers or Canadian work experience in occupations whose national median wage is at least 1.3, 1.5 or 2 times the Canada-wide median wage.
The points fall under a new CRS section, the Labour Market Integration Factor (LMIF), which awards candidates whichever is higher: up to 100 points for a high-wage job offer, or up to 150 points for Canadian work experience (140 for candidates with an accompanying spouse or common-law partner), combining existing points for length of experience with up to 70 points for high-wage experience.
Qualifying job offers will no longer require a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), and the LMIA requirement is also being removed from job offer criteria under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), though IRCC officers must still be satisfied that the offer is genuine.
IRCC has published a list of 186 eligible occupations and will pause Express Entry invitations while candidate scores are recalculated, a process the government says may take up to two weeks.
The change reintroduces job offer points for the first time since March 2025, when IRCC eliminated points for arranged employment.
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