In the week of August 31 to September 4, 2026, IRCC ran a series of record-breaking Express Entry draws — including targeted rounds for healthcare and social services occupations — pushing the candidate pool to an all-time high.
In short
- Four Express Entry draws took place between August 31 and September 4, issuing between 562 and 3,500 invitations each
- The candidate pool hit a record 226,673, but the upper score segment isn’t overloaded
- CEC invitations in 2026 have already reached roughly 50,000, versus 35,850 for all of 2025
- A technical pause and new LMIA/Global Talent Stream points are expected this fall
- A new immigration levels plan and 2027 PNP allocations are due around November 2026
Which draws happened during the week of August 31 – September 4, 2026
In one week, IRCC held four Express Entry draws — a general round, a Canadian Experience Class round, and two targeted draws for specific occupations.
On August 31, a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw took place: the cutoff score was 697, and 562 candidates received invitations.
On September 1, 2026, a Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw issued 2,000 invitations to candidates scoring 521 or higher.
That same day, IRCC ran a targeted CEC draw for physicians: 229 invitations at a cutoff score of just 198 — notably lower than the general CEC round.
229 invitations at a cutoff score of just 198 — notably lower than the general CEC round
On September 4, 2026, another targeted draw covered healthcare and social services occupations. It issued 3,500 invitations to candidates scoring 475 or higher under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Eligible occupations included nurses, nursing aides, healthcare assistants, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacists.
Draws of the week
| Date | Category | Cutoff score | Invitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 31 | PNP | 697 | 562 |
| Sep 1 | CEC (general) | 521 | 2,000 |
| Sep 1 | CEC, physicians | 198 | 229 |
| Sep 4 | Healthcare & social services | 475 | 3,500 |
Cutoff scores for this week’s draws
CRS cutoffs vary widely depending on the draw category.
- PNP697
- CEC (general)521
- CEC, physicians198
- Healthcare & social services475
IRCC ran four draws: general PNP (697 points), general CEC (521 points), and two targeted rounds — for physicians (198 points) and healthcare (475 points). Cutoffs for targeted categories are noticeably lower.
The Express Entry candidate pool hits an all-time high
The Express Entry pool has grown to 226,673 candidates — the highest figure in the system’s history. For comparison, the pool typically hovered between 215,000 and 218,000 candidates, so the current level is well above the usual range.
Despite this, the pool’s structure doesn’t look overloaded with low-scoring candidates. Roughly 19,000 people hold CRS scores between 501 and 600 — the upper segment the system usually draws from when issuing invitations.
If about 2,000 Canadian Experience Class candidates are excluded from that group, roughly 17,000-plus people remain. Of those, 559 are candidates selected through provincial programs, and around 3,500 more belong to two other groups: physicians and healthcare workers, plus one additional separate source of candidates.
This distribution explains why the growing pool hasn’t caused cutoff scores to collapse: a large share of candidates in the upper score range already belongs to narrow, separately-drawn categories rather than the general pool of applicants.
The pool reached a record 226,673 candidates, but the upper segment with 501–600 points isn’t overloaded: most of those candidates have already been drawn through targeted categories rather than the general pool.
How many invitations were issued in 2026 versus 2025
Under the Canadian Experience Class, IRCC has already issued between 40,000 and 50,000 invitations to apply (ITAs) in 2026. Excluding draws for narrow occupational groups — physicians and senior managers — the number of CEC invitations comes close to the upper end of that range, roughly 50,000.
For comparison, all of 2025 closed with about 35,850 invitations issued under this category across 15 draws for the year. Those 2025 draws were spread across 12 months, while the 2026 result was reached in just 9 months: by September, the count had already surpassed 50,000 invitations, versus 35,000 issued over the entire prior year.
by September, the count had already surpassed 50,000 invitations, versus 35,000 issued over the entire prior year
The difference in pace can be explained by two possible reasons. First, IRCC may be front-loading invitations in anticipation of a possible pause in draws: changes to the Express Entry system are expected this fall, and technical updates have historically come with temporary pauses. Second, this could be preparation for larger changes that may affect job-offer points as early as 2027.
The sharp rise in invitations in 2026 may mean IRCC is front-loading its quota ahead of a technical pause this fall — after which the draw pace could slow sharply.
Draws by category: trades, STEM, healthcare, education
Under the trades category, only one draw took place in 2026 — for 3,000 candidates, the same number as in 2025. A typical draw in this category runs between 3,000 and 3,600 invitations, and no additional trades draws are expected in the near term.
The education category has yet to hold a single draw — one of the few Express Entry categories that still hasn’t been activated.
The healthcare category, by contrast, is being used actively: three draws have already taken place in 2026, including for physicians and other medical professionals. In 2025, even more healthcare draws were held.
For the STEM category (science, technology, engineering, math), no major new draws are expected: according to an IRCC letter circulated on social media, the required number of STEM candidates has already been met through Canadian Experience Class draws. French-language proficiency draws have also taken place.
| Category | Draws in 2026 | Draw size | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trades | 1 | 3,000 | Usually 3,000–3,600; same as 2025 |
| Education | 0 | — | No draws held yet |
| Healthcare | 3 | — | Includes physicians and other medical workers |
| STEM | — | — | Quota already met via CEC draws |
| French language | — | — | Draws have taken place |
Express Entry draws by category in 2026
Table scrolls sideways
| Category | Trades | Education | Healthcare | STEM | French language |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draws in 2026 | 1 | 0 | 3 | — | held |
| Draw size | 3,000 | — | — | — | — |
| Comment | Usually 3,000–3,600; same as 2025 | No draws held yet | Includes physicians and other medical workers | Quota already met via CEC draws | — |
STEM and French-language data are not broken down numerically in the source material.
What changes to expect in Express Entry this fall and in 2027
This fall, Express Entry is expected to undergo a technical pause — projected to last anywhere from a few days to several months. Such pauses often coincide with periods when IRCC is preparing changes to draw mechanics, though there is no official confirmation of that link.
The expected fall changes concern job-offer points. These involve introducing points for a high-wage Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), as well as points tied to the Global Talent Stream (GTS). These adjustments are described as relatively minor — unlike what’s reportedly being prepared for 2027.
For 2027, according to available information, IRCC is considering a longer pause and a broader reform of the Express Entry system: consultations on this are reported to have already concluded, and the results are now under review. There is no official confirmation of these plans at the time of publication. Concrete recommendations on what the changes will look like are expected by the time Parliament reconvenes next year.
The sharp rise in invitations right now may be tied precisely to preparation for this pause: IRCC is likely trying to issue as many invitations as possible before the system halts for reconfiguration. At the same time, Canada cannot keep expanding draws indefinitely — the total number of invitees is capped by the immigration levels plan, and the intake system is already under heavy strain. This points to a likely, noticeable shift in candidate-selection approaches in the near future.
IRCC is likely trying to issue as many invitations as possible before the system halts for reconfiguration
A technical pause and minor changes to LMIA and Global Talent Stream points are expected this fall. A larger Express Entry reform is being prepared for 2027.
Which draws to expect in the near future
An education-category draw still hasn’t happened, even though it has long been anticipated — forecasts suggest such a round could take place soon. The picture for healthcare is different: three separate draws for this category, including physicians, have already taken place in 2026, and forecasts point to more rounds ahead, as IRCC has been consistently inviting large numbers of candidates in this field.
A targeted draw for senior management is also possible on an as-needed basis, depending on how many candidates in that category need to be selected in a given year. A researchers draw has still not happened, even though it was listed among expected categories earlier; this round remains among those that could take place in the foreseeable future.
The new immigration levels plan is expected to be published around November 2026. That period is also typically when Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) allocations for the following year are announced.
Frequently asked questions
What should a candidate do if their CRS score is below the cutoff from recent draws
Stay in the pool and wait for future rounds — the cutoff score shifts from draw to draw and depends on the category. Targeted draws, such as those for physicians or healthcare, run at a noticeably lower score than the general CEC or PNP draws. If a candidate’s occupation matches one of the targeted categories, the odds of receiving an invitation are higher there.
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