Express Entry Draws 2026: CRS Cutoffs and Trends by Category

As of October 11, 2026, IRCC has held 59 Express Entry rounds this year, the latest on October 1, and issued 135,215 invitations to apply (ITAs). Canadian Experience Class (CEC) rounds closed between 507 and 523. French-language rounds closed between 382 and 420. Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) rounds closed between 697 and 805. All figures come from IRCC’s official rounds of invitations data.

Key points

• CEC and French-language rounds made up about 78% of 2026 invitations.
• 2026 invitations passed the 2025 full-year total (113,998) with the August 18 round, which brought the year’s total to 114,865.
• New 2026 categories have been used: physicians, senior managers, transport and skilled military recruits.
• No STEM, education or researcher round had been held in 2026 as of October 1.
• General (all-program) rounds have not been used in 2026. Every round targeted a program or a category.

2026 cutoffs by round type

January 1 to October 1, 2026, from IRCC’s rounds data:

Round type	Rounds	ITAs	CRS cutoff range
Canadian Experience Class	17	55,250	507–523
French-language proficiency	10	50,500	382–420
Healthcare and social services	3	11,500	467–475
Provincial Nominee Program	19	9,270	697–805
Trades	2	6,500	476–477
Senior managers with Canadian work experience	3	1,000	389–429
Physicians with Canadian work experience	3	891	169–223
Transport	1	300	470
Skilled military recruits	1	4	368
Total	59	135,215

PNP cutoffs include the 600 nomination points. A PNP cutoff of 725 means the lowest invited candidate had about 125 points before the nomination.

Recent rounds

#	Date	Round type	ITAs	CRS cutoff
447	Oct 1, 2026	Trades	3,500	476
446	Sep 29, 2026	CEC	2,000	518
445	Sep 28, 2026	PNP	733	725
444	Sep 16, 2026	Senior managers	250	389
443	Sep 15, 2026	CEC	2,000	519
442	Sep 14, 2026	PNP	576	734
441	Sep 4, 2026	Healthcare and social services	3,500	475
440	Sep 3, 2026	Physicians	229	198
439	Sep 1, 2026	CEC	2,000	521
438	Aug 31, 2026	PNP	562	697
437	Aug 19, 2026	French-language	5,000	382
436	Aug 18, 2026	CEC	1,000	523
435	Aug 17, 2026	PNP	442	760
434	Aug 7, 2026	Transport	300	470
433	Aug 6, 2026	French-language	5,000	391

Source: IRCC rounds data, retrieved October 11, 2026. Check the official page for rounds held after that date.

Trends worth knowing

CEC: frequent rounds, cutoffs stuck above 505

CEC rounds ran roughly every two weeks, usually the day after a PNP round. The year opened with large rounds (8,000 ITAs on January 7 and 6,000 on January 21 and February 17). Since mid-year, rounds have been smaller (mostly 1,000 to 3,000). Cutoffs held in a narrow band from 507 to 523. The smaller rounds have tended to push cutoffs toward the top of that band. If you are a CEC candidate below 507, the CEC rounds has not been enough on its own in 2026. Our CEC guide covers ways to close the gap.

French: the biggest category, at the lowest cutoffs

French-language rounds issued 50,500 invitations, nearly as many as CEC, at cutoffs of 382 to 420. The February 6 round alone invited 8,500 candidates. NCLC 7 in all four abilities is the entry requirement. For many candidates, French is the single biggest lever in 2026. See ways to raise your CRS score.

Occupation categories: fewer rounds, mid-400s cutoffs

Healthcare and social services (467–475) and trades (476–477) rounds were large but infrequent. The new transport category had one small round (300 ITAs at 470). The physician and senior manager categories, both for people with Canadian experience, drew very low cutoffs because few candidates qualify. The skilled military recruits round invited 4 people.

STEM, education and researchers: no 2026 rounds yet

STEM, education and researchers with Canadian work experience are all 2026 categories, but none had a round between January 1 and October 1, 2026. IRCC’s category page says it may skip a category round if enough candidates in that category are already invited through other rounds. The last STEM round in IRCC’s data was on April 11, 2024. Full category rules are in Express Entry categories 2026.

PNP: steady, small rounds

PNP rounds invited 264 to 955 candidates each. Any candidate with an enhanced nomination clears the cutoff. The real competition happens at the provincial stage.

How 2026 compares with 2025

	2025 (full year)	2026 (to Oct 1)
Rounds	58	59
ITAs	113,998	135,215
CEC ITAs	35,850	55,250
CEC cutoff range	515–547	507–523
French ITAs	48,000	50,500

CEC cutoffs are lower in 2026 than in 2025 because IRCC has issued far more CEC invitations. The federal admissions target for Express Entry programs is 109,000 in 2026 under the Immigration Levels Plan. Invitations are not the same as admissions, because some invited candidates do not apply or are refused. IRCC may also change its pace at any time. The 2027–2029 Levels Plan is expected around November 1, 2026. We will note it on /updates/.

What this means for your score

• CEC candidates at 524+: you have been above every 2026 CEC cutoff. The two highest were 523 (August 18) and 521 (September 1).
• CEC candidates at 507–520: you might be invited, depending on round size. Keep your profile and test results valid.
• Below 500 with no category: a provincial nomination or French is the most realistic route in the current pattern.
• Category-eligible candidates: check that your profile shows the right NOC code and at least 12 months of qualifying experience. Category eligibility is checked again when you apply.

Past cutoffs do not predict future rounds. IRCC sets each round’s size and type based on its own priorities.

What to do next

1. Calculate your score with our CRS explainer and IRCC’s tool.
2. Find out which round types you qualify for: CEC, French, an occupation category or PNP.
3. Bookmark the IRCC rounds page and our Canada hub.