 "Canada Express Entry: 574 candidates invited for permanent residency")
Canada on Monday held its first Express Entry draw of 2026, issuing 574 Invitations to Apply to candidates under the Provincial Nominee Program.
The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score required for the round was 711 points.
The draw opens the new immigration year after an active 2025, when Canada recorded the second-highest number of Express Entry invitations since the system began.
What the Provincial Nominee Program offers
The Provincial Nominee Program allows Canadian provinces and territories to nominate foreign nationals for permanent residence based on local labour market needs. Candidates who receive a nomination can live, work and study in the nominating province or territory.
Permanent residents are not Canadian citizens. They hold permanent resident status and usually retain citizenship of another country.
Each province and territory runs its own immigration streams. These are shaped around regional priorities and may target:
• International students
• Entrepreneurs and business owners
• Skilled and semi-skilled workers
• Candidates with job offers in in-demand occupations
• Applicants with provincial work or study experience
• Individuals willing to invest in local businesses
A provincial nomination adds 600 points to a candidate’s CRS score, which explains the high cut-off in PNP-only draws.
How this draw fits into recent Express Entry activity
The previous Express Entry round took place on December 17, 2025. That draw focused on French language proficiency and issued 6,000 invitations with a minimum CRS score of 399.
Throughout 2025, Canada conducted multiple targeted and programme-specific rounds. These included:
• 24 Provincial Nominee Program draws
• 15 Canadian Experience Class draws
• Nine French language proficiency draws
• Two draws for education occupations
• Seven draws for healthcare and social services occupations
• One draw for trade occupations
In total, Canada issued 113,998 Invitations to Apply through Express Entry in 2025.
Tie-breaking rule and timelines
Immigration authorities applied a tie-breaking rule dated October 06, 2025 at 01:54:31 UTC. When more than one candidate had a CRS score of 711, invitations went only to those who had submitted their Express Entry profiles before that time.
Invited candidates now have 60 days to submit a complete permanent residence application. Most Express Entry applications are processed within six months.
What is Canada Express Entry?
Express Entry is Canada’s online system for managing permanent residence applications for skilled workers. It covers three federal economic immigration programmes: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program and the Canadian Experience Class.
Eligible candidates submit an online profile and receive a CRS score. Points are awarded based on factors such as age, education, work experience and language ability. Candidates with the highest scores are invited to apply for permanent residence in subsequent draws.