HOW-TO · EXPRESS ENTRY · IRCC
How Express Entry draws work
Express Entry is Canada’s main skilled-immigration system for permanent residence. Candidates join one pool and are ranked; each draw invites the highest-ranked profiles. Here is how the machinery works — and the six most recent draws, live from the record.
TL;DR
- One pool, one ranking: the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), out of 1,200 points.
- IRCC holds draws — rounds of invitations — general or targeted by program and category.
- Invited candidates receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA); results are published after every round.
The pool and the ranking
Most candidates enter through the federal skilled-worker, skilled-trades or Canadian experience class — or through a provincial nomination. Profiles earn CRS points for age, education, language and Canadian work experience, plus extras: a provincial nomination adds 600 points, and a qualifying job offer or strong French ability add more. Ties are broken by the date a profile was created.
What happens in a draw
- IRCC announces a round of invitations. Draws are not on a fixed schedule — historically roughly every two weeks. Each round targets the general pool, a specific program, or a category.
- Candidates are ranked and cut off. Profiles are ranked by Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score inside the target pool; the lowest score invited is the cut-off. Order Paper records it for every draw.
- Invitations go out. Invited candidates receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in their IRCC account and usually have 60 days to submit a complete application.
- Results are published. IRCC publishes every round with its date, program, invitations and cut-off — mirrored the same day on the Immigration desk.
The six most recent draws
Invitations, programs and cut-off scores — straight from the immigration records Order Paper holds. Last recorded draw: 2026-09-04.
| Date | Program | Invitations | CRS cut-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-04 | Healthcare and Social Services Occupations, 2026-Version 3 | 3,500 | 475 |
| 2026-09-03 | Physicians with Canadian Work Experience, 2026-Version 1 | 229 | 198 |
| 2026-09-01 | Canadian Experience Class | 2,000 | 521 |
| 2026-08-31 | Provincial Nominee Program | 562 | 697 |
| 2026-08-19 | French-Language proficiency 2026-Version 2 | 5,000 | 382 |
| 2026-08-18 | Canadian Experience Class | 1,000 | 523 |
Full draw history on the Immigration desk →
Reading the numbers
The cut-off is the lowest CRS score invited in that round, so it rises and falls with demand in the pool. Category-based rounds — French-language proficiency, transport occupations and similar — target specific groups the labour market needs. A high or low cut-off reflects that draw’s pool, not a change in the programs themselves.
Common questions
How often are Express Entry draws held?
IRCC does not publish a fixed schedule. In recent years draws have come roughly every two weeks, with pauses when the system changes. Official results appear on the IRCC rounds page after each draw.
What is the CRS cut-off in a draw?
The cut-off is the lowest Comprehensive Ranking System score invited in that round. Every profile at or above the cut-off in the target pool receives an invitation, subject to the tie-breaking rule.
Do I need a job offer or a provincial nomination?
No — most draws invite candidates ranked on their own profile. A provincial nomination adds 600 CRS points and a qualifying job offer adds points too, which is why nominated candidates are usually invited early.