Express Entry Draws in 2026: Eligibility, CRS and Invitations to Apply

Updated October 2026

Express Entry rounds determine which eligible candidates in the pool receive invitations to apply for permanent residence. A draw does not determine whether a person is eligible for Express Entry in the first place. Candidates must first qualify for at least one program managed through Express Entry and be accepted into the pool.

How Express Entry rounds work

IRCC decides the type of round and the number of candidates to invite, then identifies the highest-ranking eligible candidates for that round. Rounds may be general, program-specific or category-based. The CRS cut-off therefore varies by round and should not be treated as a permanent eligibility threshold.

There is no guaranteed draw schedule

IRCC conducts rounds throughout the year, but candidates should not rely on a fixed biweekly schedule or assume a particular category will be selected next. The date, round type, number of invitations and cut-off are established for each round.

An ITA is not permanent residence approval

An Invitation to Apply allows a candidate to submit a permanent residence application under the program identified in the invitation. The candidate must still meet the applicable program requirements and submit a complete application within the required deadline. IRCC then assesses the application, including admissibility and whether the applicant continues to meet the requirements relied upon for the invitation.

Provincial nominations and CRS

An Express Entry-aligned provincial nomination can add 600 CRS points after the nomination is confirmed and accepted in the Express Entry system. Those points substantially improve ranking, but a nomination is not itself an approval of permanent residence.

Keeping an Express Entry profile accurate

Update information when circumstances change, including employment, language results, education, family composition and provincial nomination details where required. Candidates should confirm that documents substantiate the points claimed and that they remain eligible for the invitation category before filing a permanent residence application.

Request an Express Entry eligibility review.

Important: CRS cut-offs, categories and invitation rounds change. Check IRCC’s current rounds of invitations before relying on a historical score. This article is general information and not legal advice.

Harjeet Arora, RCIC-IRB · R709086