Canada has issued 3,500 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residence to candidates in healthcare and social services occupations in a category-based Express Entry draw held on September 4, 2026.
The round targeted the Healthcare and Social Services Occupations category, with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 475. It was the third healthcare round of 2026 and the 53rd Express Entry draw of the year.
September 4, 2026 Express Entry draw results
| Date | Category | Invitations issued | Minimum CRS score |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 4, 2026 | Healthcare and Social Services Occupations | 3,500 | 475 |
Under Express Entry’s tie-breaking rule, candidates with a CRS score of 475 who submitted their profile before May 26, 2026 at 00:26:14 UTC were included in this round.
The largest round since August 19
At 3,500 invitations, this was the biggest Express Entry round since the 5,000-invitation French-language proficiency draw on August 19, and the largest occupation-based round of the past two months. It also capped an unusually dense run of federal activity: IRCC held four rounds in five business days, inviting Provincial Nominee Program candidates on August 31, Canadian Experience Class candidates on September 1, and physicians on September 3 before turning to healthcare and social services.
Healthcare draws in 2026
The cut-off of 475 is unchanged from the June healthcare round, while the number of invitations fell by 500. Across the three healthcare rounds held so far this year, IRCC has issued 11,500 invitations in the category.
| Date | Round | Invitations issued | Minimum CRS score |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 20, 2026 | #398 | 4,000 | 467 |
| June 25, 2026 | #422 | 4,000 | 475 |
| September 4, 2026 | #441 | 3,500 | 475 |
The pattern is one of steady cut-offs and gradually smaller rounds, spaced roughly four months apart. Candidates working in eligible healthcare and social services occupations have therefore needed a score in the high 460s or above to be invited at any point in 2026.
The Healthcare and Social Services category
Healthcare and Social Services Occupations is one of 10 current Express Entry categories used for category-based selection. Eligible occupations span the sector broadly — nurses, physicians, pharmacists, dentists, optometrists, therapists, paramedics, medical technologists, social workers, psychologists and other roles — and candidates must have at least six months of continuous work experience in one of them within the past three years, as well as meeting the requirements of a program managed under Express Entry.
Because the category is far larger than narrower ones such as physicians or transport, its cut-off scores sit much closer to those of general rounds. The September 3 physicians round, one day earlier, cleared at 198, while the September 1 Canadian Experience Class round required 521.
Where the pool stands
IRCC’s most recent published pool snapshot, dated August 30, 2026, put 226,673 candidates in the Express Entry pool. Of those, 46,326 had a CRS score of 481 or higher, with a further 16,981 sitting in the 471–480 band that the September 4 cut-off falls inside — which is why a category-based round can clear at 475 and still reach several thousand candidates.
Express Entry category-based draws in 2026
Throughout 2026, IRCC has leaned heavily on category-based selection to invite candidates with experience in priority occupations and strong French-language ability. Alongside healthcare and social services, the categories used this year include trades, education, transport, STEM, French-language proficiency and skilled military recruits.
You can see every round of the year on our Express Entry Draws 2026 page, and read how candidates are chosen on the Government of Canada’s category-based selection page.
Check your CRS score
With healthcare rounds clearing at 475 twice in a row, candidates in eligible occupations now have a clear benchmark to aim at. Calculate your CRS score with our free Express Entry CRS calculator to see where you stand against the 475 cut-off and recent category-based rounds.