Canada has conducted a new Express Entry draw aimed at the Provincial Nominee Program, issuing 955 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) on June 22, 2026. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score required was 730 points — 75 points lower than the previous PNP draw on May 25, which issued 334 ITAs at a cutoff of 805.
This was the first Express Entry round of any kind since May 28, 2026, ending a 25-day pause, and it stands as the largest PNP Express Entry round of 2026 — and the largest PNP round since December 2024. The 955 invitations exceed the previous 2026 PNP high of 681, set in both the January 20 and March 16 rounds. The 730 cutoff is also the lowest PNP cutoff recorded in any Express Entry draw this year, beating the prior 2026 low of 710 from the March 2 round.
The tie-breaking timestamp for this round was March 9, 2026 at 01:02:28 UTC. Candidates with a CRS score of exactly 730 needed to have submitted their Express Entry profile before that moment to receive an invitation.
Why the PNP Cutoff Fell to 730
Every provincial nominee receives an automatic 600-point CRS boost when their nomination is reflected in the Express Entry pool. A cutoff of 730 in a PNP-specific round therefore means the lowest-ranked candidate invited had a base CRS score of roughly 130 before the nomination was applied — a reminder that a provincial nomination can carry a candidate with a modest base score all the way to an invitation.
A larger invitation count paired with a lower cutoff points to a substantial wave of new nominations entering the Express Entry pool between draws. The number of candidates scoring 601 or higher grew from 372 in the late-May snapshot to 941 as of June 21, 2026, the day before the draw — and this round invited 955 candidates at or above CRS 730, clearing nearly that entire top band. The federal 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan raised PNP admissions from 55,000 in 2025 to 91,500 in 2026, a 66% increase that has fuelled active nomination cycles across Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
Express Entry Draws So Far in 2026
With this round, Canada has now conducted the following Express Entry draws in 2026:
- 12 Provincial Nominee Program draws
- 9 Canadian Experience Class draws
- 6 French-language proficiency draws
- 1 Healthcare and Social Services occupation draw
- 1 Physicians (Canadian work experience) draw
- 1 Senior Managers (Canadian work experience) draw
- 1 Trades occupation draw
By comparison, Canada conducted the following Express Entry draws in 2025:
- 24 Provincial Nominee Program draws
- 14 Canadian Experience Class draws
- Eight French-language proficiency draws
- Seven Healthcare and Social Services occupation draws
- Two Education occupation draws
- One Trades occupation draw
Tie-Breaking Rule and Round Number
The tie-breaking rule for this round was March 9, 2026 at 01:02:28 UTC. If more than one candidate held the minimum CRS score of 730, only those who submitted their Express Entry profiles before that date and time received invitations.
This was the 31st round of invitations under Express Entry in 2026 and the 419th overall since the system launched in January 2015. Canada has now issued 80,796 ITAs through Express Entry in 2026.
Candidates who received an ITA have 60 days to submit a complete application for permanent residence, which is typically processed within the six-month service standard.
What the Draw Signals for the Weeks Ahead
The June 22 PNP round restarts Express Entry activity after the longest pause of the year. No Canadian Experience Class, French-language, healthcare, trades, or education round was held alongside it. The last CEC draw was May 27 (3,000 ITAs at CRS 518), and with the 501–600 band now holding roughly 20,000 candidates after nearly a month without a CEC round, the cutoff in the next CEC draw is likely to sit at or above the May 27 level. Candidates eligible for category-based rounds should keep their Express Entry profiles active and their supporting documents — language results, medicals, police certificates — current in case those categories resume through the summer.
What Should Candidates Do Next?
If you hold a provincial nomination, this draw shows the PNP route reaching deep into the pool at a far lower cutoff than earlier in the year. If you don’t yet have one, a nomination remains the single most powerful lever in the system, adding 600 CRS points. The fastest way to understand where you stand is to calculate your CRS score with our free Express Entry CRS calculator and compare it against the 730 cutoff. Candidates sitting just below invitation range should focus on the highest-leverage gains — a higher language test result, additional Canadian work experience, or a confirmed provincial nomination — to move into range before the next round.
Resources
- Express Entry Draws 2026 — full archive
- Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) calculator
- Express Entry: Rounds of invitations (Canada.ca)
- Ministerial Instructions — Express Entry rounds (Canada.ca)
