Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 5,792 invitations to apply for permanent residence in two Express Entry rounds on October 26 and 27, 2026, according to IRCC’s Rounds of invitations page.
The October 27 round invited 5,000 French-Language proficiency candidates at a lowest Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 407, and the October 26 round invited 792 Provincial Nominee Program candidates at a lowest CRS score of 761.
| Round | Date | Round type | Invitations issued | Lowest CRS score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 452 | October 27, 2026 | French-Language proficiency 2026-Version 2 | 5,000 | 407 |
| 451 | October 26, 2026 | Provincial Nominee Program | 792 | 761 |
Both cut-off scores fell from the previous round of the same type. The French-language cut-off dropped 28 points, from 435 on October 16, 2026, to 407 on October 27, 2026, with invitations unchanged at 5,000. The Provincial Nominee Program cut-off dropped 11 points, from 772 on October 13, 2026, to 761 on October 26, 2026, with invitations rising from 752 to 792. Tie-breaking dates were July 13, 2026, at 19:22:00 UTC for round 452 and April 3, 2026, at 18:00:26 UTC for round 451. The six Express Entry rounds in October 2026 issued 17,544 invitations in total. The full 2026 draw table is on amirismail.com.
IRCC counted 228,724 candidates in the Express Entry pool as of October 25, 2026. Only 787 candidates held scores from 601 to 1200, while 71,112 held scores from 451 to 500.
| CRS score range | Candidates in the pool |
|---|---|
| 601 to 1200 | 787 |
| 501 to 600 | 20,535 |
| 451 to 500 | 71,112 |
| 401 to 450 | 63,505 |
| 351 to 400 | 47,911 |
| 301 to 350 | 17,247 |
| 0 to 300 | 7,627 |
| Total | 228,724 |
The two rounds came just before the Express Entry points changes that take effect November 3, 2026. IRCC said in its October 16, 2026 announcement that it will recalculate scores under the new points system, a process that may take up to two weeks, during which invitation rounds will be paused. The new points reward eligible Canadian work experience and qualifying job offers in high-wage occupations.
Wondering where your profile stands?
We are tracking the November 3 points changes as they develop on our Express Entry points changes tracker.
What to watch
Analysis: No rounds are scheduled while IRCC recalculates scores, so the next round date depends on when that work finishes. The first round under the new system will show how the recalculation reshaped the pool.
Sources
- IRCC, Rounds of invitations, October 27, 2026
- IRCC, Ministerial instructions respecting invitations to apply for permanent residence under the Express Entry system, October 27, 2026
- IRCC, Canada refocusing Express Entry on top talent that drives economic growth, October 16, 2026
This article is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Rules change, so confirm details with IRCC before acting. See our disclaimer.
Published October 28, 2026. Last updated October 28, 2026.
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