How Express Entry draws work
Express Entry manages applications for Canada’s main federal economic programs. Candidates who meet the criteria enter a pool and receive a CRS score; roughly every couple of weeks IRCC holds a round of invitations — a draw — and invites the highest-ranked candidates to apply for permanent residence. The tracker above lists every recent round: the date, the draw type, the CRS cutoff, and the number of invitations to apply (ITAs) issued.
The three types of draws
Not every draw invites the same people. Knowing which type is running explains most of the cutoff movement you see in the table:
| Draw type | Who it invites |
|---|---|
| General | The top-ranked candidates across all Express Entry programs, regardless of occupation. |
| Program-specific | Only candidates in one program: Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Worker (FSW), Federal Skilled Trades (FST), or Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). |
| Category-based | Candidates who qualify for a specific category the Minister has set to meet an economic goal — for example, healthcare, trades, or French-language ability. |
Category-based selection
Since 2023, IRCC has run category-based rounds that invite candidates who are eligible for a specific category “established by the Minister to meet an identified economic goal.” The categories are reviewed and updated periodically — recent rounds have targeted categories such as healthcare and social services, STEM occupations, trades, education, transport, and French-language proficiency. Because the list changes, always checkthe current categories before you plan around one. If your occupation or French ability qualifies you for a category, you may be invited at a lower CRS score than a general draw would require.
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws
Some rounds in the tracker are PNP-specific Express Entry draws — IRCC invites only candidates who already hold a provincial nomination. Because a nomination adds 600 CRS points, everyone in a PNP round sits near the top of the 1,200-point scale, so these draws routinely show cutoffs of 700 or higher. That number reflects the +600 boost, not a suddenly harder bar. Provinces select candidates through their own programs; the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) hub covers how each one works, and you can estimate your provincial score with the BC PNP, Manitoba MPNP, and Ontario OINP calculators.
How to read the CRS cutoff
The cutoff is the CRS score of the lowest-ranked candidate who received an invitation in that round. If your score is at or above the cutoff of a draw you were eligible for, you would have been invited. Two things mainly move it:
- The number of invitations issued. Larger draws reach further down the pool, so the cutoff falls; smaller draws push it up.
- The pool’s composition. As high-scoring candidates are invited and new ones join, the cutoff drifts round to round.
You will also notice that PNP-only draws show very high cutoffs (often 700+). That is because a provincial nomination adds 600 points, so everyone in a PNP round is already near the top of the 1,200-point scale — it does not mean the underlying bar suddenly got harder.
Why cutoffs jump around
A single cutoff is a snapshot, not a trend. General and Canadian Experience Class draws tend to cluster in one range; category-based draws for in-demand occupations often come in lower; and French-language rounds have at times had some of the lowest cutoffs of all. Comparing your score to one historical draw can mislead — look at the pattern across several recent rounds of the type you would actually be invited in.
How to use this tracker
- Calculate your score first, then compare it to recent draws of your program or category with the CRS Calculator.
- If you are close to a category cutoff, that category is usually your fastest route — a category-based invitation can land well below the general cutoff.
- Not sure which program fits you? TheEligibility Wizard maps your profile to the right pathways, and thePNP guide covers the provincial route.
- Watch the trend across several rounds, not a single number.
Every round in this tracker is recorded from IRCC’s official rounds-of-invitations page (see the verified date above). This page is for planning and information only — it is not legal or immigration advice. Immigration rules change often; confirm details on the official source.