Express Entry in 2026 so far: what 64 rounds show

Last reviewed October 28, 2026 against IRCC's published rules. Estimates only, not immigration advice.

From January 5, 2026 to October 27, 2026, IRCC held 64 Express Entry rounds and issued 149,259 invitations to apply. This article looks at where those invitations went, how cutoffs moved, and the rhythm the rounds followed. All figures come from IRCC's published round results, counted up to October 27, 2026.

Five things the 2026 rounds show

1. There has not been a single all-program round. Every round this year was limited to one program or one category. Candidates who qualify only through the Federal Skilled Worker program, with no Canadian experience, French or category occupation, have had no round of their own.
2. French speakers received the most invitations. French-language proficiency rounds issued 60,500 invitations (41% of the year) in 12 rounds, slightly more than the Canadian Experience Class's 57,750 in 18 rounds. French cutoffs ranged from 382 to 435, far below CEC.
3. CEC rounds got smaller, and the bar rose. Before April, CEC rounds invited 2,250 to 8,000 candidates with cutoffs of 507 to 511. From April they invited 1,000 to 4,000, with cutoffs of 514 to 523.
4. PNP rounds were the most frequent but the smallest. 21 rounds invited 10,814 candidates in total. Their cutoffs (697 to 805) include the 600 points a provincial nomination adds, so without it they correspond to roughly 97 to 205.
5. Category rounds were occasional but generous. Healthcare, trades, senior managers, physicians and the other categories together invited 20,195 candidates. The lowest cutoff of the year was 169, in a physicians round on February 19, 2026.

Invitations by round type

The two-week rhythm

The year settled into a regular pattern. A PNP round came about every two weeks: 19 of the 20 gaps between PNP rounds were 13 to 15 days, and 17 of the 21 PNP rounds fell on a Monday. In 18 of those 21 cycles, a CEC round followed within two days, and in 18 a French or category round came within four days of the PNP round.

This rhythm is a habit, not a rule. IRCC does not publish a draw schedule and has broken the pattern before: there was a four-week gap between PNP rounds in May. If you are waiting on a round, the latest draws page and the app's alerts are a better guide than the calendar.

Month by month

March was the busiest month, with 20,982 invitations, and May the quietest, with 8,214.

Compared with 2025

CEC and French cutoffs averaged lower in 2026 than across 2025. For CEC, that is mostly because the large rounds early in the year had low cutoffs; the smaller rounds since April have sat closer to the 2025 average. Keep in mind that 2025 is a full year and 2026 is not.

What this means if you are in the pool

• If you qualify for CEC, recent cutoffs have stayed in a narrow band, 514 to 523 since April. The CRS calculator shows where you stand against the latest one.
• If you speak French, French rounds have been the largest source of invitations this year. NCLC 7 in all four abilities qualifies you for them and adds up to 50 CRS points. See the language test guide.
• If you rely on the Federal Skilled Worker program alone, you have had no round of your own in 2026. A provincial nomination, a category occupation or French is the realistic path, and the guide to improving your CRS score prices each option.
• Expect change after November 3, 2026. The CRS adds points for high-wage work and job offers, and the whole pool is rescored. Cutoffs will be measured on a new scale. See what is changing.

Common questions

How many Express Entry draws have there been in 2026?

64 rounds from January 5, 2026 to October 27, 2026, with 149,259 invitations to apply in total.

Has IRCC held any all-program draws in 2026?

No. Up to October 27, 2026, every 2026 round was limited to one program (CEC or PNP) or one category, such as French-language proficiency or healthcare.

What CRS score has been enough for a CEC invitation in 2026?

CEC cutoffs ranged from 507 to 523 across 18 rounds, and from 514 to 523 since April. A score at the cutoff is only invited if the profile was created before the round's tie-break time.

Will these patterns continue?

Not necessarily. IRCC sets each round on its own, and the CRS changes on November 3, 2026, when the whole pool is rescored and rounds pause for up to two weeks. Treat past cutoffs as context, not a forecast.

Sources

• IRCC, Express Entry rounds of invitations, results up to round #452 (October 27, 2026)
• Every round discussed here has its own page in the draw history, and each round type is explained in its own guide.