Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued 733 new invitations to apply (ITA) for permanent residence through the Express Entry system.

This latest draw targeted Express Entry candidates who already hold a provincial nomination. To receive an invitation, candidates needed to meet two requirements:

• A minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 725; and
• A valid profile in the Express Entry pool at the time of the draw.

The high CRS cut-off reflects the structure of the draw. Provincial nominee candidates receive a substantial boost to their CRS score as a result of the nomination itself, which is why nomination-based draws typically record higher cut-off scores than general or category-based draws across the Express Entry calendar.

Who is affected

The draw affects candidates in the Express Entry pool who had been nominated by a Canadian province or territory through a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) stream aligned with Express Entry. Only those meeting or exceeding the 725 CRS threshold received an invitation in this round.

Candidates who fell below the cut-off remain in the pool. Their profiles stay active, and they may qualify for future draws — including general draws, category-based selection draws, or subsequent provincial nominee draws — provided their profiles remain valid.

What happens after an invitation

Candidates who received an ITA in this draw can now submit a complete application for Canadian permanent residence to IRCC. The invitation is the formal signal that the candidate is eligible to move to the application stage of the process. Candidates must prepare and file their permanent residence application, supporting documents, and required fees within the deadline set out in their invitation.

Receiving an ITA does not itself confer permanent residence. IRCC reviews each completed application before making a final decision.

Why provincial nominee draws matter

Provincial nominations are a central pillar of Canada's economic immigration system. Provinces and territories use their nominee programs to select candidates who match local labour market and demographic needs. When a province nominates an Express Entry candidate, that nomination significantly strengthens the candidate's position in the pool, effectively securing a near-certain invitation in a subsequent draw, given the size of the points boost attached to a nomination.

For candidates in the pool without a nomination, this draw does not change their standing. However, it underlines a recurring pattern in Express Entry: candidates who pursue a provincial nomination through one of the aligned PNP streams face a different, and typically higher, cut-off than candidates in general draws.

Checking your status

Candidates can verify whether they received an invitation through their IRCC online account. Draw results, including round numbers, CRS cut-offs, and invitation counts, are published on the official IRCC website after each round.

Anyone seeking guidance on a specific case should consult the official IRCC channels or a licensed immigration representative. Draw parameters change with each round, and past cut-offs do not guarantee future outcomes.

The full draw statistics for this and previous rounds are available on the IRCC website.