On May 25, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted Express Entry draw #416, a program-specific round targeting Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates. IRCC issued 334 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) with a cut-off Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 805 — the highest PNP-specific cut-off recorded in 2026 and seven points above the previous PNP draw held on May 11.

Draw #416 at a Glance

Detail	Result
Draw Number	#416
Draw Date	May 25, 2026
Draw Type	Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
ITAs Issued	334
CRS Cut-off Score	805
Tie-Breaking Rule	October 16, 2025 at 18:16:33 UTC

The Rising Cut-off: What’s Behind the Numbers

The two highest PNP cut-offs of 2026 have both occurred in May, at 798 on May 11 and 805 on May 25. The seven-point increase alongside a reduction of 46 invitations compared to the May 11 round points to a tightening of the PNP-eligible pool. When provinces issue fewer new nominations in a given period, the number of nominees above the 601-point threshold shrinks, which causes IRCC to reach fewer candidates and results in a higher CRS floor.

It is important to note that IRCC has not updated the official Express Entry pool distribution since May 10, 2026, so the current composition of the pool remains unknown. As of May 10, there were 233,770 profiles registered in the Express Entry pool.

2026 PNP Draw Trends

Draw #416 represents the smallest PNP invitation count since the February 16 round, which issued 279 invitations. Since January 2026, invitation volumes in PNP-specific draws have ranged from a high of 681 on January 5 down to 334 in this round.

The broader 2026 picture: this year, IRCC has invited 72,341 Express Entry candidates across 11 targeted draws to date, including 4,450 PNP candidates.

This is the second consecutive PNP-only Express Entry round in May 2026, with no Canadian Experience Class, French-language, or occupation-based category draw issued since April 29.

Practitioner Implications

The 805 cut-off reflects that the effective base CRS score for the lowest-ranked invited candidate — before the automatic 600-point provincial nomination boost — was approximately 205. Practitioners advising clients who hold a provincial nomination should confirm their clients’ profiles are active, accurate, and optimized in the Express Entry pool.

Provincial nominations are time-limited, and provinces and IRCC cannot leave nominated candidates sitting in the Express Entry pool indefinitely without risking those nominations expiring — making timely action on behalf of nominated clients essential.

The OINP program redesign taking effect on May 30 could further affect nomination volumes in the near term as Ontario transitions to new selection streams, which may in turn influence the size and cut-offs of upcoming PNP draws.

View the official draw results at canada.ca.

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