Date: October 6, 2026
Reporter: Emilly Jordan
Canada's Express Entry system is heading into another closely watched round of invitations, with the next draw expected around the week of October 12 as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) continues a high volume of invitations to candidates seeking permanent residence.
The expectation follows a busy start to October. On October 1, IRCC issued 3,500 invitations to apply for permanent residence through a category-based draw targeting candidates in eligible trades occupations. The draw had a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 476. It was Express Entry draw number 447 and marked the second trades-focused draw of 2026.
The latest sequence of draws has reinforced a pattern that has emerged during the second half of the year. Recent clusters have generally included a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw, followed by a Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw and then a category-based selection. The September 28 PNP round issued 733 invitations with a CRS cutoff of 725, while the September 29 CEC round issued 2,000 invitations with a cutoff of 518. The October 1 trades round followed with 3,500 invitations at 476 CRS.
Based on this pattern, Immigration News Canada expects another draw cluster around the week of October 12. A PNP draw could again open the cluster, followed by a CEC selection and a category-based draw. However, IRCC does not announce future draw dates, invitation numbers or CRS cutoffs in advance, meaning the timing and composition of the next round remain subject to the department's decisions.
IRCC's official Express Entry system states that candidates are ranked according to the CRS and that different types of rounds can be held throughout the year. These include general rounds, program-specific rounds and category-based rounds. The department determines the type of round, the number of candidates to invite and the eligibility requirements for category-based selections.
The Canadian Experience Class remains one of the most important pathways for candidates with Canadian work experience. Recent CEC rounds have remained highly competitive. The September 15 CEC draw invited 2,000 candidates at a CRS cutoff of 519, while the September 29 round invited the same number at 518.
The latest CEC results suggest that candidates with scores around the high 510s are currently competing for invitations when IRCC holds a 2,000-invitation CEC round. However, the cutoff can rise or fall depending on the number and ranking of eligible candidates in the pool and the number of invitations IRCC decides to issue.
French-language proficiency is another category being closely watched for the next October cluster. Immigration News Canada reported that the most recent French-language draw took place on August 19 and that French-language selections have been an important part of Canada's Express Entry strategy in 2026. A future French-language round could therefore provide another opportunity for candidates who meet the category's eligibility requirements.
Healthcare and social services, trades, senior managers, physicians and other occupation-based categories also remain relevant to candidates depending on their work experience and eligibility. The timing of individual category-based rounds, however, cannot be guaranteed simply because a category has not recently been selected.
The volume of invitations issued during 2026 has also attracted considerable attention. Immigration News Canada reported that IRCC had issued 135,215 Express Entry invitations through October 1, already exceeding the full-year totals recorded in 2023, 2024 and 2025. The publication reported 113,998 invitations for all of 2025, 98,903 in 2024 and 110,266 in 2023.
The high number of invitations does not mean that the same number of people will become permanent residents during 2026. An Express Entry invitation to apply is not itself a permanent residence approval. Candidates who receive an invitation generally have 60 days to submit their permanent residence application, and applications then have to be processed by IRCC. Some invited candidates may also choose not to apply or may ultimately be found ineligible.
The distinction is particularly important when comparing Express Entry invitations with Canada's Immigration Levels Plan. Immigration targets are based on permanent resident admissions, while an Express Entry invitation is issued to an individual candidate and may eventually result in an application that includes accompanying family members.
The upcoming 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan is therefore expected to be an important factor for Express Entry candidates. The plan will establish future immigration targets and provide a clearer indication of how the federal government intends to manage economic immigration in the coming years.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has also recently spoken about Canada eventually returning to a controlled increase in population after a period in which the government has sought to bring immigration levels under greater control. Immigration News Canada said those remarks could be relevant to the direction of the next immigration levels plan, although they do not establish how many Express Entry invitations IRCC will issue in any particular draw.
For candidates waiting in the Express Entry pool, the most important point is that there is no officially announced October 12 draw at this time. IRCC says it holds invitation rounds throughout the year and decides the type of round and number of invitations for each selection. Its official records show that recent rounds have included CEC, PNP and category-based selections rather than a single predictable schedule.
Candidates should therefore avoid relying on predicted CRS scores as guarantees. A projected cutoff is an estimate based on previous rounds and the composition of the Express Entry pool, while the actual cutoff is determined only when IRCC conducts a round.
For candidates preparing for a potential invitation, maintaining an accurate Express Entry profile is essential. Language-test results, work experience, education, marital status, provincial nomination information and other factors can affect a candidate's CRS score and eligibility. Candidates should also ensure that any information in their profile remains accurate if their circumstances change.
Those who qualify for category-based selection should pay particular attention to the eligibility requirements of the category rather than focusing only on the CRS cutoff. Being below the cutoff from a previous draw does not necessarily mean a candidate will qualify for a future category-based invitation, because each category has its own requirements.
The October Express Entry landscape could therefore bring another sequence of invitations, but the exact outcome will depend on decisions made by IRCC. The most recent official rounds demonstrate that the department continues to use a mixture of program-specific and category-based selections, while the high number of invitations issued so far this year has made October an important month for candidates watching Canada's economic immigration system.
If the recent biweekly pattern continues, candidates could see another Express Entry draw cluster around the week of October 12. The category selected, number of invitations and CRS cutoff will only be confirmed when IRCC publishes the official round of invitations.
For now, candidates should treat the mid-October date as an expectation rather than an official announcement and continue monitoring IRCC's Express Entry rounds page for the authoritative results.