On January 5, 2026, IRCC ran round #389 of Express Entry, a round for candidates holding a provincial nomination (PNP). It issued 574 invitations to apply (ITAs), and the lowest-ranked candidate invited held a CRS score of 711.
The numbers
| Date | January 5, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Round number | #389 |
| Round type | Provincial Nominee Program |
| Invitations to apply (ITAs) | 574 |
| CRS cut-off | 711 |
| Change vs. previous round of the same type | −20 points |
| Days since the previous round of the same type | 21 days |
How it compares
Against round #386 (December 15, 2025) and its cut-off of 731, the minimum score dropped by 20 points. The gap was 21 days; the last 10 rounds under this program have averaged 14 days apart. It was a larger round by 175 invitations — the previous one issued 399.
That is a typical figure for the set — the last 10 rounds under this program run from 699 to 855, with an average of 752. The volume is mid-table for the set, which averages 500 invitations per round (228 to 1,123). Across the last 10 rounds of any kind, the cut-offs sat between 399 and 731.
What this round selects
A Provincial Nominee Program round inside Express Entry invites only profiles that already hold a nomination from a province. A nomination adds 600 points to the CRS, so these rounds move in a range of their own and do not compare with the rest.
What it means for your profile
This round reached every profile that was in the pool and qualifying under Provincial Nominee Program on January 5, 2026 and scored 711 CRS or higher. Profiles below the line are not removed: they stay in the pool for twelve months and are counted again in each subsequent round they qualify for. We do not use these numbers to predict the next round. What a round closes at depends on the pool on that date and on the instructions in force, so this figure describes what happened and nothing more.
- Immigration evaluation — we work out your CRS score, check which programs and categories you are eligible for, and tell you what is missing. If your profile does not qualify, we say so before you pay.
- All Express Entry draws — the live history with charts and filters, updated as each new round is published.
Source: the rounds of invitations IRCC publishes, read automatically through our data service. GerCanada is a private consultancy and is not part of the Government of Canada.