On August 31, 2026, IRCC ran round #438 of Express Entry, a round for candidates holding a provincial nomination (PNP). It issued 562 invitations to apply (ITAs), and the lowest-ranked candidate invited held a CRS score of 697.
The numbers
| Date | August 31, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Round number | #438 |
| Round type | Provincial Nominee Program |
| Invitations to apply (ITAs) | 562 |
| CRS cut-off | 697 |
| Change vs. previous round of the same type | −63 points |
| Days since the previous round of the same type | 14 days |
How it compares
That is 63 points below round #435 (August 17, 2026), whose cut-off stood at 760. The gap was 14 days; the last 10 rounds under this program have averaged 16 days apart. It was a larger round by 120 invitations — the previous one issued 442.
No round among the last 10 rounds under this program closed lower; those rounds span 697 to 805 points. The volume is mid-table for the set, which averages 502 invitations per round (324 to 955). Counting this one, 17 rounds under this program have been held in 2026, for 7,961 invitations in total. Across the last 10 rounds of any kind, the cut-offs sat between 368 and 768.
What it means for your profile
If your profile was in the pool and qualifying under Provincial Nominee Program on August 31, 2026 with a CRS score of 697 or more, this round would have reached you. A score below the cut-off does not remove your profile: an Express Entry profile stays in the pool for twelve months and is automatically considered in every round it qualifies for. No forecast is attached to these figures. A cut-off reflects the pool as it stood that day and the instructions in force, which is why we publish the record and leave the prediction out.
- 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.
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.
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.