Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has conducted another Express Entry draw, and this time, it focused on Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates.

In this latest round, 279 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) were issued to eligible candidates.

Let’s break down what happened in simple terms.

Who was invited to this drawing?

This draw specifically targeted candidates who had received a provincial nomination under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

To qualify for this round, candidates needed:

  1. A minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 789
  2. An Express Entry profile created before 12:59 a.m. (UTC) on September 5, 2025

If someone met both of these conditions, they were eligible to receive an ITA in this draw.

Why Was the CRS Score So High?

The CRS cut-off score was 789, which may look very high compared to regular draws.

However, this is normal for PNP-specific draws.

Here’s why:

  1. Candidates who receive a provincial nomination automatically get 600 additional CRS points.
  2. That bonus significantly increases their overall CRS score.
  3. As a result, PNP draw cut-offs are usually much higher than other draw types.

Summary of Express Entry Draws in 2026 So Far

This latest draw took place on February 16 and marks:

  1. The 7th Express Entry draw of 2026
  2. The 4th PNP-specific draw this year

Here’s a simple summary of Express Entry activity in 2026 so far:

February Draws

February 16 – Provincial Nominee Program

  1. CRS: 789
  2. ITAs: 279

February 6 – French-language proficiency

  1. CRS: 400
  2. ITAs: 8,500

February 3 – Provincial Nominee Program

  1. CRS: 749
  2. ITAs: 423

January Draws

January 21 – Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

  1. CRS: 509
  2. ITAs: 6,000

January 20 – Provincial Nominee Program

  1. CRS: 746
  2. ITAs: 681

January 7 – Canadian Experience Class

  1. CRS: 511
  2. ITAs: 8,000

January 5 – Provincial Nominee Program

  1. CRS: 711
  2. ITAs: 574

What Is IRCC Focusing on in 2026?

So far in 2026, IRCC has been focusing mainly on candidates who are already inside Canada.

The department has concentrated on:

  1. Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates
  2. Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates
  3. French-language proficiency candidates

Notably, there have been no general all-program draws yet this year.

Number of Draws by Type in 2026

Here’s how the draws are distributed so far this year:

  1. Provincial Nominee Program: 4 draws
  2. Canadian Experience Class: 2 draws
  3. French-language proficiency: 1 draw

Total ITAs Issued in 2026 So Far

Up to now, in 2026, IRCC has issued 24,457 ITAs across different categories:

  1. Canadian Experience Class: 14,000 ITAs
  2. French-language proficiency: 8,500 ITAs
  3. Provincial Nominee Program: 1,534 ITAs

This shows that the majority of invitations this year have gone to candidates with Canadian work experience or strong French-language skills.

What This Means for Candidates

If you are already in Canada with:

  1. A provincial nomination
  2. Canadian work experience
  3. Strong French-language skills

Your chances may currently be stronger compared to those applying from outside Canada.

With IRCC continuing to focus on in-Canada candidates in 2026, the immigration trend is becoming clearer.