Express Entry Update — May 18, 2026
Monday, May 18, 2026
On May 11, 2026, IRCC held its first Express Entry draw of May, issuing 380 ITAs to Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates with a CRS cutoff of 798 and a tie-breaking date of January 7, 2026 at 5:23 a.m. UTC.
The Express Entry pool now contains nearly 234,000 candidates, with recent 2026 draws spanning multiple categories: CEC draws have cut off between 507–515, French-language draws between 393–419, and PNP draws between 710–802.
A Trades category draw was held on April 2 with a cutoff of 477 and 3,000 ITAs issued, while a Senior Managers draw on March 5 had a cutoff of 429 for 250 ITAs.
What You Should Do
- Check your current CRS score and compare it against recent draw cutoffs at canada.ca/express-entry to assess your chances — PNP candidates need 795–802, CEC candidates need 507–515, and French-language candidates need 393–419 based on recent rounds.
- If you have a provincial nomination, verify your Express Entry profile was created before January 7, 2026 at 5:23 a.m. UTC — this was the tie-breaking rule for the May 11 PNP draw. Update your profile at ircc.canada.ca if needed.
- If you are in the Trades or Senior Managers category, monitor the IRCC rounds of invitations page at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/rounds-invitations.html for upcoming category-based draws, as these have appeared periodically in 2026.
Sources
Topics Covered
Category-Based Selection System: IRCC continued category-based draws in 2026 including Trades, French-language proficiency, Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience, and Healthcare and social services, alongside CEC and PNP draws.
CRS Cutoff Trends: In 2026 to date, CEC draw cutoffs have ranged from 507–515, French-language from 393–419, Trades at 477, and PNP from 710–802, with the pool sitting at nearly 234,000 candidates.
PNP Express Entry Draw Trends: The May 11 PNP draw issued 380 ITAs at a cutoff of 798, continuing a pattern of high PNP cutoffs in 2026 ranging from 710 to 802 across five draws.
More Express Entry Updates
Express Entry Update — June 4, 2026
Jun 4, 2026
Express Entry Update — June 1, 2026
Jun 1, 2026
Express Entry Update — May 30, 2026
May 30, 2026
Get immigration updates in your inbox
Weekly analysis. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.