Provincial Nominee Program Update — July 23, 2026
Thursday, July 23, 2026
On July 20, 2026, IRCC issued 511 invitations to Express Entry candidates with a provincial nomination, requiring a minimum CRS score of 744 — a notable drop from recent PNP draws that required scores of 786–805 earlier in 2026.
Ontario announced a major redesign of its Provincial Nominee Program (OINP) on June 26, 2026: the existing 8 streams are being replaced by a single new 'Ontario Workforce Priority' stream, with the Expression of Interest (EOI) system expected to open later in summer 2026.
The most recent Express Entry draw overall was a French-Language proficiency draw on July 22, 2026, issuing 5,000 invitations at a CRS cutoff of 399; the full Express Entry pool stands at 231,533 candidates as of July 19, 2026.
What You Should Do
- If you hold a provincial nomination, check your current CRS score at canada.ca/express-entry — the July 20 PNP draw cut off at 744, but scores have ranged from 708–805 in 2026, so confirm your score is competitive before your profile expires.
- If you are interested in the Ontario PNP, monitor the OINP updates page at ontario.ca/page/2026-ontario-immigrant-nominee-program-updates for the announcement of the new Ontario Workforce Priority stream EOI opening date, expected in summer 2026.
- If you are a French-language speaker, ensure your Express Entry profile is active and up to date — French-language draws have been frequent in 2026 (5 draws so far) with cutoffs as low as 399. Update your profile at canada.ca/express-entry.
- Review the full 2026 Express Entry draw history at cicnews.com or canadavisa.com to assess trends in the specific draw category relevant to your profile before your next profile renewal date.
Sources
Topics Covered
PNP Express Entry Draw Trends: The July 20, 2026 PNP draw issued 511 ITAs at a CRS cutoff of 744, down significantly from the 795–805 range seen in April and May 2026, suggesting the PNP cutoff is trending downward through mid-2026.
Category-Based Selection System: IRCC continued issuing category-based draws in July 2026, including draws for French-language proficiency (5,000 ITAs at CRS 399), Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience (500 ITAs at CRS 392), and Canadian Experience Class (2,000 ITAs at CRS 517).
PNP Federal-Provincial Authority Transfer: Ontario eliminated its 8 existing OINP streams on June 25, 2026, replacing them with a single 'Ontario Workforce Priority' stream focused on arranged employment and hard-to-fill roles, with new elevated language and education requirements.
CRS Cutoff Trends: As of July 19, 2026, the Express Entry pool contains 231,533 candidates. The largest concentration is in the 451–500 CRS range (72,579 candidates), suggesting ongoing pressure on cutoff scores for general and CEC draws.
More Provincial Nominee Program Updates
Provincial Nominee Program Update — July 20, 2026
Jul 20, 2026
Provincial Nominee Program Update — July 16, 2026
Jul 16, 2026
Provincial Nominee Program Update — July 13, 2026
Jul 13, 2026
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