Provincial Nominee Program Update — August 24, 2026
Monday, August 24, 2026
IRCC held two PNP-specific Express Entry draws in early August 2026: August 4 (507 ITAs, CRS cutoff 768) and August 17 (442 ITAs, CRS cutoff 760), continuing a trend of rising PNP cutoff scores compared to July draws (708–744).
BC PNP issued 510 invitations across six targeted 'Care and Build' categories on August 6, 2026, with scores as low as 68 (Education) and 84 (Health), focusing on childcare workers, healthcare, construction trades, and veterinary occupations.
As of March 30, 2026, provinces and territories now bear sole responsibility for assessing a nominee's ability to become economically established and intent to reside — a valid provincial nomination certificate is now sufficient proof for IRCC, reducing federal overlap in the PNP process. Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Nova Scotia PNP streams remain paused, while PEI has scheduled its next draw for August 20.
What You Should Do
- If you have a provincial nomination, check your CRS score against the latest PNP Express Entry cutoffs (760–768 in August 2026) at canada.ca/express-entry to determine if you are competitive for upcoming PNP-stream draws.
- If you work in childcare (ECE), healthcare, construction trades, or veterinary occupations in BC, visit welcomebc.ca/immigrate-to-b-c/about-the-bc-provincial-nominee-program to check your eligibility for the BC PNP 'Care and Build' targeted draws — minimum scores ranged from 68 to 102 in the August 6 draw.
- If you are considering a PNP stream in Ontario, Saskatchewan, or Nova Scotia, note these programs are currently paused — monitor those provincial immigration websites directly for reopening announcements before submitting any applications.
- If you are applying under the PNP and received a nomination on or after March 30, 2026, be aware that your nomination certificate now serves as sufficient proof of economic establishment and intent to reside — you do not need to separately demonstrate these to IRCC. Review updated application checklists at canada.ca/permanent-residence.
- If you are in Manitoba and hold or are pursuing a provincial nomination, check IRCC's new Manitoba public policy (announced August 2026) which provides up to 2,700 open work permits — search 'Manitoba public policy open work permit 2026' at canada.ca for eligibility details and application steps.
Sources
Topics Covered
PNP Express Entry Draw Trends: Two PNP-specific Express Entry draws were held in August 2026 (cutoffs of 768 and 760), continuing a pattern of high and rising PNP cutoff scores after July draws ranged from 708 to 744.
Category-Based Selection System: August 2026 Express Entry draws show continued use of category-based selection across multiple streams including French-language proficiency, Canadian Experience Class, Transport, Healthcare, and Skilled Military Recruits — alongside PNP-specific draws.
PNP Federal-Provincial Authority Transfer: Effective March 30, 2026, provinces and territories are now solely responsible for assessing nominees' ability to become economically established and their intent to reside, with a valid nomination certificate now accepted as sufficient proof by IRCC.
More Provincial Nominee Program Updates
Provincial Nominee Program Update — August 31, 2026
Aug 31, 2026
Provincial Nominee Program Update — August 27, 2026
Aug 27, 2026
Provincial Nominee Program Update — August 17, 2026
Aug 17, 2026
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