In today’s Express Entry draw, IRCC held its first draw for the month of June of the year 2026, where it targeted provincial nominees.
955 Invitation to Apply for permanent residency under Provincial Nominee Program were issued by IRCC in this round of draw.
This is the biggest PNP draw of 2026, and the biggest PNP Express Entry draw since December 2024.
The lowest Comprehensive Ranking System score required to be invited in this round is 730 points.
Not only is this the biggest PNP draw of 2026, but it has also seen the lowest CRS cutoff score for PNP applicants this year by quite a wide margin.
The previous lowest cutoff score in 2026 had been 710 points, which was recorded in the March 2nd Express Entry draw of 2026.
A low cutoff and high number of ITAs show that the provinces have released a considerable number of provincial nominations into the pool of Express Entry.
Full Details Of The June 22, 2026 Express Entry PNP Draw
Below is a table that shows all the official information regarding the recent Express Entry draw announced by IRCC.
| Draw Detail | Value |
| Program | Provincial Nominee Program |
| Date and Time | June 22, 2026 at 04:06:26 UTC |
| Number of Invitations Issued | 955 |
| CRS Score of Lowest-Ranked Candidate | 730 |
| Rank Needed | 955 or above |
| Tie-Breaking Rule | March 09, 2026 at 01:02:28 UTC |
A tie-breaking rule applies in cases where more than one profile has the same CRS score.
Applicants whose CRS scores were precisely 730 were required to submit their Express Entry profile prior to March 9, 2026 at 01:02:28 UTC.
Any applicant who got a CRS score of 730 but did not submit the profile prior to the above date was not invited.
Why 955 Invitations Is A Significant Milestone For PNP Draws
These 955 invitation numbers mark an incredible change compared to the steadily decreasing number of invites issued in the PNP draws in the previous few months.
In April, the number of PNP invites steadily fell from 473 on April 27th to 380 on May 11th to 334 on May 25th.
Meanwhile, the cut-off for CRS steadily rose from 795 to 798 to 805 in the above period, showing a steady fall in the number of nominees for provinces.
However, the current draw has managed to reverse this trend at once by issuing more invitations and cutting the CRS mark drastically.
The increase in the number of invitations from 334 to 955 is an 186% increase in the invitation numbers.
The cut-off for CRS marks a fall by 75 points to 730 from 805.
2026 PNP Express Entry Draws At A Glance
The table below presents all PNP Express Entry Draws held during the year 2026, thereby highlighting changes in the number of invitations issued and corresponding CRS cut-off scores.
| Draw Date | Invitations | CRS Cutoff |
| Jun 22 | 955 | 730 |
| May 25 | 334 | 805 |
| May 11 | 380 | 798 |
| Apr 27 | 473 | 795 |
| Apr 13 | 524 | 786 |
| Mar 30 | 606 | 741 |
| Mar 16 | 681 | 726 |
| Mar 2 | 606 | 710 |
| Feb 16 | 279 | 789 |
| Feb 3 | 423 | 749 |
| Jan 20 | 681 | 746 |
| Jan 5 | 574 | 711 |
Undoubtedly, the draw of June 22 is the most obvious outlier in terms of both the number of invitations and CRS cut-off score when compared to any other PNP draw held this year.
The highest number of invitations in PNPs this year before today’s draw stood at 681, which was observed during the draws on January 20 and March 16.
Therefore, 955 invitations received today are more than 274 above the previous record.
What The 730 CRS Cutoff Means For Provincial Nominees
Provincial nominees automatically get a 600 point CRS boost upon the nomination being reflected in the Express Entry Pool.
Therefore, a CRS cutoff of 730 in the PNP draw implies that the minimum ranked individual had a base score of approximately 130 prior to receiving the provincial nomination.
This is the major difference that many people tend to miss while comparing the cutoff scores of the Provincial Nominees Draw and Canadian Experience Class draws whose CRS cutoff will be between 507 to 518 in 2026.
This is a surprisingly low base score and it implies that people with low CRS profile could get an invitation by applying for a provincial nomination.
In the 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan, the number of Provincial nominees accepted by Canada was increased from 55,000 in 2025 to 91,500 in 2026.
This 66% increase has encouraged many provincial nomination processes in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba all over the year.
Earlier in the year, British Columbia has modified its provincial nominee priorities focusing on three main areas of Care, Build, and Innovate.
Latest CRS Score Distribution In The Express Entry Pool
The number of candidates in the Express Entry pool stood at 239,645 on June 21, 2026, the day prior to the draw.
The pool has increased by around 5,000 candidates compared to its status at the time of the last update in late May, owing to the longer draw hiatus period.
The 601 to 1,200 CRS range includes 941 candidates, which is where most of the PNPs end up after getting 600 extra points.
| CRS score range | Number of candidates |
|---|---|
| 601-1200 | 941 |
| 501-600 | 20,012 |
| 451-500 | 75,938 |
| 491-500 | 13,537 |
| 481-490 | 13,598 |
| 471-480 | 17,318 |
| 461-470 | 16,358 |
| 451-460 | 15,127 |
| 401-450 | 64,807 |
| 441-450 | 14,147 |
| 431-440 | 13,980 |
| 421-430 | 12,584 |
| 411-420 | 12,128 |
| 401-410 | 11,968 |
| 351-400 | 51,897 |
| 301-350 | 17,946 |
| 0-300 | 8,104 |
| Total | 239,645 |
This number is much higher than the number of 372 candidates that had accumulated in this range as per the May 10 pool snapshot.
The sudden increase from 372 to 941 candidates in the range above 601 is what helped today’s PNP draw manage to invite 955 candidates.
The 501 to 600 CRS range includes 20,012 candidates, who have been the most impacted by CEC draws.
That is because this range has expanded greatly due to the lack of any CEC draw since May 27.
As far as the next CEC draw goes, the cutoff will probably stay higher than the cutoff on May 27, which was 518 owing to the pool pressure that has built up in 26 days.
All candidates whose CRS score is less than 500 will be required to consider category-based draws or get provincial nominations for an invitation.
None of the CEC draws in 2026 have had a cutoff score less than 507, and the present pool conditions do not seem to favor a sub-500 (not even 510) CEC cutoff.
For candidates with a score ranging from 400 to 500 who qualify for the criteria, French-language proficiency draws will be the easiest way out.
IRCC has made 30,500 French-language invitations through six draws in 2026 with a cutoff score as low as 393.
A total of 941 candidates having CRS above 601 have been cleared through today’s PNP draw, which issued invitations to 955 candidates having CRS of 730 or above.
There are 20,012 candidates with a score of between 501 and 600 in the pool, and they will stay in the pool till IRCC makes a CEC draw or a category-based draw.
What Candidates Should Expect After Today’s Draw
PNP today’s draw means that IRCC has started its operations under the Express Entry program after a prolonged halt since June.
What remains to be seen is whether IRCC will continue from the current PNP draw to CEC draw and subsequently to the category-based draw.
In 2026, IRCC has done clusters of draws where the week would start with PNP draw followed by CEC and then the category-based draw, but then there have been some exceptions to that trend.
Assuming that trend continues, we might see CEC draw and French or occupation-based draw soon.
IRCC is likely to increase CRS cut-off to more than 518 if it resumes CEC drawing process this week due to 26 days of accumulated pool.
Individuals with scores ranging from 510 to 525 should make sure that their profiles are up-to-date with all their documents in order to be part of the CEC draw if IRCC resumes this week.
Scores under 510 should focus on improving CRS score by retesting their language proficiency or getting Canadian work experience or provincial nomination.
Next Steps Based On Your CRS Score
However, your strategy should depend on where your CRS score is compared to existing draw cutoffs.
For those who have a CRS above 518: You have a good chance to be selected during the next CEC draw if IRCC restarts the program.
Maintain your profile active, make sure that all documents are valid, and visit IRCC’s draws results page daily.
For those who have a CRS score between 500 and 518: You belong to the competitive and unclear segment, where draw size will decide whether you are going to be selected.
Think about retaking IELTS or CELPIP and increasing language skills, as moving from CLB 8 to CLB 9 gives you 20-30 additional points.
For those who have a CRS less than 500: There are no CEC draws that could select you at the moment.
French draws with the lowest cutoffs of 393 are your Express Entry path.
Applying for a provincial nomination through Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, or Saskatchewan remains the surest way towards permanent residence.
The backlog numbers released by the IRCC in respect to 2026 reveal that processing times could exceed service standards set out for new applications for permanent residence.
Having a properly filled and verified application is by far the best way of avoiding any processing delays once an invitation comes in.
The IRCC has released 80,796 invitations through the Express Entry system in all draw categories since the start of 2026.
The system has seen various draw pauses and different rhythms throughout the year.
The CEC draws are the largest draw category with the French language draws second.
April 2026 draw analysis showed that PNP draws remained the most predictable category of draws.
However, PNP draws remained to be the most dependable draw types in 2026, operating on a consistent 14-day cycle from January to mid-May.
A May 25 PNP draw saw issuance of 334 invitations at CRS 805, with another PNP draw expected to come out by June 8.
Such a PNP draw did not occur, thus extending the gap between PNP draws to 28 days until the current PNP draw resumed action.
Meanwhile, CEC applicants are yet to see their next draw following the May 27 CEC draw which issued 3,000 invitations at CRS 518.
No CEC, French-speaking, healthcare, trades, or education draws were issued concurrently with the current PNP draw.
Applicants under the CEC and other category-specific streams are advised to watch out for announcements from IRCC on their draw results page.
