Canada started July 2026 with a targeted draw from the Provincial Nominee Program through the Express Entry stream.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada invited 534 applications for permanent residency on July 6, 2026.
The Comprehensive Ranking System score requirement for this round was 708, which is 22 points lower than that of the last PNP draw conducted in June 2026.
This was the first invitation round in the month since the Canadian immigration department has been following a clustered draw schedule.
July 6, 2026 Express Entry Draw Details
The table below summarizes the official details released by IRCC for this draw round.
| Draw Detail | Information |
| Program | Provincial Nominee Program |
| Draw Date | July 6, 2026 |
| Draw Time (UTC) | 11:48:43 |
| CRS Cutoff Score | 708 |
| Invitations Issued | 534 |
| Rank Required | 534 or above |
| Tie-Breaking Timestamp | June 4, 2026 at 14:49:51 UTC |
Key Highlights of This Draw
The full text of the Ministerial Instruction for this draw is available on the IRCC website.
- IRCC issued 534 invitations exclusively to Provincial Nominee Program candidates on July 6, 2026.
- The minimum CRS cutoff was 708, reflecting the 600 point boost that accompanies every provincial nomination.
- The Express Entry pool contained 235,127 candidates as of July 5, 2026, one day before the draw.
- IRCC applied a tie-breaking timestamp of June 4, 2026 at 14:49:51 UTC for candidates sharing the lowest score.
- This PNP round launches what is expected to be a multi-draw cluster for July 2026.
How the Tie-Breaking Rule Applied
IRCC follows a tie-breaking rule whenever there are candidates who have scored the same lowest CRS score in any given draw.
The tie-breaker timestamp for this draw was fixed on June 4, 2026, at 14:49:51 UTC by IRCC.
Candidates who had scored exactly 708 points required to have submitted their Express Entry profile before this time stamp.
This tie-breaking rule ensures that those candidates who entered the pool early get the priority whenever the scores of the profiles are the same.
Why the CRS Cutoff Reached 708
A CRS cut-off of 708 is due to the substantial benefit that the nominees through the provinces have in the Express Entry program.
Nominees through the province are awarded 600 points on top of their base CRS score, ensuring nominees surpass general candidates.
A cut-off of 708 indicates that invited candidates had at least a base CRS score of 108 prior to their nomination bonus.
525 candidates in the Express Entry candidate pool had scores ranging from 601 to 1200 on July 5, 2026.
Despite this, IRCC managed to issue 534 invitations, showing slight changes in between the date of snapshot and invitation date.
General candidates who do not have a provincial nomination find it hard to reach scores of 600 plus CRS score.
Latest Express Entry Pool CRS Score Distribution
According to IRCC data, there were 235,127 candidates in the Express Entry pool as of July 5, 2026.
These figures represent the number of candidates in the pool a few days prior to the start of this invitation round.
| CRS Score Range | Number of Candidates |
| 601–1200 | 525 |
| 501–600 | 18,611 |
| 451–500 | 73,691 |
| 491–500 | 13,061 |
| 481–490 | 12,555 |
| 471–480 | 16,198 |
| 461–470 | 16,499 |
| 451–460 | 15,378 |
| 401–450 | 65,818 |
| 441–450 | 14,294 |
| 431–440 | 14,127 |
| 421–430 | 12,870 |
| 411–420 | 12,383 |
| 401–410 | 12,144 |
| 351–400 | 51,096 |
| 301–350 | 17,513 |
| 0–300 | 7,873 |
| Total | 235,127 |
Key Takeaways from the Pool Data
CRS scores between 451 to 500 have the highest number of candidates, with 73,691 candidates in this category.
A further 65,818 candidates scored between 401 to 450, making it the second-largest score group.
In total, both score groups contain over 59% of all profiles present in the Express Entry pool.
Those whose score falls in the range of 501 to 600 have 18,611 candidates just under the provincial nominee score limit.
Profiles with a score less than 400 are 76,482 candidates, forming about 32.5% of the total pool size.
The score group 601 to 1200 has only 525 candidates; most of whom probably hold valid provincial nominations.
IRCC Draw Cluster Model Continues in July 2026
According to the IRCC’s most recent activity, there will be an application for a cluster draw schedule starting June 2026 in each of the express entry rounds.
In such a scheme, several draws take place in a short time rather than throughout the whole month evenly.
The Provincial Nominee Program draw on July 6 is probably a sign that the first draw in this month’s cluster is taking place.
Applicants who are qualified for other Express Entry programs need to wait for more IRCC announcements for future draws.
Draws based on certain categories like healthcare, trades, French-speaking, and others will take place after the PNP draw.
What This Draw Means for Candidates
Provincial nominees continue to have an obvious advantage when it comes to receiving an invitation under the Express Entry system.
An automatic 600 CRS increase owing to being nominated virtually assures a candidate of an invitation in most Provincial Nominee specific draws.
Those who do not hold a provincial nomination must look for active streams under programs such as the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP), and Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP).
Maintaining an updated Express Entry profile with correct details of work experience, education, and language scores remains a must for any candidate.
The very first Express Entry draw held in July 2026 further emphasizes the continued relevance of provincial nominee programs in Canada’s immigration process.
A total of 534 invitations were issued in this draw with a cutoff CRS of 708, making it clear that provincial nominees dominate the highest score range.
Further results of draws will be announced by IRCC in the coming days under its cluster drawing schedule.
