The second Express Entry draw in May 2026 took place on May 25, 2026, and 334 invitations were issued to immigrants for applying for permanent residency through the Express Entry system.
The most recent Express Entry draw was focused on applicants with CRS points of 805 and above with a provincial nomination.
The current PNP draw marks the highest PNP cutoff in the year 2026 and follows the issuance of the fewest number of PNP invitations since the February 16 draw that saw 279 invitations issued.
Applicants awaiting a wider draw from the CEC pool should be aware that this has now been the second Express Entry draw in May with only the PNP program included.
Since April 29, no Canadian Experience Class, French-speaking, or occupation-focused draw has been held.
In addition to discussing the details of the draw itself, the article also considers its implications for the future as well as a general outlook.
May 25, 2026 Express Entry Draw Details
| Detail | Information |
| Program | Provincial Nominee Program |
| Draw Date And Time | May 25, 2026 at 15:22:56 UTC |
| Number Of Invitations Issued | 334 |
| CRS Score Of Lowest Ranked Candidate | 805 |
| Rank Required | 334 or above |
| Tie-Breaking Rule | October 16, 2025 at 18:16:33 UTC |
Tie-break rule is used to decide how to invite candidates in case of a tie among applicants with the same CRS score.
If you had a CRS score of 805 in your EE account, you would need to submit your application before 18:16:33 UTC on 16th October, 2025.
Any candidate scoring 805 and applying after the said date was disqualified despite having met the CRS requirement.
Why The PNP Cutoff Rose To 805
All PNP nominees get a 600-point boost automatically whenever their nominations get registered in the Express Entry pool.
An 805 CRS threshold implies that the lowest-ranking candidate to receive the invitation had 205 points prior to the provincial nomination being added.
The last draw by the PNP category took place on May 11 and resulted in 380 invitations issued at 798 CRS points.
While the increase in the CRS threshold from the previous round came by 7 points, the number of invites declined by 46. This indicates that fewer new provincial nominations were made compared to the previous draw.
In case provinces such as Ontario and BC issue less numbers of nominations, the number of nominees who are above 601 gets reduced.
As a result, IRCC requires a lesser number of candidates, which contributes to a higher threshold CRS number.
Ontario’s decision to change the rules within the framework of OINP starting from May 30 will influence the nomination levels as well.
2026 PNP Express Entry Draw History
The table below provides all the Provincial Nominee Program draws in 2026, including the current round, which demonstrates the trend of the CRS cut-off score and number of invitations issued this year.
| Draw Date | ITAs Issued | CRS Cutoff |
| January 5, 2026 | 574 | 711 |
| January 19, 2026 | 681 | 726 |
| February 3, 2026 | 423 | 749 |
| February 16, 2026 | 279 | 789 |
| March 2, 2026 | 264 | 710 |
| March 16, 2026 | 350 | 724 |
| March 30, 2026 | 356 | 802 |
| April 13, 2026 | 324 | 786 |
| April 27, 2026 | 473 | 795 |
| May 11, 2026 | 380 | 798 |
| May 25, 2026 | 334 | 805 |
The CRS cut-off score this year has fluctuated between 710 and 805 for the 11 PNP draws that have been conducted this year, with the cut-off scores of 795 on April 27 and 786 on April 13 being the latest cut-offs prior to May.
The number of invitations issued has seen a decline since the peak number of 681 in January; however, the variations have been influenced by the number of provincial nominations received for each round.
The highest CRS cut-off scores for the year have been recorded in two May 2026 PNP draws, namely, 798 and 805.
IRCC Pool Data Shows Unchanged Snapshot
However, the results page on the website of IRCC continues to show the same CRS scores distribution as was displayed at the time of the last May 11 PNP draw.
The pool snapshot date on the site has been noted as May 10, 2026, the same as the date mentioned for the last pool.
It seems to be an error with the data refreshment rather than any real scenario of two unchanged pools for two weeks.
As we know, the pool is continually receiving new applications from candidates, and losing candidates due to acceptance of invitations, expiration of profiles, or withdrawal.
We shall wait until the IRCC makes changes to their draw result website and displays new pool snapshot figures.
Candidates should check their draw results at the official website of IRCC.
IRCC’s CEC And Category-Based Draw Pause
Although the latest PNP draw proves that IRCC continues managing the Express Entry program, the fact that there has been no CEC, French, or occupation-based draw in May 2026 is what matters most.
The latest CEC draw was held on April 28, issuing 2,000 invitations at CRS 514. The latest French-speaking draw took place on April 29, issuing 4,000 invitations at CRS 400.
The last occupation-based draw targeting specific sectors such as healthcare, trades, education, etc., was done on April 2.
In addition, the number of invitations offered through the CEC draw had been dropping, from 8,000 invitations in January to 2,000 in April 14 and April 28, at CRS 515 and CRS 514 respectively.
So far, May 2026 has produced two PNP-only draws and no other draws.
There is precedent for such a plan, as we see that occurred back in May 2024 and 2025 where IRCC suspended CEC and categories during the same kind of planning phase before moving on with occupation based draws then returning to CEC.
Looking at the pool numbers in the latest report released, we see an increase of 1,799 candidates in the 501 to 600 CRS range during the period of April 26th to May 10th.
Every week without a CEC draw means this range will continue to increase until it surpasses the recent range of 514 to 515, which is already above the February 17th CEC cut-off of 508.
The following is our full analysis of CEC, French, and occupation based draws including their projected dates and CRS ranges in three possible resumes until early July 2026.
What Candidates Should Do Now
Applicants in the province nomination category invited in this draw will have 60 days to make a full permanent residence submission.
Documents needed include police clearances, immigration medical tests, proof of funds, job offer letters, and language test results submitted via the IRCC portal online.
CEC applicants with a score between 510 and 520 must continue keeping profiles up-to-date and ensure their documentations are up-to-date since even the short-pause scenario can yield invitations as soon as late May/early June.
Applicants with a CRS less than 510 may consider draws based on other categories such as healthcare, trades, education, or French language, whereby the cut-offs have been remarkably low compared to those in the CEC in 2026.
Learning French up to at least National Occupational Language Proficiency Level 7 allows applicants access to French category draws whose cut-off has been 393 points.
Provincial nominations continue to be the surest route for candidates who fall below the CEC cut-off since the increase in points by 600 points means that the candidates do not face CRS competition at all.
It is important to ensure that your occupation code matches the National Occupation Classification code before participating in a category draw, as only certain NOC codes qualify if the candidate has at least 12 months of work experience.
The process of applying for provincial nominations for Ontario requires close monitoring for changes within the OINP stream, especially after the May 30 cancellation of current streams.
Draws can occur at any moment with no prior notice due to the design of the Express Entry Program.