A Provincial Nominee Program-only draw, holding 681 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) and a cutoff Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 746, took place on January 20, 2026, to conduct the Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
The Express Entry system in Canada has now given another unequivocal indication regarding the way in which permanent residence selection is being guided in early 2026: the provincial nominations continue to be a large expediency pathway.
The 746 figure of the headline is frightening at a glance. However, in a PNP-only draw, it is more of a nomination score, but not a human capital score.
The lowest is a result of the additional 600 CRS points received because of provincial nomination.
Full Details Of The January 20 Express Entry Draw
Program: Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
Date and time: January 20, 2026
Invitations issued: 681
CRS cutoff (lowest-ranked invited): 746
Tie-breaking timestamp: November 19, 2025 at 04:09:11 UTC
A provincial nomination will contribute 600 CRS points to Express Entry profile.
When the cutoff is 746 meaning would be:
Minimum core CRS (non-nomination portion) is 146 or above (746 minus 600).
That is precisely the reason why PNP-specific draws have frequently high cutoff scores: the nomination points move profiles into the upper category.
The size of a large Express Entry French-Language proficiency draw will take place tomorrow, January 21, 2026.
CRS score distribution in the pool as of January 20, 2026
The distribution below of CRS demonstrates the possible pool at the end of this round.
Total candidates in the pool: 236,443
CRS score range
Number of candidates
601-1200
0
501-600
16,341
451-500
72,714
491-500
13,278
481-490
12,942
471-480
15,965
461-470
15,320
451-460
15,209
401-450
66,836
441-450
14,452
431-440
14,571
421-430
13,092
411-420
12,863
401-410
11,858
351-400
53,221
301-350
19,062
0-300
8,269
Total
236,443
This January 20 Express Entry is one of the reminders that Canada PR system is not all about constituting a high CRS by age, education, and language.
By 2026, the most common route that most applicants will take is more structural: match your profile to the needs of a province, nominate, then leave the +600 points to work in your favor.
In case you are serious about competing this year, then you are better off viewing the PNP strategy as a project, rather than a backup plan.
Choose attainable provinces, get nominatable, remain on call in case of unforeseen intake and keep your profile in Express Entry up to date so you do not miss a tie-break or an NOI when time runs out.
The latest Express Entry draw on January 20 issued 681 ITAs.
A Provincial Nominee Program-only draw, holding 681 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) and a cutoff Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 746, took place on January 20, 2026, to conduct the Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
The Express Entry system in Canada has now given another unequivocal indication regarding the way in which permanent residence selection is being guided in early 2026: the provincial nominations continue to be a large expediency pathway.
The 746 figure of the headline is frightening at a glance. However, in a PNP-only draw, it is more of a nomination score, but not a human capital score.
The lowest is a result of the additional 600 CRS points received because of provincial nomination.
Full Details Of The January 20 Express Entry Draw
A provincial nomination will contribute 600 CRS points to Express Entry profile.
When the cutoff is 746 meaning would be:
Minimum core CRS (non-nomination portion) is 146 or above (746 minus 600).
That is precisely the reason why PNP-specific draws have frequently high cutoff scores: the nomination points move profiles into the upper category.
The size of a large Express Entry French-Language proficiency draw will take place tomorrow, January 21, 2026.
CRS score distribution in the pool as of January 20, 2026
The distribution below of CRS demonstrates the possible pool at the end of this round.
Total candidates in the pool: 236,443
This January 20 Express Entry is one of the reminders that Canada PR system is not all about constituting a high CRS by age, education, and language.
By 2026, the most common route that most applicants will take is more structural: match your profile to the needs of a province, nominate, then leave the +600 points to work in your favor.
In case you are serious about competing this year, then you are better off viewing the PNP strategy as a project, rather than a backup plan.
Choose attainable provinces, get nominatable, remain on call in case of unforeseen intake and keep your profile in Express Entry up to date so you do not miss a tie-break or an NOI when time runs out.
Recent Posts
Recent Comments
Archives
Categories
Categories