{"id":152750,"date":"2026-01-21T14:39:15","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T19:39:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/immigration.ca\/?p=152750"},"modified":"2026-01-21T14:39:22","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T19:39:22","slug":"canada-kicks-off-2026-with-first-express-entry-draw-targeting-provincial-nominees-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/immigration.ca\/canada-kicks-off-2026-with-first-express-entry-draw-targeting-provincial-nominees-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Canada Kicks Off 2026 With First Express Entry Draw Targeting Provincial Nominees"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Canada has conducted its first Express Entry draw of 2026, issuing 681 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to candidates in the Provincial Nominee Program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score required was 746<\/strong> points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This draw, numbered 391<\/strong>, marks the start of a new immigration year and emphasizes Canada\u2019s reliance on the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) to address specific regional labour market needs and targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

State of the Pool<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The latest draw saw the tie-breaking rule implemented on November 19, 2025 at 04:09:11 UTC. If more than one candidate had the minimum CRS score, only those who submitted their Express Entry profiles before this date and time received invitations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Candidates have a 60-day window to submit their applications, which will usually be processed within the six-month standard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Summary of Recent Draws<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws consistently yield high CRS scores because candidates automatically receive 600 additional points upon obtaining a provincial nomination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key details from recent draw trends:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • January 20, 2026 (Draw 391): Provincial Nominee Program, 681<\/strong> ITAs, CRS 746<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • The high CRS score reflects the specific, targeted nature of PNP draws, prioritizing candidates who already have provincial endorsement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Industry observers expect the Canadian government to resume general draws and Category-Based Selection draws shortly, following this specialized start to the year.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    What Can Employers Do To Recruit Foreign Workers?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Employers are encouraged to consider securing an LMIA or nomination under provincial nomination programs (PNPs) to ensure long-term retention of employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    At immigration.ca we provide Canadian employers with unparalleled immigration legal services and can help with the recruitment of foreign nationals. We bring qualified candidates to Canada in the shortest time possible. Employers in a wide range of industries can directly benefit from our unique position as one of Canada\u2019s leading immigration firms in the industry to meet both their recruitment and immigration requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Interested employers wishing to seek our assistance are invited to contact us here for further information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What Should Candidates Do Next?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Securing an approved offer of employment is highly recommended as one of the best pathways to guaranteeing an ITA in the next round of invitations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Find out whether you qualify for Canada by completing our free online evaluation. We will provide you with your evaluation results within 1-2 business days.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Canada has conducted its first Express Entry draw of 2026, issuing 681 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to candidates in the Provincial Nominee Program.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":481,"featured_media":148697,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,99,3343],"tags":[245,68666,1555],"class_list":["post-152750","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-c26-canada-immigration","category-c80-canada-immigration-news-articles","category-express-entry","tag-express-entry","tag-invitations-to-apply","tag-provincial-nominee-program","category-20","category-99","category-3343","description-off"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/immigration.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152750","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/immigration.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/immigration.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/immigration.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/481"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/immigration.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=152750"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/immigration.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152750\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/immigration.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/148697"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/immigration.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=152750"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/immigration.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=152750"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/immigration.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=152750"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}