Express Entry
Express Entry Draw #445: 733 PNP Invitations Issued
Canada issued 733 invitations to apply for permanent residence in Express Entry Draw #445, held on September 28, 2026. The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 725.
The September 28 round was the latest PNP-specific selection under Canada’s Express Entry system and followed a September 16 draw for senior managers with Canadian work experience. The 733 invitations also represented an increase from the 576 invitations issued in the previous PNP round on September 14.
Express Entry Draw #445 Results
| Draw detail | Result |
| Express Entry draw number | 445 |
| Program | Provincial Nominee Program |
| Date | September 28, 2026 |
| Time | 10:41:06 UTC |
| Invitations issued | 733 |
| Minimum CRS score | 725 |
| Tie-breaking date | September 17, 2026 |
| Tie-breaking time | 01:36:17 UTC |
The September 28 result is a program-specific Express Entry round. IRCC uses program-specific rounds to select candidates who are eligible for the program targeted in that particular invitation round.
Candidates who met the minimum CRS requirement and the other eligibility conditions for the PNP round were ranked according to their CRS scores.
How the 725 CRS Cutoff Worked
Candidates with a CRS score above 725 met the score threshold for the round.
Those with exactly 725 points were subject to the tie-breaking rule. Under Express Entry Draw #445, candidates with a CRS score of 725 needed to have submitted their Express Entry profiles before September 17, 2026, at 01:36:17 UTC to be selected under the tie-breaking rule.
The tie-breaking rule does not give additional CRS points. It is used when multiple candidates have the same lowest CRS score and there are fewer invitations available than candidates at that score.
PNP Express Entry Draws in 2026
The September 28 draw was the latest in a series of PNP-specific Express Entry selections conducted in 2026.
| Date | Invitations | CRS cutoff |
| September 28, 2026 | 733 | 725 |
| September 14, 2026 | 576 | 734 |
| August 31, 2026 | 562 | 697 |
| August 17, 2026 | 442 | 760 |
| August 4, 2026 | 507 | 768 |
| July 20, 2026 | 511 | 744 |
| July 6, 2026 | 534 | 708 |
| June 22, 2026 | 955 | 730 |
| May 25, 2026 | 334 | 805 |
| May 11, 2026 | 380 | 798 |
| April 27, 2026 | 473 | 795 |
| April 13, 2026 | 324 | 786 |
| March 30, 2026 | 356 | 802 |
| March 16, 2026 | 362 | 742 |
| March 2, 2026 | 264 | 710 |
| February 16, 2026 | 279 | 789 |
| February 3, 2026 | 423 | 749 |
| January 20, 2026 | 681 | 746 |
| January 5, 2026 | 574 | 711 |
Based on the supplied 2026 draw record, these 19 PNP rounds have issued 9,270 invitations.
The invitation numbers and CRS thresholds have varied significantly between rounds. This means applicants should not treat the result of one PNP draw as a fixed benchmark for future selections.
Why PNP Express Entry CRS Scores Are So High
The Express Entry Draw #445 cutoff of 725 is considerably higher than the CRS scores seen in many other Express Entry categories.
The main reason is the value of a provincial nomination.
An Express Entry candidate who receives and accepts an eligible provincial nomination receives 600 additional CRS points.
For example, a candidate with a base CRS score of approximately 125 could reach around 725 after receiving the additional 600 nomination points.
This is why PNP draw scores should not be directly compared with Canadian Experience Class or category-based Express Entry cutoffs.
The programs are selecting different groups of candidates, and a provincial nomination significantly changes a candidate’s CRS ranking.
Who Can Receive an Invitation in a PNP Draw?
Creating an Express Entry profile alone does not make a candidate eligible for a PNP-specific draw.
Candidates need to receive a nomination from a participating province or territory through an Express Entry-aligned PNP stream.
After receiving the nomination, the candidate can accept it through their Express Entry profile. The nomination then contributes the additional CRS points.
Candidates should also remember that each province and territory establishes its own eligibility requirements and selection criteria for its PNP streams.
This means there is no single national PNP application process that guarantees a provincial nomination.
What Express Entry Draw #445 Means for Candidates
The latest Express Entry Draw #445 is particularly relevant to candidates who already hold a provincial nomination through an Express Entry-aligned stream.
For these candidates, the key priority after receiving an invitation is to ensure that the permanent residence application accurately reflects the information in their Express Entry profile and provincial nomination.
Candidates who have not received a nomination should not interpret the 725 cutoff as the CRS score required for all Express Entry draws.
IRCC conducts different types of rounds, including program-specific and category-based selections. The CRS requirements can therefore differ substantially between rounds.
Candidates Without a Provincial Nomination Have Other Options
Candidates who do not have a provincial nomination may still qualify for other Express Entry rounds depending on their profile.
Possible pathways can include:
- Canadian Experience Class
- Federal Skilled Worker Program
- Federal Skilled Trades Program
- Category-based Express Entry selection
- French-language proficiency selection
- Provincial nomination through an Express Entry-aligned stream
Eligibility requirements differ between these pathways.
A candidate should therefore assess their profile against the specific criteria of each pathway instead of using the PNP cutoff as a general CRS target.
Express Entry Pool Remains Dynamic
The Express Entry pool changes continuously as new candidates enter, existing profiles expire and candidates update their information.
According to the supplied September 2026 data, the pool contained 229,904 candidates as of September 27, 2026, compared with 226,793 on September 13.
The number of candidates at specific CRS levels can also change between draws.
This is one reason why previous draw results cannot guarantee the CRS cutoff for a future invitation round.
What Candidates Should Do Now
Candidates who already have a provincial nomination should:
- Check that their Express Entry profile information is accurate.
- Confirm that their nomination information is correctly reflected.
- Review their invitation carefully if they receive an ITA.
- Begin preparing supporting documents promptly.
- Ensure that information in their permanent residence application is consistent with their Express Entry profile.
Candidates without a nomination can review provincial programs and other Express Entry categories for which they may qualify.
Express Entry Draw #445 issued 733 PNP invitations on September 28, 2026, with a minimum CRS score of 725.
The result was larger than the previous PNP draw, which issued 576 invitations at a CRS cutoff of 734. The high CRS requirement reflects the additional 600 points available through a provincial nomination.
For candidates, the most important point is that a PNP CRS score should be assessed in the context of the PNP-specific draw. It should not be treated as a general CRS threshold for all Express Entry candidates.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How many invitations were issued in Express Entry Draw #445?
IRCC issued 733 invitations under the Provincial Nominee Program.
2. What was the CRS cutoff for Express Entry Draw #445?
The minimum CRS score was 725.
3. What was the tie-breaking date for Draw #445?
The tie-breaking rule was September 17, 2026, at 01:36:17 UTC.
4. Why are PNP Express Entry CRS scores usually high?
Candidates with an eligible provincial nomination receive 600 additional CRS points, which significantly increases their ranking.
5. Can candidates without a provincial nomination receive an Express Entry invitation?
Yes. Candidates may qualify for other program-specific or category-based Express Entry rounds if they meet the applicable eligibility requirements.
