Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has wasted no time opening the 2026 immigration season. Late on 5 January 2026 the department issued 574 invitations-to-apply (ITAs) under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Candidates needed a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off score of 711 and a profile created before 6 October 2025.
The modest draw size signals two things. First, Ottawa is keeping a tight rein on overall permanent-resident admissions after last autumn’s Immigration Levels Plan capped growth, but it is still honouring provincial allocations so that regional labour shortages can be met quickly. Second, the historically high CRS cut-off reflects a pool that is still saturated with high-scoring profiles—despite large draws in late 2025—because provinces nominate in-demand workers who already hold Canadian experience or job offers.
For employers this means that provincial nominee streams remain the fastest way to secure talent already in Canada. Intra-company transfer and work-permit extensions should therefore be aligned with relevant PNP pathways wherever possible. Foreign candidates outside Canada should expect at least several weeks of high CRS thresholds before category-based draws begin, so they should keep language test results and police certificates up-to-date to react quickly when lower CRS opportunities arise.
![IRCC kicks off 2026 with first Express Entry draw, invites 574 PNP candidates]()
Whether you are an HR manager guiding multiple hires or an individual preparing your own submission, VisaHQ can simplify the paperwork. Their Canada-specific platform (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers step-by-step document checklists, application reviews and live status tracking, helping applicants gather police certificates, translations and biometrics appointments swiftly—so you are ready the moment a lower CRS draw opens.
Mobility and HR teams should also note processing times: PNP-linked Express Entry applications are currently finalised in about eight months, versus six months for Federal Skilled Worker cases. Building this lag into onboarding timelines—especially for hard-to-fill technical roles—will avoid costly project delays.
Finally, employers that rely on Global Skills Strategy work permits should monitor subsequent draws closely; if IRCC pivots to occupation-based selection later this quarter, workers in STEM, health care and trades could see dramatically lower cut-offs, opening a window to transition to permanent residence before the year-end rush.
The modest draw size signals two things. First, Ottawa is keeping a tight rein on overall permanent-resident admissions after last autumn’s Immigration Levels Plan capped growth, but it is still honouring provincial allocations so that regional labour shortages can be met quickly. Second, the historically high CRS cut-off reflects a pool that is still saturated with high-scoring profiles—despite large draws in late 2025—because provinces nominate in-demand workers who already hold Canadian experience or job offers.
For employers this means that provincial nominee streams remain the fastest way to secure talent already in Canada. Intra-company transfer and work-permit extensions should therefore be aligned with relevant PNP pathways wherever possible. Foreign candidates outside Canada should expect at least several weeks of high CRS thresholds before category-based draws begin, so they should keep language test results and police certificates up-to-date to react quickly when lower CRS opportunities arise.
Whether you are an HR manager guiding multiple hires or an individual preparing your own submission, VisaHQ can simplify the paperwork. Their Canada-specific platform (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers step-by-step document checklists, application reviews and live status tracking, helping applicants gather police certificates, translations and biometrics appointments swiftly—so you are ready the moment a lower CRS draw opens.
Mobility and HR teams should also note processing times: PNP-linked Express Entry applications are currently finalised in about eight months, versus six months for Federal Skilled Worker cases. Building this lag into onboarding timelines—especially for hard-to-fill technical roles—will avoid costly project delays.
Finally, employers that rely on Global Skills Strategy work permits should monitor subsequent draws closely; if IRCC pivots to occupation-based selection later this quarter, workers in STEM, health care and trades could see dramatically lower cut-offs, opening a window to transition to permanent residence before the year-end rush.
