Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held Express Entry Draw #393 on 3 February, issuing 423 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) exclusively to candidates who already hold a provincial nomination. Because a nomination automatically adds 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points, the cut-off score landed at 749.
Although the absolute score looks daunting, mobility specialists should remember that nominees’ base CRS scores may be in the high-100s or low-200s; the provincial bonus does the heavy lifting. IRCC continues to alternate between Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) rounds in early 2026, reflecting Ottawa’s goal of smoothing newcomer growth while ensuring that regional labour gaps drive selection.
The pool statistics help explain the strategy. As of 2 February the Express Entry pool contained about 239,000 active profiles, with just 423 candidates sitting in the 601–1,200 band—almost exactly the number invited in the draw. By clearing that top layer, IRCC prevents backlog build-up and encourages fresh provincial nominations to flow each month.
![IRCC’s first Express Entry draw of February targets provincial nominees]()
In this environment, employers and applicants looking for hands-on help with Express Entry or provincial nominations can tap VisaHQ’s Canadian immigration services. The platform simplifies document gathering, tracks application milestones in real time, and offers expert guidance to keep filings aligned with evolving IRCC rules—streamlining the journey to permanent residence. Learn more at https://www.visahq.com/canada/
For employers, the message is twofold: (1) securing any provincial nomination remains the most reliable fast-track to permanent residence for foreign staff whose CRS scores fall short of recent CEC thresholds, and (2) timing matters. Profiles created after the 16 December 2025 tie-break time missed the cut despite identical scores, so early filing can be decisive.
Looking ahead, consultants expect IRCC to continue alternating program-specific rounds until Ottawa publishes its spring policy update; mobility programmes should therefore maintain close relationships with provincial authorities to capture nomination opportunities as they open.
Although the absolute score looks daunting, mobility specialists should remember that nominees’ base CRS scores may be in the high-100s or low-200s; the provincial bonus does the heavy lifting. IRCC continues to alternate between Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) rounds in early 2026, reflecting Ottawa’s goal of smoothing newcomer growth while ensuring that regional labour gaps drive selection.
The pool statistics help explain the strategy. As of 2 February the Express Entry pool contained about 239,000 active profiles, with just 423 candidates sitting in the 601–1,200 band—almost exactly the number invited in the draw. By clearing that top layer, IRCC prevents backlog build-up and encourages fresh provincial nominations to flow each month.
In this environment, employers and applicants looking for hands-on help with Express Entry or provincial nominations can tap VisaHQ’s Canadian immigration services. The platform simplifies document gathering, tracks application milestones in real time, and offers expert guidance to keep filings aligned with evolving IRCC rules—streamlining the journey to permanent residence. Learn more at https://www.visahq.com/canada/
For employers, the message is twofold: (1) securing any provincial nomination remains the most reliable fast-track to permanent residence for foreign staff whose CRS scores fall short of recent CEC thresholds, and (2) timing matters. Profiles created after the 16 December 2025 tie-break time missed the cut despite identical scores, so early filing can be decisive.
Looking ahead, consultants expect IRCC to continue alternating program-specific rounds until Ottawa publishes its spring policy update; mobility programmes should therefore maintain close relationships with provincial authorities to capture nomination opportunities as they open.
