Canada Invites 733 Provincial Nominees to Apply for Permanent Residence in 2026

• Canada's Immigration authority issued 733 invitations to Provincial Nominee Programme candidates in its latest Express Entry draw on September 28, 2026
• The minimum CRS score required for the draw was set at 725, one of the higher thresholds recorded for a PNP-specific round
• Candidates who submitted their Express Entry profiles on or before September 17, 2026 at 01:36:17 UTC served as the tie-breaking cut-off

Canada's immigration authority issued 733 invitations to Provincial Nominee Programme candidates through its Express Entry system on 28 September 2026, in the latest round of invitations targeting provincially nominated applicants seeking permanent residence.

The draw, conducted at 10:41:06 UTC, set the minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score at 725. Only candidates who ranked 733rd or higher in the pool were eligible to receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence.

How tie-breaking rule applied

Where multiple candidates shared the lowest CRS score of 725, Canada's immigration authority applied a tie-breaking rule based on the date and time applicants submitted their Express Entry profiles. The cut-off was set at 17 September 2026 at 01:36:17 UTC, meaning candidates who created their profiles before that precise moment and held a score of 725 qualified for an invitation.

How Canada's Express Entry rounds work

Canada's Express Entry system draws from a pool of candidates across three main immigration programmes. Invitations are issued in rounds, with the government selecting the round type, determining how many candidates to invite, and then identifying the highest-ranking eligible applicants from the pool.

Programme-specific rounds, such as this one targeting the Provincial Nominee Programme, are limited to candidates who hold a provincial or territorial nomination. Receiving a provincial nomination typically adds 600 points to a candidate's CRS score, which explains why PNP-specific draws tend to have higher minimum score thresholds than general rounds.

Beyond programme-specific draws, the system also runs general rounds open to candidates eligible under any of the three managed programmes, as well as category-based rounds designed to meet particular economic goals established by the Minister of Immigration.

The September 28 draw follows a series of rounds held throughout 2026 as Canada continues to manage its immigration targets through the points-based selection process.

In a similar report, Legit.ng published that Canada released a list of 11 major permanent residence pathways available to foreigners.

Canada mentions regional immigration programmes to foreigners

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Canada announced five regional immigration programmes for foreign nationals seeking to live and work in the country. The options include provincial nominations, Atlantic routes, Quebec pathways and pilots for rural and French-speaking communities.

Some routes come with conditions applicants may not expect: the Atlantic programme requires a job offer from a designated employer, while Quebec selects skilled workers under its own criteria. Knowing which pathway fits could shape an applicant’s plans before they make the move.