IRCC issues 334 ITAs in Express Entry round 416 PNP draw at CRS 805
Provincial Nominee Program draw conducted May 25, 2026; 28th Express Entry round of the year and the second consecutive PNP-only round after a two-week IRCC pause.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada conducted Express Entry round 416 on May 25, 2026, issuing 334 Invitations to Apply to Provincial Nominee Program candidates with a Comprehensive Ranking System cut-off of 805 — the highest PNP cut-off recorded in 2026. The draw is the 28th Express Entry round of the year, the second consecutive PNP-only round, and the first draw since IRCC paused the system after round 415 on May 11. The 2026 year-to-date invitation total now stands at 72,341 across all categories.
What's changed
Round 416 invited 334 candidates with a CRS score of 805 or higher who held a valid provincial nomination. PNP candidates receive a 600-point provincial-nomination bonus on top of their core human-capital and skills-transferability score, which is why the headline cut-off remains in the 800s while the underlying base CRS is far lower — approximately 205 for the lowest-ranked invited candidate in this round.
The May 25 round breaks a two-week IRCC pause that started after the May 11 round 415, when the department issued 380 PNP invitations at CRS 798. Round 416 is the smallest PNP draw since February 16, 2026, when IRCC invited 279 candidates. The departure from the biweekly Canadian Experience Class (CEC) rhythm that anchored draws between January and early May 2026 has now stretched into a fourth consecutive non-CEC round.
Invited candidates needed Express Entry profiles created before 6:16 p.m. UTC on October 16, 2025, the tie-break datetime used to rank applicants who tied at the CRS cut-off score.
Who's affected
Round 416 invitations land with provincial nominees whose Express Entry profiles carry both a provincial nomination certificate and a CRS score of at least 805. PNP nominees come from across the federal economic-immigration nationality mix — most prominently Indian, Filipino, Nigerian, and Chinese applicants — selected by Canada's provinces and territories through their own streams before re-entering the federal Express Entry pool. Invited candidates have 60 days from May 25 to submit a complete permanent-residence application.
A Canadian Experience Class draw, typically held on the Tuesday following a PNP round under IRCC's biweekly pattern, did not occur on May 26, 2026. IRCC does not announce draw schedules in advance and can change category, volume, and timing at any time.
When it takes effect
The 334 invitations are live as of the May 25 draw date. Each invited candidate must submit a complete electronic permanent-residence application by July 24, 2026 — the 60-day deadline measured from the invitation date — supported by an Educational Credential Assessment, language test results, proof of funds, and police certificates. The next Express Entry round is expected within the next one-to-two weeks, with the Canadian Experience Class category the most likely next candidate-pool given the now-extended absence from the biweekly slot.