Canada Sent Over 28,000 PR Invitations In 1 Month; Here’s Who Got Them

Last Updated On 4 May 2026, 9:17 AM EDT (Toronto Time)

Canada’s federal and provincial immigration systems combined to issue more than 28,000 permanent residence invitations in April 2026 alone.

A skilled trades worker in Alberta, a French-speaking software developer in the Express Entry pool, a registered nurse with a job offer in Ontario, and a PhD graduate from a Quebec university all had one thing in common last month.

They were among the tens of thousands of candidates who received formal invitations to take a major step toward Canadian permanent residence.

The corrected April 2026 working total is 28,125 invitations, spanning seven Express Entry draws, dozens of provincial draws, Quebec permanent selection rounds, and Atlantic immigration selections.

This article breaks down exactly who received those invitations, which programs issued them, and what the numbers reveal about Canada’s immigration priorities right now.

April 2026 PR Invitations At A Glance

The following table shows the complete program-by-program broad breakdown of every PR invitation issued in April 2026.

Program	Invitations	Key Detail
Federal Express Entry	15,797	7 draws targeting French, CEC, PNP, and trades
Ontario (OINP)	7,628	5 streams across 10+ targeted draws
Quebec (Arrima)	2,555	4 streams under the PSTQ
Alberta (AAIP)	866+	9 draws plus 1 draw of fewer than 10
British Columbia (BC PNP)	484	1 high-economic-impact draw
Manitoba (MPNP)	340	2 EOI draws issuing LAAs
Atlantic Canada	455	3 provinces: NL, NB, PEI
Total	28,125	Federal + 6 provincial/territorial systems

This total combines federal Express Entry invitations, provincial nominee invitations, Manitoba Letters of Advice to Apply, Quebec permanent selection invitations, and Atlantic immigration invitations.

Each invitation type represents a significant step toward permanent residence, but none of them guarantee final approval on their own.

Most of these invitations should also not be interpreted as people being newly invited from outside Canada.

A large share of April’s invitations went to candidates already living, studying, or working in Canada on temporary status, including

Canadian Experience Class candidates,
international graduates,
foreign workers with Canadian job offers,
provincial nominees,
healthcare workers, trades workers, and
temporary residents already employed in these provinces

In many cases, these invitations represent a transition from temporary status to permanent residence rather than a brand-new arrival from overseas.

Express Entry Sent 15,797 Invitations Across 7 Draws

IRCC ran one of its busiest Express Entry months of the year in April, issuing 15,797 invitations to apply for permanent residence across seven targeted draws.

French-language candidates dominated the volume, Canadian Experience Class draws stayed competitive, trades workers got a large round, and provincial nominees continued receiving targeted invitations.

Date	Category	Invitations	CRS Cutoff
April 29	French-Language Proficiency	4,000	400
April 28	Canadian Experience Class	2,000	514
April 27	Provincial Nominee Program	473	795
April 15	French-Language Proficiency	4,000	419
April 14	Canadian Experience Class	2,000	515
April 13	Provincial Nominee Program	324	786
April 2	Trades Occupations	3,000	477

Three categories drove the bulk of April’s Express Entry activity.

French-language proficiency draws accounted for 8,000 invitations

IRCC held two French-language rounds on April 15 and April 29, each issuing 4,000 invitations.

The CRS cutoffs of 419 and 400 remain among the lowest thresholds in the entire Express Entry system, reflecting the federal government’s push to reach its 9% francophone immigration target outside Quebec.

The Canadian Experience Class draw sent 4,000 invitations total.

CEC cutoffs have been holding between 507 and 515 throughout 2026, signalling steady competition for candidates with Canadian work experience.

The April 28 draw at CRS 514 offered a slight reprieve from the April 14 cutoff of 515.

The Trades Occupations draw on April 2 issued 3,000 invitations at CRS 477.

This continues IRCC’s pattern of large trades draws introduced earlier in 2026 under the expanded category-based selection system.

PNP draws on April 13 and April 27 issued a combined 797 invitations at CRS cutoffs of 786 and 795.

Those high CRS numbers reflect the automatic 600-point provincial nomination bonus, meaning the lowest-ranked candidates in these rounds had base scores of approximately 186 to 195.

IRCC has now issued over 65,000 Express Entry invitations since January 2026, putting the system on pace to exceed the 2025 total of 114,000.

The agency has also launched public consultations on a proposed Express Entry overhaul that could fundamentally restructure how Canada selects skilled immigrants.

Ontario Issues 7,628 Invitations, Making It The Biggest Provincial Issuer

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program was the single most active provincial program in April 2026, issuing 7,628 invitations across five streams and more than ten targeted draws.

Here is how those invitations broke down by stream.

OINP Stream	Invitations Issued
Employer Job Offer: International Student	2,498
Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker	2,406
Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills	1,806
Masters Graduate	674
PhD Graduate	244
Total	7,628

Ontario’s April draw targeted an unusually wide range of occupations and regions.

Here is a snapshot of the major draw themes throughout the month.

April 1: Mining sector – 759 invitations across Foreign Worker, International Student, and In-Demand Skills streams for critical mineral occupations in Northern Ontario.
April 8: Healthcare, ECE, francophones, physicians, REDI – 1,828 invitations across all three Employer Job Offer streams, with the healthcare and early childhood education component alone issuing 1,635 invitations at minimum scores as low as 20 points.
April 15: In-Demand Skills – 1,334 invitations targeting agriculture-related and other priority occupations across the province.
April 22: Masters and PhD Graduates – 918 invitations marking the second activation of these education-based streams in 2026, after a full year of silence throughout 2025.
April 23: Four regional draws – 2,102 invitations split across Eastern Ontario, Northern Ontario, Southwestern Ontario, and Central Ontario.
April 30: GTA draws – 997 invitations under Foreign Worker and International Student streams for candidates with job offers in the Greater Toronto Area.

Ontario’s 2026 provincial nomination allocation stands at 14,119 spots, a 31% increase from 2025.

With over 7,600 invitations issued in April alone, the province is burning through its allocation at a pace that could exhaust available spots well before year-end.

Quebec Sent 2,555 Permanent Selection Invitations Through Arrima

Quebec issued 2,555 invitations on April 30 through the Arrima system under its Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés.

All four streams required French-language proficiency, consistent with Quebec’s immigration strategy of prioritizing francophone newcomers.

Quebec Stream	Invitations	Key Targets
Stream 1: Highly Qualified Skills	983	TEER 0–2, Quebec diploma holders, French level 7+
Stream 2: Intermediate/Manual Skills	506	TEER 3–5, 24+ months experience, French level 5+
Stream 3: Regulated Professions	1,058	Engineers, nurses, physicians, teachers, trades
Stream 4: Exceptional Talent	8	Recognized achievements or partner endorsements
Total	2,555

Stream 3 for regulated professions was the largest component, sending 1,058 invitations to candidates in healthcare, engineering, education, social work, and construction trades.

The extraction date for all four streams was April 27, 2026, at 6 a.m., meaning eligible profiles had to be in the Arrima bank before that timestamp.

Quebec’s selections are separate from the federal Express Entry system and lead to a Certificat de sélection du Québec, which candidates then use to apply to IRCC for permanent residence.

9 Alberta PNP Draws Covering Healthcare, Tech, Trades, Tourism, And More

The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program conducted nine draws in April 2026, issuing 866 invitations across fixed draws plus one draw reported as fewer than 10.

Date	Stream/Pathway	Invitations	Min Score
Apr 27	Tourism and Hospitality	98	71
Apr 23	AE Law Enforcement Pathway	< 10	58
Apr 16	Dedicated Health Care (non-EE)	37	46
Apr 15	AE Priority Sectors: Health Care	50	55
Apr 14	AE Priority Sectors: Construction/Trades	50	60
Apr 13	Dedicated Health Care (EE)	62	59
Apr 10	Alberta Opportunity Stream	447	65
Apr 9	Rural Renewal Stream	74	50
Apr 8	AE Accelerated Tech Pathway	146	59

The Alberta Opportunity Stream was the largest single draw at 447 invitations, serving as the province’s general-purpose pathway for temporary residents already working in Alberta.

The Accelerated Tech Pathway at 146 invitations shows Alberta’s continued push to attract technology workers.

Healthcare appeared in four separate draws across dedicated pathways and Express Entry priority sectors, confirming that medical professionals remain Alberta’s top recruitment priority.

The Rural Renewal Stream’s 74 invitations targeted candidates in smaller communities outside Edmonton and Calgary.

British Columbia Also Sent 484 High-Impact Invitations

The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program issued 484 Skills Immigration invitations on April 22, 2026, targeting candidates who will create high economic impact in the province.

Those 484 invitations were split across two selection criteria.

252 candidates had a minimum wage of $62 per hour and $125,000 per year with a job offer in NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3.
232 candidates met a minimum score of 138 points in the BC PNP Skills Immigration Registration System.

These two groups make up the single total of 484 invitations and should not be added together.

BC’s selective approach of targeting high-wage earners and high-scoring candidates reflects the province’s focus on attracting maximum economic value per nominee.

Manitoba Issues 340 Letters Of Advice To Apply

The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program issued 340 LAAs across two Expression of Interest draws in April 2026.

EOI Draw 269 on April 23 issued 308 LAAs, broken down as follows.

192 LAAs targeted skilled workers currently employed in Manitoba in health occupations.
116 LAAs went to Skilled Worker Stream candidates from strategic recruitment initiatives: 61 Employer Services, 14 Ethnocultural Communities, 15 Francophone Community, 14 Regional Communities, and 12 Temporary Public Policy.
105 of the 308 recipients declared a valid Express Entry profile.

EOI Draw 268 on April 9 issued 32 LAAs under the Skilled Worker Stream, covering the same strategic recruitment initiatives.

Manitoba’s Letters of Advice to Apply function identically to provincial nominee invitations in other provinces, using terminology specific to the MPNP system.

Atlantic Canada Accounted For 455 Invitations

Province	Date	Invitations	Program
Newfoundland and Labrador	April 13, 2026	210	NLPNP and AIP
New Brunswick	April 1, 2026	118	Atlantic Immigration Program
Prince Edward Island	April 16, 2026	127	Labour and Express Entry
Total		455

New Brunswick’s April 1 draw targeted transportation manufacturing occupations through the Atlantic Immigration Program.

Prince Edward Island prioritized candidates in occupations and priority sectors based on economic impact, with additional priority given to international graduates from UPEI, Holland College, and Collège de l’Île.

What Counts As A PR Invitation In This Total

The 28,125 figure is not a single program’s output.

It combines multiple invitation types issued by different levels of government under different immigration frameworks.

Express Entry ITAs: Direct invitations from IRCC to apply for permanent residence under federal economic programs.
Provincial nominee invitations: Invitations from Ontario, BC, Alberta, and Atlantic provinces to apply for a provincial nomination, which then feeds into a federal PR application.
Manitoba LAAs: Letters of Advice to Apply that invite candidates to submit full MPNP applications.
Quebec permanent selection invitations: Arrima invitations leading to a Certificat de sélection du Québec, which candidates use to apply to the IRCC for permanent residence.

None of these invitations guarantee permanent residence.

Every invited candidate must still submit a complete application, pass medical and security checks, and receive final approval from IRCC or the relevant provincial authority.

The term “PR invitations” is used as a reader-friendly label because each type represents a significant and often decisive step toward Canadian permanent residence.

Another important point is that these invitations do not necessarily represent new immigrants entering Canada from abroad.

Many invited candidates are already inside Canada as temporary workers, international graduates, work permit holders, study permit holders, or Express Entry candidates with Canadian work experience.

This is especially true for Canadian Experience Class draws, Ontario Employer Job Offer streams, Alberta Opportunity Stream selections, Manitoba skilled worker invitations, and several regional or employer-driven provincial pathways.

What This Means For Immigration Candidates In 2026

April 2026 confirms that Canada is running a highly targeted immigration selection system.

The winners of this system share a common trait: alignment with specific federal or provincial priorities.

Here is what the April data says about who is getting invited right now.

French speakers are getting the lowest Express Entry CRS cutoffs in the system, as low as 400.
Candidates with Canadian work experience remain a federal priority through CEC draws, though CRS cutoffs have climbed to the 514–515 range.
Trades workers received another 3,000-invitation draw in April, maintaining IRCC’s focus on skilled trades throughout 2026.
Healthcare and early childhood education workers dominated Ontario’s draw themes, with some score thresholds as low as 20 points.
Regional candidates in Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, and Atlantic Canada benefited from location-specific draws aimed at distributing immigrants beyond major urban centres.
Tech workers in Alberta received 146 invitations through the Accelerated Tech Pathway.
Regulated professionals in Quebec received the largest single-stream allocation at 1,058 invitations.

The 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan sets the PNP admissions target at 91,500 for 2026, a 66% increase over the 55,000 target in 2025.

Express Entry and provincial nominee programs together will drive the majority of Canada’s economic immigration admissions for the rest of the year.

IRCC processing times remain an important factor for candidates planning their applications and timelines.

Candidates currently in the Express Entry pool or provincial nominee expression of interest systems should keep their profiles updated and watch for new draw announcements.

More than 28,000 invitations across federal and provincial systems confirm that Canada’s immigration machinery was running at full speed in April 2026.

Express Entry alone accounted for nearly 16,000 of those invitations, led by French-language and Canadian Experience Class draws.

Ontario was the dominant provincial player at over 7,600 invitations, followed by Quebec at 2,555, Alberta at 866 plus, British Columbia at 484, Atlantic Canada at 455, and Manitoba at 340.

The pattern is clear: Canada is selecting immigrants based on specific skills, language abilities, occupations, regional connections, and employer relationships rather than casting a wide net.

Candidates who align with these targeted priorities are the ones receiving invitations in 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Does receiving a PR invitation guarantee permanent residence in Canada?

No, receiving an invitation is a major step but not a guarantee of permanent residence. Candidates must still submit a complete application, pass medical and security checks, and receive final approval from IRCC or the relevant provincial authority before permanent residence is granted.

How is the 28,125 total calculated when different programs use different invitation types?

The total adds Express Entry ITAs from IRCC, provincial nominee invitations from Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, and Atlantic provinces, Letters of Advice to Apply from Manitoba, and permanent selection invitations from Quebec’s Arrima system. Each type serves a different function within its respective immigration framework, but all represent a formal step toward permanent residence.

Can a candidate appear in both an Express Entry draw and a provincial nominee draw?

Yes, Express Entry PNP draws specifically target candidates who already hold provincial nominations. A candidate who received a provincial nominee invitation and then received an Express Entry PNP draw invitation would technically appear in both streams, though the provincial invitation typically comes first.

Why are French-language Express Entry draws so much larger than other categories?

IRCC is prioritizing francophone immigration outside Quebec to meet the federal target of 9% francophone permanent resident admissions by 2026. The French-language candidate pool is smaller than the general pool, which allows IRCC to issue large invitation volumes at lower CRS thresholds while still meeting its linguistic selection criteria.

Will the pace of PR invitations increase or slow down for the rest of 2026?

The 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan targets 380,000 permanent resident admissions, with PNP targets rising to 91,500. Based on this trajectory and the aggressive pace seen through April, invitation volumes are expected to remain high throughout 2026 as IRCC and provincial programs work to meet their annual admission targets before year-end.

Fact-checked: All invitation counts, draw dates, CRS cutoffs, and program details in this article have been verified against official IRCC, Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada government sources as of May 2026.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal immigration advice.

Kamal Deep Singh, RCIC

Kamal Deep Singh, RCIC (Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant) licensed by CICC (formerly known as ICCRC) with member number R708618. He brings extensive knowledge of immigration law and new changes to rapidly evolving IRCC.