On August 4, 2026, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada issued 507 invitations to apply for permanent residence in the first Express Entry draw of the month.
This is the first Express Entry draw of August and the 43rd draw of the year, opening the month with a Provincial Nominee Program round that follows the same cluster-opening pattern IRCC has used since March.
The draw targeted candidates with provincial nominations in their Express Entry profiles and required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score to receive an invitation.
Here is a complete breakdown of the draw results, how they compare to previous PNP rounds, what the numbers signal about pool dynamics, and what draws are expected to follow this week.
Table of Contents
August 4 PNP Express Entry Draw Details
| Detail | Value |
| Draw type | Provincial Nominee Program |
| Invitations issued | 507 |
| CRS score of lowest-ranked candidate | 768 |
| Date and time of round | August 4, 2026, at 10:39:04 UTC |
| Tie-breaking rule | May 15, 2026, at 15:58:19 UTC |
The CRS cutoff of 768 reflects the 600-point boost that every provincial nominee receives when their nomination is added to their Express Entry profile.
A candidate with a base CRS score of 168 before nomination would have reached this cutoff exactly, though most nominees carry higher base scores, as shown in our CRS analysis for 2026.
The tie-breaking date of May 15, 2026, means that candidates who scored exactly 768 needed to have submitted their Express Entry profiles before that date and time to receive an invitation.
Candidates with CRS scores above 768 received invitations regardless of when they submitted their profiles.
Latest CRS Score Distribution In The Pool
Below is the latest CRS score distribution in the pool as of August 3, 2026.
| CRS score range | Number of candidates |
|---|---|
| 601-1200 | 500 |
| 501-600 | 19,705 |
| 451-500 | 73,099 |
| 491-500 | 12,939 |
| 481-490 | 12,890 |
| 471-480 | 16,368 |
| 461-470 | 16,057 |
| 451-460 | 14,845 |
| 401-450 | 60,905 |
| 441-450 | 13,595 |
| 431-440 | 13,267 |
| 421-430 | 11,942 |
| 411-420 | 11,326 |
| 401-410 | 10,775 |
| 351-400 | 50,107 |
| 301-350 | 17,101 |
| 0-300 | 7,683 |
| Total | 229,100 |
How This Draw Compares to Previous PNP Rounds
The 507 invitations issued on August 4 fall within the range IRCC has maintained for PNP draws across 2026, with volumes fluctuating between 264 and 955 depending on how many fresh nominations provinces have released into the Express Entry pool.
| Date | ITAs | CRS Cutoff |
| Jan 5 | 574 | 711 |
| Jan 20 | 681 | 746 |
| Feb 3 | 423 | 749 |
| Feb 16 | 279 | 789 |
| Mar 2 | 264 | 710 |
| Mar 16 | 362 | 742 |
| Mar 30 | 356 | 802 |
| Apr 13 | 324 | 786 |
| Apr 27 | 473 | 795 |
| May 11 | 380 | 798 |
| May 25 | 334 | 805 |
| Jun 22 | 955 | 730 |
| Jul 6 | 534 | 708 |
| Jul 20 | 511 | 744 |
| Aug 4 | 507 | 768 |
The CRS cutoff of 768 sits in the upper portion of the 2026 PNP range, which has spanned from 708 on July 6 to 805 on May 25.
PNP cutoffs are driven almost entirely by the volume and timing of provincial nominations entering the Express Entry system rather than by changes in candidate quality.
When provinces release a large batch of nominations between draws, the CRS cutoff drops because more nominees are available above the minimum threshold, as happened when the June 22 draw issued 955 invitations at CRS 730.
When the nomination pipeline is thinner between draws, fewer candidates are available and the cutoff rises as IRCC must reach deeper into the pool to fill the round, a pattern that was visible across the spring 2026 draws.
Expres Entry 2026 Invitation Totals
The August 4 PNP draw brings the total number of Express Entry invitations issued in 2026 to 105,123 across 43 draws.
PNP-specific invitations now total 6,957 across 15 draws, representing approximately 6.6% of all invitations issued this year.
| Category | Draws | Total ITAs | Share |
| Canadian Experience Class | 12 | 45,250 | 43.0% |
| French-Language Proficiency | 8 | 40,500 | 38.5% |
| Healthcare and Social Services | 2 | 8,000 | 7.6% |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 15 | 6,957 | 6.6% |
| Trades Occupations | 1 | 3,000 | 2.9% |
| Senior Managers | 2 | 750 | 0.7% |
| Physicians | 2 | 662 | 0.6% |
| Skilled Military Recruits | 1 | 4 | < 0.1% |
| Total | 43 | 105,123 | 100% |
The 2026 total of 105,123 has already surpassed the 98,903 invitations issued across all of 2024 and is approaching the 113,988 total from 2025 with five months remaining.
CEC and French-language draws together still account for over 81% of all invitations in 2026, with PNP draws operating as a smaller but consistent component of the Express Entry system.
What Draws Are Expected Next
IRCC has been running draws in compressed clusters since March, with PNP rounds consistently opening each window followed by CEC and French-language draws on consecutive days.
If IRCC follows the same cluster pattern seen in July, a Canadian Experience Class draw is expected within the next day or two, with CRS cutoffs likely holding between 515 and 518 at 2,000 invitations.
A French-language proficiency draw is expected to follow later this week, with recent French rounds issuing between 4,000 and 5,000 invitations at CRS cutoffs ranging from 393 to 420.
A fourth draw targeting a smaller category such as trades, healthcare, or senior managers is possible but has not appeared in every cluster.
IRCC does not publish a guaranteed draw calendar, and draw dates, categories, and volumes can change without notice.
How Provincial Nominations Work in Express Entry
Every provincial nominee receives an automatic 600-point CRS boost when their nomination is linked to their Express Entry profile, which is why PNP draw cutoffs consistently appear in the 700-plus range.
The nomination itself is issued by a province or territory through its own Provincial Nominee Program, each of which has its own eligibility criteria, occupation targets, and intake schedules.
Ontario launched its new Workforce Priority Stream on June 26 and is expected to reopen its Expression of Interest system later this summer, which could increase the flow of Ontario nominations into the Express Entry pool.
Candidates considering the PNP pathway should also explore Alberta and British Columbia draws, as both provinces have remaining nomination allocations for 2026.
Candidates who received an invitation have exactly 60 calendar days to submit a complete permanent residence application through their Express Entry account.
Gathering police certificates, medical examination results, educational credential assessments, and employment reference letters should begin immediately because each document has its own processing timeline.
If the 60-day window passes without a submission, the invitation expires and the candidate’s profile returns to the Express Entry pool with their original CRS score.
The Canadian Experience Class currently carries an average processing time of approximately six to seven months for permanent residence applications submitted after an invitation.
The August 4 PNP draw confirms that IRCC is maintaining the same draw architecture that has defined Express Entry in 2026, with PNP rounds opening each cluster window.
A CEC draw and a French-language draw are expected to follow within the next two to three days, completing the first August cluster.
Candidates should monitor the official IRCC rounds of invitations page for confirmed results as they are published.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can candidates without a provincial nomination receive an invitation in a PNP draw?
No, PNP draws are restricted to candidates who hold an active provincial or territorial nomination linked to their Express Entry profile. Candidates without a nomination compete through CEC, Federal Skilled Worker, or category-based draws, each of which has its own eligibility criteria and CRS cutoff.
Why do PNP draw cutoffs vary so widely from draw to draw?
The cutoff in any PNP draw depends on how many fresh nominations provinces have released into the Express Entry pool since the previous draw. A large batch of new nominations pushes the cutoff down because more candidates are available above the minimum, while a thin pipeline pushes it up. The cutoff is not a signal of rising or falling difficulty for candidates but rather a reflection of provincial nomination timing.
Does the 600-point PNP boost guarantee an invitation?
In practice, the 600-point boost places nominees well above the PNP draw cutoff in virtually every round conducted in 2026. However, the invitation is issued through an Express Entry PNP draw, and the timing depends on when IRCC schedules the next round. Candidates with active nominations typically receive their invitation within one to four weeks of the nomination being reflected in the Express Entry system.
What happens if my CRS score is exactly at the cutoff and my profile was submitted after the tie-breaking date?
Candidates who scored exactly 768 but submitted their profiles after May 15, 2026, at 15:58:19 UTC were not invited in this draw. These candidates remain in the Express Entry pool with their existing CRS score and will be considered in the next PNP draw. Creating and submitting an Express Entry profile early is strategically important because earlier profiles take priority when scores are tied at the cutoff.
Will there be another PNP draw in August?
Based on the 2026 draw cluster pattern, a second PNP draw is expected in the third or fourth week of August as part of a second draw cluster. IRCC has conducted two PNP draws per month in every month of 2026 that featured two draw clusters. The volume and CRS cutoff of the next PNP draw will depend on how many new nominations provinces release between now and that round.
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