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September was an active month for Express Entry.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held 8 rounds of invitations and issued 11,288 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) across Canadian Experience Class, Provincial Nominee Program, and several category-based selections.
CRS cut-offs ranged from 198 to 734. Canadian Experience Class accounted for more than half of all invitations. Healthcare candidates saw significant activity, and IRCC also held targeted draws for physicians and senior managers with Canadian work experience.
Here is what happened in each draw and what Express Entry candidates can learn from it.
IRCC confirms that Express Entry rounds may be general, program-specific, or category-based, and candidates are ranked within the group that applies to that particular round.
September snapshot:
Canadian Experience Class was the largest source of invitations during the month. IRCC held three CEC-specific rounds:
Together they issued 6,000 of September’s 11,288 ITAs, approximately 53.2%.
IRCC officially confirmed the September 1 CEC round at 2,000 invitations with a CRS cut-off of 521, while the September 29 round issued another 2,000 invitations at CRS 518.
The cut-off dropped slightly in each CEC draw, from 521 to 519 to 518. That is a decline of only 3 CRS points over the month.
It is useful data, but it does not show that CRS scores are now falling fast or that future CEC draws will keep moving in the same direction.
CRS cut-offs can change depending on multiple factors, including the number of candidates in the pool, the scores of those candidates, the number of invitations issued, and the timing and type of future rounds.
CEC led September in both draw frequency and invitation volume.
But candidates should avoid building their strategy around an assumption that a small decline in one month will necessarily continue.
Two separate health-related rounds issued a combined 3,729 ITAs, approximately 33% of all Express Entry invitations issued during the month.
These were two different categories, with different eligibility requirements.
On September 4, IRCC held a category-based draw for Healthcare and Social Services Occupations. It issued 3,500 ITAs with a CRS cut-off of 475, making it the largest individual Express Entry draw of September by invitation volume.
Healthcare and social services remains one of IRCC’s category-based selection areas in 2026. IRCC uses category-based selection to invite candidates whose skills and work experience match specific labour-market needs.
However, a CRS score of 475 alone does not make a candidate eligible for this type of draw.
A candidate must first meet the relevant Express Entry program requirements and the specific eligibility rules for the healthcare and social services category. IRCC’s current category criteria require qualifying work experience in an eligible occupation.
On September 3, IRCC issued 229 ITAs at CRS 198 in the new Physicians with Canadian Work Experience category. This was a highly targeted category, and only candidates who met its requirements were competing in that round.
To qualify, candidates needed at least one year of qualifying Canadian work experience within the previous three years in one of the eligible physician occupations:
IRCC introduced a dedicated category for physicians with Canadian work experience as part of its 2026 category-based selection framework.
A CRS cut-off of 198 does not mean that Express Entry candidates generally had a realistic chance of receiving an ITA with CRS 198. Comparing the score from this draw directly with a CEC or PNP draw can be misleading.
September shows why there is no single answer to the question “What CRS score do I need for Express Entry?”
In one month, we saw:
All of those scores came from Express Entry rounds, but the candidates were not all competing under the same selection criteria.
IRCC holds general, program-specific, and category-based rounds throughout the year. In a program-specific round, IRCC ranks candidates who qualify for that particular program. In a category-based round, candidates must first qualify for Express Entry and then meet the additional eligibility rules for that category.
So a person with CRS 500 who does not qualify for a particular category cannot simply compare themselves with someone invited at CRS 389 or 198 in a targeted draw.
Your CRS score matters, but your program eligibility, occupation, work experience, language ability, and potential provincial nomination opportunities also influence which types of rounds may be relevant to your profile.
On September 16, IRCC held a category-based round for Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience. It issued 250 ITAs with a CRS cut-off of 389. IRCC confirmed the draw and category in the official Ministerial Instructions.
This category is also new for 2026. IRCC introduced it to support specific economic priorities and retain experienced talent already working in Canada.
Canadian work experience appeared in several different forms in September:
These are separate selection groups and should not be combined statistically as though they were one category. As an overall pattern, though, Canadian work experience was clearly visible in September’s selection activity.
September also included two Provincial Nominee Program-specific Express Entry rounds:
Together, the two PNP draws issued 1,309 ITAs, and the cut-off dropped 9 points, from 734 to 725.IRCC confirms that PNP-specific rounds invite candidates who are eligible under the Provincial Nominee Program grouping rather than the broader Express Entry pool.
Candidates with a provincial nomination receive additional CRS points through Express Entry. So a PNP draw at CRS 725 does not mean a candidate needed a CRS of 725 before receiving their nomination. The nomination itself raises the candidate’s ranking significantly.
That is why PNP cut-offs often appear much higher than scores in other types of rounds, and why they should not be compared directly with CEC or category-based cut-offs.
CEC was the dominant draw type by invitation volume, with 6,000 ITAs, or about 53.2% of the month’s total.
Targeted selection remained important. September included dedicated rounds for Healthcare and Social Services, Physicians with Canadian Work Experience, and Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience. IRCC has made category-based selection an important part of Express Entry, using it to target skills and work experience connected to specific economic priorities.
Canadian work experience was a noticeable theme across the CEC draws and the targeted rounds for physicians and senior managers. That does not mean Canadian experience guarantees selection. It does mean candidates should look at how their work history aligns with current Express Entry programs and categories, not only at their CRS score.
There was also no single “September CRS score.” Cut-offs ranged from 198 to 734 because each draw targeted a different eligible group. The more useful question is which types of Express Entry rounds your profile could actually qualify for.
One of the biggest mistakes candidates can make is focusing only on their CRS number.Two people with the same CRS score may have very different opportunities, because Express Entry strategy can depend on factors such as:
For example, someone with a lower CRS score who qualifies for a highly targeted category may have opportunities that are not available to another candidate with a higher CRS score.
At the same time, being eligible for a category does not guarantee that IRCC will hold a draw for that category or that a candidate will receive an invitation.
September’s draws show recent Express Entry activity, but they do not let us predict the next draw with certainty.
IRCC can change the type of draw, the category selected, the number of invitations, the timing between rounds, and the CRS cut-off. Future results also depend on the composition of the Express Entry pool and immigration planning priorities.
Past draws help explain recent patterns, but they do not guarantee what will happen next.
The Bottom Line
CRS cut-offs ranged from 198 to 734 in a single month, so judging your Express Entry prospects by one number alone won’t give you an accurate picture.
Your CRS score is important. Your eligibility is equally important.
If you are unsure how your CRS score, occupation, work experience, or provincial options fit together, Dayana Immigration can review your individual circumstances and help you understand which pathways may be relevant to you.
Book a consultation with Yana Tasheva, RCIC R706097.
