Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has published its latest snapshot of the Express Entry pool, showing 228,724 candidate profiles on October 25, 2026 —
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has published its latest snapshot of the Express Entry pool, showing 228,724 candidate profiles on October 25, 2026 — 732 fewer than on October 12.
Where the pool shrank — and grew
The biggest declines were at the top: the 501–600 CRS range fell by 1,103 candidates, and the 431–470 ranges fell by more than 1,700 combined. At the same time, the 301–430 ranges grew by 1,754 candidates. The single largest group in the pool remains the 351–400 range, with 47,911 candidates, while just 787 candidates score between 601 and 1,200.
Recent draws behind the numbers
Between October 12 and 25, IRCC held three draws issuing 8,252 invitations: a Provincial Nominee Program draw on October 13 (752 invitations, CRS 772), a Canadian Experience Class draw on October 15 (2,500 invitations, CRS 519), and a French-language proficiency draw on October 16 (5,000 invitations, CRS 435). Two further draws after the snapshot — PNP on October 26 (792 invitations, CRS 761) and French-language on October 27 (5,000 invitations, CRS 407) — will show up in the next update. Total 2026 invitations reached 149,259, with French-language draws accounting for about 40.2% of all invitations this year.
Big change coming November 3
From November 3, 2026, candidates can earn additional CRS points for Canadian work experience or qualifying job offers in high-wage occupations — those paying at least 1.3 times the national median wage (186 occupations qualify, across three wage tiers). Under the new Labour Market Integration Factor, a qualifying job offer is worth 50, 70 or 100 points, and Canadian work experience can score up to 150 points (140 with an accompanying spouse). An LMIA will no longer be required for a job offer to earn points. IRCC will pause draws for up to two weeks while it recalculates scores.
Not sure where your score stands under the new system? NewSteps Immigration can review your profile and identify the most realistic ways to improve it.
Disclaimer: This post is general information only, published by NewSteps Immigration. We accept no liability for this post, as the information in it may be incorrect or may change without notice. Please refer to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for the final and official information.
