Express Entry Pool Barely Moves, But Top Scores Surge
Watching the Express Entry pool can feel like tracking a stock market you desperately need to cash out from. If you are sitting in the middle tiers wondering why the ground feels like it is shifting under your feet, the numbers from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada explain exactly why.
Between August 30 and September 13, the total pool grew by a paltry 120 profiles, bringing the overall count to 226,793 candidates. But beneath that flat headline number, a massive reshuffling happened. While mid-range profiles took a steep dive, top-tier scores surged, altering the math for anyone waiting on an invitation.
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| CRS score range | September 13 | August 30 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0, 300 | 7,746 | 7,735 | +11 |
| 301, 350 | 17,240 | 17,495 | -255 |
| 351, 400 | 46,782 | 46,824 | -42 |
| 401, 410 | 11,033 | 10,723 | +310 |
| 411, 420 | 11,506 | 11,183 | +323 |
| 421, 430 | 12,064 | 11,811 | +253 |
| 431, 440 | 13,300 | 13,233 | +67 |
| 441, 450 | 13,657 | 13,463 | +194 |
| 451, 460 | 14,823 | 14,800 | +23 |
| 461, 470 | 16,163 | 16,099 | +64 |
| 471, 480 | 16,105 | 16,981 | -876 |
| 481, 490 | 12,426 | 13,273 | -847 |
| 491, 500 | 12,590 | 12,952 | -362 |
| 501, 600 | 20,784 | 19,542 | +1,242 |
| 601, 1,200 | 574 | 559 | +15 |
The most glaring movement in the bi-weekly update happened squarely in the 471 to 500 score brackets. That crucial band shed a combined 2,085 profiles over just two weeks.
The 471, 480 range alone dropped by 876 candidates, while the 481, 490 range lost 847. Conversely, top-scoring candidates in the 501, 600 bracket jumped by 1,242 profiles, pushing the total number of top-tier profiles in the pool to 21,358.
This churn didn’t happen in a vacuum. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ran four distinct draws during that same August 30 to September 13 window, issuing 6,291 invitations to apply for permanent residence.
Those rounds cleared out specific cohorts. On August 31, a Provincial Nominee Program draw issued 562 invitations with a cutoff of 697, marking the lowest PNP cutoff score of the year. A Canadian Experience Class draw on September 1 followed, pulling 2,000 candidates with a 521 cutoff. Target rounds also cleared 229 physicians with a score threshold of 198 on September 3, and 3,500 healthcare and social service workers with a 475 cutoff on September 4.
Subsequent draws on September 14 and 15 added another 2,576 invitations to the tally, including 576 PNP invitations requiring a 734 score and 2,000 CEC invitations with a 519 cutoff. Those two latest rounds sit outside the September 13 snapshot, meaning they haven’t yet been factored into the baseline distribution tables.
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All told, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has handed out 128,732 invitations to apply for permanent residence over the course of 2026. Canadian Experience Class candidates continue to claim the lion’s share of those openings, capturing 41.4 percent of the total volume so far.
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