Canada Updates Express Entry Pool Scores for August

Canada’s Express Entry pool became smaller in the first half of August, with more than 2,200 fewer candidates registered compared with the previous update.

New figures from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) show that the pool contained 226,859 candidates on August 16, 2026, down from 229,100 on August 3. That represents a decrease of 2,241 profiles.

Where Did the Biggest Changes Happen?

The largest decline occurred among candidates with Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores between 351 and 400.

That group dropped from 50,107 candidates on August 3 to 48,600 on August 16, a decrease of 1,507.

The 501–600 range also fell considerably, declining by 1,048 candidates to 18,657.

Candidates scoring above 600 decreased from 500 to 439.

Several score ranges, however, recorded growth.

Notable increases included:

• 471–480: up 258 candidates to 16,626
• 481–490: up 176 to 13,066
• 301–350: up 168 to 17,269
• 461–470: up 76 to 16,133

Together, candidates scoring above 500 fell from 20,205 on August 3 to 19,096 on August 16.

How Competitive Is the Express Entry Pool?

Candidates with CRS scores from 351 to 400 remain the largest group in the pool, accounting for 21.42 per cent of all profiles.

Those scoring between 501 and 600 represent 8.22 per cent of candidates, while just 0.19 per cent have scores between 601 and 1,200.

A candidate with a score above 500 was therefore positioned among roughly the highest-scoring eight per cent of the pool as of August 16.

CRS rankings depend on factors including age, education, official-language skills and work experience.

Four Draws Helped Change the Pool

IRCC conducted four Express Entry draws between August 3 and August 16, issuing a combined 8,807 invitations to apply for permanent residence.

The draws included:

• August 4: 507 Provincial Nominee Program invitations, CRS 768
• August 5: 3,000 Canadian Experience Class invitations, CRS 516
• August 6: 5,000 French-language invitations, CRS 391
• August 7: 300 Transport occupation invitations, CRS 470

The August 7 round was the first draw under the revised Transport category introduced earlier in 2026.

August 17 Draw Is Not Included

The August 16 pool figures do not include IRCC’s Provincial Nominee Program draw held on August 17.

That round issued 442 invitations, with a minimum CRS score of 760.

Following the draw, IRCC had issued 113,865 Express Entry invitations in 2026, with Canadian Experience Class candidates receiving about 42.4 per cent of them.

How Express Entry Works

Express Entry manages applications for three major federal economic immigration programs: the Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program and Federal Skilled Trades Program.

IRCC also conducts category-based draws targeting skills Canada currently needs, including French-language ability, healthcare and social services, trades, education and transport.

Category-based draws can have lower CRS cut-offs. For example, healthcare and social services draws in 2026 have recorded cut-offs between 467 and 475, compared with 507 to 518 for Canadian Experience Class rounds.

Candidates who receive an invitation generally have 60 days to submit their permanent residence application.