Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) kicked off the week by conducting a category-based Express Entry draw on 28 September 2026 that targeted candidates who already hold a provincial nomination. A total of 733 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residence were sent to applicants whose Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores were 725 points or higher. Because a provincial nomination adds 600 points to a candidate’s core CRS score, the cut-off translates into a core score in the low- to mid-120s, a range that many skilled workers can realistically achieve with strong human-capital factors. The draw is significant for employers and human-resources teams who rely on Canada’s Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) to fill persistent talent gaps. A provincial nomination not only secures federal permanent residence but—thanks to a temporary federal measure introduced in June—now also allows most nominees to obtain a Bridging Open Work Permit without waiting for an Acknowledgement of Receipt. That change shortens the transition from temporary status to open work authorisation by several months, reducing churn and compliance risk for business travellers and intra-company transferees who are already in Canada on employer-specific permits. Tuesday’s invitation round is the nineteenth PNP-only draw of 2026 and brings the year-to-date total of ITAs issued under provincial categories to 9,270. IRCC has now held 57 Express Entry draws spanning eight different categories, reflecting Ottawa’s increasingly surgical approach to economic immigration selection. For multinational firms, the message is clear: provincial support and strategic occupation alignment remain powerful levers for accelerating permanent residence pathways for key talent. Candidates who received an ITA have sixty days to submit a complete electronic application for permanent residence. Employers should work closely with mobility teams and counsel to ensure that supporting documents—such as employment references and provincial nomination certificates—are assembled well in advance to avoid last-minute delays. Those who did not receive an invitation should review their CRS profile for accuracy and consider opportunities to increase core scores, such as improving official-language results or obtaining an educational-credential assessment for overseas qualifications. Looking ahead, practitioners expect at least one occupation-specific draw before Thanksgiving, as IRCC seeks to balance labour-market needs with its commitment to bring admissions to one per cent of Canada’s population by 2027. In the meantime, the latest PNP draw underscores that provincial endorsement remains one of the fastest, most predictable routes to Canadian permanent residence for foreign workers already contributing to local economies.
Source: CIC News
