IRCC CONDUCTED A NEW PNP DRAW UNDER EXPRESS ENTRY
IRCC Targets Provincial Nominees in Latest Express Entry Draw
On February 16, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted Express Entry Draw #395, reaffirming the government's strong reliance on provincial partnerships to meet its economic goals. This targeted draw exclusively invited candidates who have already secured a provincial nomination, issuing 279 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residency. As the Express Entry pool remains highly competitive in early 2026, this draw underscores a crucial reality: securing a provincial nomination is the most definitive way to guarantee your selection in today's immigration landscape.
Express Entry Draw #395 Breakdown
This targeted round of invitations highlights specific metrics that applicants must understand to evaluate their current standing in the pool:
Date of Draw: February 16, 2026
Draw Type: Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) specific
Number of ITAs Issued: 279
Minimum CRS Score: 789
Score Fluctuation: This cut-off represents a 40-point increase from the previous PNP-targeted draw, marking the highest cut-off score of the year so far.
Tie-breaking Rule: September 05, 2025, at 0:59:13 UTC. (Candidates with a score of exactly 789 were only invited if they submitted their profile before this date).
Pool Snapshot: As of February 15, the Express Entry pool contained a total of 235,695 registered profiles.
2026 YTD Totals: IRCC has issued an impressive 24,457 ITAs so far this year, with 1,957 of those allocated directly to PNP candidates.
Strategic Impact: The Power of the 600-Point Boost
A Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 789 might seem impossibly high at first glance, but it is important to decode what this number actually means. Because a provincial nomination automatically awards a candidate 600 bonus CRS points, the "base" score required for the lowest-ranked candidate in this draw was effectively only 189 points.
This is a massive strategic advantage. While candidates in the general pool are fighting for fractions of a point to reach the high 400s or low 500s, PNP candidates are bypassing the general competition entirely. With over 235,000 profiles currently in the pool, waiting for a general draw is becoming a high-risk strategy. The PNP route transforms an average Express Entry profile into a guaranteed ITA.
Stop Waiting, Start Strategizing
The data from early 2026 is clear: the federal government is heavily distributing its immigration targets through provincial programs. If your CRS score is sitting in the 300s or low 400s, your fastest route to permanent residency is not waiting for a miraculous score drop—it is actively pursuing a provincial nomination.
Are you stuck in the Express Entry pool with a stagnant CRS score? It is time to pivot. At Global Opportunities, we analyze your professional background, language skills, and work history to match you with the province that needs your exact profile. Contact our legal team today to build a proactive PNP strategy for 2026!