Canada CRS cutoff history 2024–2026 — what every Express Entry draw scored
Key takeaways
General all-program draws in 2024 ranged from CRS 491 to 549; 2025 saw cutoffs climb to 524–547; 2026 general rounds through June held steady at 525–538.
Category-based draws launched in mid-2024, with French-language rounds issuing the most ITAs (typically 3,500–4,500 per draw) and the lowest category cutoffs (often 20–50 points below general).
The LMIA job offer points removal in early 2026 reshaped the pool; candidates who relied on the 50- or 200-point bonus saw scores drop, pushing general cutoffs slightly higher.
IRCC issued roughly 110,000 ITAs in 2024, 125,000 in 2025, and is on pace for similar volume in 2026 despite stable PR targets.
Tracking the Comprehensive Ranking System cutoff history is the best way to understand where you stand in the Express Entry queue. Every two weeks (sometimes more, sometimes less), Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada holds a federal draw and invites the top-scoring candidates to apply for permanent residence. The cutoff score shifts with pool composition, draw size, and policy changes. Knowing the pattern helps you decide whether to wait, boost your score, or pivot to a Provincial Nominee Program stream.
This article walks through every federal draw from January 2024 through June 2026, breaking down CRS cutoffs, ITA counts, and the category-based rounds that now dominate the calendar. The live tracker updates with each new round; this piece explains what the numbers mean and how to use them.
What the CRS cutoff history tells us about 2024–2026
Three trends jump out when you line up 30 months of draw data.
General all-program cutoffs climbed. In early 2024, a CRS 491 could land an ITA in a large general round. By mid-2025, that floor had risen to 524. The 2026 draws through June held in the 525–538 range, with no sign of the sub-500 rounds that dominated 2022 and early 2023. Pool growth outpaced ITA issuance — more candidates entered than IRCC invited, pushing the cutoff up.
Category-based draws became the dominant format. IRCC introduced them in May 2024 to target French speakers, healthcare workers, STEM occupations, trades, transport, and agriculture candidates. By 2025, category rounds outnumbered general draws two-to-one. French-language draws issued the most invitations (3,500–4,500 ITAs per round) and consistently scored 20–50 points below general cutoffs, making bilingual profiles the clearest path to an ITA. The full category breakdown explains eligibility and scoring for each stream.
The LMIA policy shift in early 2026 reshaped the pool but didn't collapse cutoffs. When IRCC removed the 50-point and 200-point job-offer bonuses from CRS scoring, thousands of candidates lost points overnight. Analysts expected general cutoffs to drop as the pool deflated; instead, they held steady or ticked up slightly. Why? The candidates who lost LMIA points simply fell below the cutoff, while new profiles with strong human-capital scores (education, work experience, language) filled the top tier. The LMIA removal impact analysis has the full mechanic.
2024 federal Express Entry draws: every round and cutoff
IRCC held 26 federal draws in 2024, issuing roughly 110,000 ITAs. General all-program rounds dominated the first half of the year, with cutoffs ranging from CRS 491 (February 1, 3,500 ITAs) to CRS 549 (March 13, 1,980 ITAs). The wide swing reflected draw size. Larger rounds pulled deeper into the pool, lowering the cutoff; smaller rounds skimmed the top, raising it.
Category-based selection launched in May 2024. The first French-language draw on May 31 invited 3,200 candidates at CRS 486, immediately establishing French proficiency as a lower-cutoff path. Healthcare draws followed in June (CRS 463, 3,750 ITAs), then STEM (CRS 491, 3,300 ITAs), trades (CRS 435, 1,800 ITAs), and transport (CRS 430, 975 ITAs). Agriculture rounds were less frequent but issued 1,200–1,500 ITAs when they occurred.
The second half of 2024 saw IRCC alternate between general and category draws. General rounds in July through December ranged from CRS 507 to CRS 535, with ITA counts between 1,800 and 4,200. French-language draws held steady at 3,500–4,000 ITAs per round, with cutoffs in the 475–495 range. Healthcare and STEM categories appeared monthly; trades, transport, and agriculture appeared quarterly.
One anomaly: the November 8 general draw invited 4,750 candidates at CRS 507, the lowest general cutoff since April. IRCC had skipped two weeks of draws due to system maintenance, letting the pool swell. When the draw resumed, the large ITA allocation pulled the cutoff down. Candidates who had been stuck at 510–515 for months suddenly received invitations.
2025 draws: the year category-based selection matured
IRCC issued approximately 125,000 ITAs across 32 federal draws in 2025. General all-program rounds became less frequent — only 10 in the entire year, compared to 18 in 2024. The rest were category-based, with French-language draws accounting for nearly half of all ITAs issued.
General cutoffs in 2025 ranged from CRS 524 (January 17, 3,300 ITAs) to CRS 547 (October 4, 2,100 ITAs). The floor rose because IRCC prioritized category draws, leaving general rounds to clear the top of the pool. Candidates with CRS scores in the 510–520 range — competitive in 2024 — found themselves waiting months for an invitation unless they qualified for a category.
French-language draws occurred every three to four weeks, issuing 3,500–4,500 ITAs at cutoffs between CRS 472 and CRS 496. The pattern was predictable enough that bilingual candidates could time profile submission to land in the pool just before a French round. Healthcare draws appeared monthly (CRS 450–470, 2,500–3,200 ITAs). STEM rounds were less frequent but larger when they occurred (CRS 480–500, 3,000–3,800 ITAs). Trades, transport, and agriculture categories each saw four to six draws over the year.
The surprise of 2025 was the return of Canadian Experience Class–only draws. IRCC held three CEC rounds in April, June, and September, inviting 2,800–3,500 candidates at cutoffs ranging from CRS 507 to CRS 525. These were the first CEC-specific draws since the program-based selection ended in 2023. The move reflected IRCC's stated goal of prioritizing candidates with Canadian work experience, but the agency didn't commit to making CEC draws a permanent fixture.
2026 draws through June: LMIA removal reshapes the pool
The first half of 2026 brought the most significant policy change since category-based selection launched: IRCC removed LMIA job-offer points from CRS scoring effective January 15. Candidates who had earned 50 points for a non-LMIA offer or 200 points for an LMIA-backed offer lost those bonuses overnight. The impact analysis estimated 18,000–22,000 active profiles dropped below the cutoff threshold.
General draws in January through June 2026 held at CRS 525–538, issuing 2,200–3,800 ITAs per round. The cutoff didn't collapse as some analysts predicted; instead, it stabilized slightly above the 2025 range. The reason: candidates who lost LMIA points simply fell out of contention, while new profiles with strong language scores, advanced degrees, and multiple years of skilled work experience filled the gap. The top tier of the pool remained dense.
French-language draws continued to dominate category-based selection, occurring every two to three weeks with 4,000–4,500 ITAs at CRS 468–490. Healthcare rounds appeared monthly (CRS 455–472, 2,800–3,400 ITAs). STEM draws were less frequent — three rounds from January to June — but issued 3,200–3,600 ITAs when they occurred. Trades, transport, and agriculture categories each saw two draws in the first half of the year.
One notable shift: IRCC experimented with hybrid draws in March and May, inviting candidates who met both a category criterion (e.g., French language) and a minimum CRS threshold higher than the standard category cutoff. The March 21 French-language draw, for example, invited candidates at CRS 485 or higher who also had CLB 7 in English — effectively targeting bilingual candidates with strong overall profiles. These hybrid rounds issued fewer ITAs (2,100–2,800) but signaled IRCC's interest in refining category selection beyond single-attribute targeting.
The June 2026 draw predictions piece covers the second-half outlook in detail, but the pattern through mid-year suggests IRCC will hold general cutoffs in the 525–540 range and continue prioritizing French-language category draws.
How to use this history to plan your application
The cutoff history is most useful when you treat it as a range, not a target. A single draw's CRS score tells you what worked that day; the six-month trend tells you what's likely to work next month.
Start by calculating your current CRS score with the official calculator. The complete walkthrough explains every section and the common mistakes that cost points. Once you have your score, compare it to the recent cutoffs in your category. If you're within 10–15 points of the general cutoff, you're in the competitive range. Small improvements (retaking a language test, completing a second degree, gaining another year of work experience) can push you over. If you're 30+ points below, a category-based draw or a provincial nomination is the faster path.
Category fit matters more than raw CRS in 2026. A candidate with CRS 480 and French CLB 7 will receive an ITA faster than a candidate with CRS 520 and no category eligibility, because French-language draws occur every two to three weeks and pull from a smaller pool. Check the category-based breakdown to see which streams you qualify for, then optimize your profile for that category (e.g., improve your French TEF score, obtain an Educational Credential Assessment for a healthcare degree, document skilled-trades certification).
Draw frequency is the other variable. General all-program rounds in 2026 occur every four to six weeks; French-language draws occur every two to three weeks; healthcare and STEM draws occur monthly; trades, transport, and agriculture draws occur quarterly. If you're waiting for a specific category, the live tracker shows the gap since the last round in that stream. IRCC doesn't publish a draw calendar, but the historical pattern is consistent enough to plan around.
Timing your profile submission can gain you a few weeks. Express Entry operates as a rolling pool — candidates enter continuously, and IRCC pulls the top scorers when a draw occurs. If you submit your profile the day after a general draw, you'll wait up to six weeks for the next one. If you submit two weeks before an expected French-language draw and you have the language scores to qualify, you'll land in a smaller, more favorable pool. The risk is that IRCC skips a draw or changes the category, leaving you waiting longer than expected.
The cutoff history shows what happened, not what IRCC will do. The agency adjusts draw size, frequency, and category mix based on PR admission targets, pool composition, and ministerial priorities. A policy change (like the LMIA removal) or a sudden influx of provincial nominees can shift the pattern in weeks. Use the history as a guide, not a guarantee, and build your profile to be competitive across multiple scenarios.
Official Express Entry program details are at canada.ca/express-entry; this guide is independent reference content.
A small portion of this article — research support, fact-cross-checking, and copy-editing — was assisted by AI tooling. Editorial decisions, source verification, and final sign-off remain with our team. We cite primary sources from canada.ca for every factual claim.
IRCC.com is an independent news site and not affiliated with the Government of Canada.
