What This Draw Means
In Draw #397, IRCC set the CRS cutoff at 169 and issued 391 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) on February 19, 2026. This means all candidates in the Express Entry pool with a CRS score of 169 or higher received an invitation to submit a permanent residence application.
This was a Physicians with Canadian Work Experience, 2026-Version 1 draw, part of IRCC's category-based selection system that targets candidates with specific skills or attributes beyond raw CRS scores.
This draw's cutoff was 27 points below the category average of 196, indicating a more favorable round for candidates. Lower cutoffs like this can result from IRCC issuing a larger number of invitations or from seasonal fluctuations in the candidate pool.
Candidates who received an ITA have 60 days to submit a complete permanent residence application. Those not invited remain in the pool for up to 12 months and will be considered in future draws.
Each Express Entry draw has specific parameters set by IRCC, including the minimum CRS score, the number of invitations issued, and any program or category restrictions. Understanding these details helps candidates assess where they stand in the pool.