Express Entry draws November 2026: It has been 12 days since the last Express Entry draw, and the wait is not over yet. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has not held a single round of invitations since October 28, 2026, and it has not announced a date for the next one. The pause began on November 3, when IRCC switched on a new way of scoring candidates — and until every profile in the pool is rescored, no invitations will go out.
Why the draws stopped
On November 3, IRCC added a new Labour Market Integration factor to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Candidates can now earn up to 150 points for Canadian work experience in a high-wage occupation or a qualifying job offer in one — 140 points if they have a spouse or common-law partner. Job offers in 186 high-wage occupations are worth 50, 70 or 100 points depending on the role, and for the first time since the system began, no Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is needed for the offer to count. The maximum CRS score is now 1,270. Because every profile in the pool has to be rescored under the new rules, IRCC paused all invitation rounds. The department said the recalculation could take up to two weeks.
The last draws before the pause
The final three rounds came in a burst at the end of October. On October 26, a Provincial Nominee Program round invited 792 candidates at a cutoff of 761. The next day, a French-language round sent out 5,000 invitations at 407. The last round, number 453 on October 28, was a small transport-occupations draw: 150 invitations, cutoff 477. The most recent Canadian Experience Class round was October 15, when 2,500 candidates were invited at 519. As of October 25, the pool held 228,724 candidates.
When could Express Entry draws resume in November 2026?
Here is the part that trips up a lot of coverage: November 17 is not a date IRCC announced. It is simply two weeks after November 3 — the longest the recalculation is expected to take. IRCC’s own wording is that rounds will start again “when it’s complete,” which means they could resume sooner if the rescoring finishes early. Based on past patterns, a Provincial Nominee Program draw is the most likely type to come first — that is what happened after the 25-day pause that ended in late June 2026 — followed by a Canadian Experience Class round. IRCC publishes no draw schedule, so the honest answer is: mid-November if the recalculation takes the full two weeks, possibly earlier.
What the first cutoff might look like
Do not compare the next Express Entry draws November 2026 cutoff with the old ones. Every profile is being rescored, and many candidates will gain points from the new factor, so cutoffs are expected to rise. One widely cited estimate puts the first post-pause Canadian Experience Class cutoff between 530 and 555, up from 519 before the pause. That is a prediction, not an official figure, and it will only be tested when IRCC actually runs a round. The 519 figure from October 15 belongs to the old scoring system and is no longer a useful benchmark.
What candidates should do right now
First, check your new CRS score in your IRCC account once the rescoring shows up — your ranking may have moved a lot. Second, if you had a qualifying job offer, it needed to be in your profile before November 3 to earn points; experience points are recalculated automatically. Third, watch your expiry dates. IRCC has not said the pause extends profiles, language test results or work permits, so anything expiring in November still needs attention. And keep expectations in check: the new scoring rewards Canadian work experience and high-wage job offers, which means candidates without either may find the first post-pause Express Entry draws November 2026 cutoffs further away than before.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will Express Entry draws resume in November 2026?
IRCC has not announced a date. The recalculation could take up to two weeks from November 3, so mid-November if it takes the full time — possibly sooner if the rescoring finishes early.
What was the last Express Entry draw?
Round 453 on October 28, 2026: a transport-occupations round that issued 150 invitations with a CRS cutoff of 477.
What is the new Labour Market Integration factor?
It awards up to 150 points (140 with a spouse or common-law partner) for Canadian work experience in a high-wage occupation or a qualifying job offer in one of 186 high-wage occupations. No LMIA is needed for the offer to count.
Will the next CEC cutoff be higher than 519?
Probably. Estimates put the first post-pause CEC cutoff between 530 and 555, but that is a prediction, not an official figure. Pre-pause cutoffs are not comparable because every profile is being rescored.
Do I need to do anything during the pause?
Check your rescored CRS score, confirm your job-offer details were in your profile before November 3, and watch the expiry dates on your profile, language test results and work permits.
Sources
- IRCC, Express Entry rounds of invitations (latest round 453, October 28, 2026)
- IRCC, 2026 changes to points for Canadian work experience and job offers in the Express Entry system
- Immigration News Canada, “New Express Entry Draw Expectations, CRS Cutoffs, And Trends For November 2026”
- Migration Overseas, Express Entry draws tracker (IRCC data refreshed November 8, 2026)
This article is general information about a public immigration program, not immigration advice. Check canada.ca for the official rules before acting on your own application.