Express Entry · Provincial Nominee Program
Express Entry Draw #445: 733 PNP invitations at CRS 725
IRCC invited 733 Provincial Nominee Program candidates with a minimum CRS score of 725 — nine points lower than the previous PNP round.
| Draw number | #445 |
|---|---|
| Date | September 28, 2026 |
| Round type | Provincial Nominee Program |
| Invitations issued | 733 |
| Lowest CRS score invited | |
| Previous round | September 14, 2026 · CRS 734 |
| Tie-breaking rule | Profiles at exactly needed to be submitted before September 17, 2026, 01:36:17 UTC |
What happened
On September 28, 2026, IRCC held Express Entry draw #445 for Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates, issuing 733 invitations to apply. The minimum CRS score was 725.
That is 157 more invitations than the September 14 PNP round (576), and the cutoff fell nine points, from 734 to 725.
PNP cutoffs always look dramatically higher than other rounds because a provincial nomination adds 600 CRS points to a profile. A 725 cutoff can mean a base score as low as 125 before the nomination — so never compare a PNP cutoff directly with a CEC or general-round cutoff.
What this means for your score
This round only invited candidates with a qualifying provincial nomination linked to their Express Entry profile. If you do not have a nomination, this cutoff does not apply to you.
If you are pursuing a PNP stream, the takeaway is simple: the nomination itself is worth 600 points, which dwarfs almost everything else in the CRS. Check your province's Express Entry-aligned streams and their current intake status.