Provincial Nominee Program Update — April 23, 2026
Thursday, April 23, 2026
On April 13, 2026, IRCC issued 324 ITAs to PNP candidates via Express Entry with a CRS cut-off of 786 — down from 802 on March 30 but still very high, reflecting that PNP nominees already carry a 600-point bonus in their CRS score.
As of March 30, 2026, regulatory changes transferred authority for assessing 'ability to become economically established' and 'intent to reside' from IRCC to provinces and territories — a valid provincial nomination certificate is now treated as sufficient proof of both criteria.
Ontario's OINP issued multiple targeted invitations in April 2026, including agriculture-related occupations (April 15), physicians (April 8), Francophone candidates, REDI pilot candidates, healthcare and early childhood education workers (April 8), and mining-related occupations (April 1).
What You Should Do
- If you have or are pursuing a provincial nomination, create or update your Express Entry profile immediately to receive the 600-point CRS boost, which virtually guarantees an ITA in the next PNP draw. Visit canada.ca/express-entry to create your profile.
- If you are applying for a provincial nomination in Ontario, check the OINP updates page at ontario.ca/page/ontario-immigrant-nominee-program for current open streams — April 2026 invitations have targeted agriculture, mining, healthcare, ECE, physicians, and Francophone candidates.
- If you already hold a provincial nomination and submitted your Express Entry profile before November 19, 2025 at 6:53 p.m. UTC, you were eligible for the April 13 PNP draw. If you missed it, ensure your profile is active and up to date for the next PNP round — these draws occur roughly every 2 weeks.
- Under the new March 30, 2026 PNP regulatory changes, provinces now solely assess your intent to reside and economic establishment ability. If you are applying for a nomination, be prepared to demonstrate these factors clearly to the province, as IRCC will no longer independently re-evaluate them once you hold a nomination certificate.
Sources
Topics Covered
PNP Federal-Provincial Authority Transfer: Effective March 30, 2026, regulatory changes give provinces and territories sole authority to assess an applicant's ability to become economically established and intent to reside in the nominating province. A valid nomination certificate now serves as conclusive proof of both for IRCC purposes.
PNP Express Entry Draw Trends: The April 13 PNP draw issued 324 ITAs at a CRS cut-off of 786, continuing a pattern of small-volume draws (264–362 ITAs) occurring roughly every two weeks in 2026. Cut-offs have ranged from 710 to 802 across March–April 2026.
More Provincial Nominee Program Updates
Provincial Nominee Program Update — June 11, 2026
Jun 11, 2026
Provincial Nominee Program Update — June 8, 2026
Jun 8, 2026
Provincial Nominee Program Update — June 4, 2026
Jun 4, 2026
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