Provincial Nominee Program Update — April 27, 2026
Monday, April 27, 2026
On April 13, 2026, IRCC issued 324 ITAs in a PNP-specific Express Entry draw, requiring a minimum CRS score of 786 — down from 802 on March 30 but still far above general draw thresholds.
As of March 30, 2026, significant regulatory changes transferred authority over intent-to-reside and settlement assessments from IRCC to provinces and territories — a valid provincial nomination certificate now serves as sufficient proof these checks were completed.
PNP draw sizes in 2026 have been small (264–362 ITAs per draw), with the federal Express Entry PNP stream serving as a top-up for candidates who have already received a provincial nomination.
What You Should Do
- If you have a provincial nomination certificate, add it to your Express Entry profile immediately at ircc.canada.ca — it adds 600 CRS points and effectively guarantees an ITA in the next PNP draw regardless of your base CRS score.
- Contact your specific province's immigration office to understand the new 2026 PNP rules that took effect March 30, 2026. Provinces now independently assess intent to reside and settlement ability — confirm what documentation they require as part of the nomination process.
- Review the list of provincial PNP streams at canada.ca/provincial-nominees to find streams aligned with your occupation, as the federal authority transfer means provincial criteria are now the primary gatekeeping step for nomination.
Sources
Topics Covered
PNP Federal-Provincial Authority Transfer: Effective March 30, 2026, regulatory changes transferred responsibility for assessing intent-to-reside and settlement suitability from IRCC to provinces and territories, with a valid nomination certificate now accepted as sufficient proof.
PNP Express Entry Draw Trends: The April 13 PNP draw issued only 324 ITAs at CRS 786, continuing a pattern of small, high-threshold PNP draws in 2026 (ranging from 264 to 362 ITAs at CRS 710–802 across four draws).
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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