Canada Immigration Update February 2026
Last Updated On 29 January 2026, 10:15 AM EST (Toronto Time)
Canada’s Express Entry system is entering February 2026 with significant activity in the Canadian Experience Class Express Entry draws, impacting the pool dynamics.
The latest draw on January 21, 2026, for the Canadian Experience Class issued 6,000 Invitations to Apply at a CRS cutoff of 509.
Following recent trends, a Provincial Nominee Program draw is anticipated early in the week, with a subsequent Canadian Experience Class draw, and possibly a category-based draw in the coming weeks.
Here’s what to expect in early February based on the current pool composition and observed draw patterns since late October.
Key Points for February 2026
- February is likely to start with a PNP draw followed by a CEC draw.
- The CEC cutoffs are decreasing due to the removal of 14,000 candidates in January through two significant draws.
- The pool snapshot from January 19 indicated 16,341 candidates in the 501–600 range and 677 in the 601–1200 range, influencing the recent draw outcomes.
- A potential cutoff below 500 for CEC draws is possible in February, depending on draw sizes and new profile entries.
Pool Dynamics and Predictions
To forecast February cutoffs, we analyze the pool snapshot before the recent draws on January 20 and 21.
As of January 19, 2026, the CRS score distribution revealed a significant increase in profiles in the 451-500 range, with the highest numbers between 471-480 and 491-500.
Notably, there was a reduction of 5,451 profiles in the 501-600 range, crucial for the upcoming draws in February.
Despite issuing 13,000 ITAs since December 14, the decrease in the 501-600 range was only partial, indicating the rapid influx of new profiles.
Considering these factors, an estimated 3,000 profiles may have been removed from the 501-600 range, leaving around 13,341 candidates in this bracket.
