Updated July 2026. IRCC’s Express Entry Draw #386, held December 15, 2025, issued 399 invitations to Provincial Nominee Program candidates at a CRS cutoff of 731 — the second consecutive week of PNP-only draws heading into year-end.
Draw Details
- Date: December 15, 2025
- Program: Provincial Nominee Program
- CRS cutoff: 731
- Invitations issued: 399
- Tie-break rule: October 18, 2025 at 7:18:52 UTC
As with any PNP draw, the 731 cutoff includes the 600-point provincial nomination bonus — invitees had a base CRS score of roughly 131 before their nomination was factored in.
Why Back-to-Back PNP Draws
By restricting invitations to candidates who already held a provincial nomination, IRCC could move nominations toward permanent residence applications quickly — helping provinces reach their year-end landing targets before December 31, and reflecting the government’s continued reliance on provincial streams to address regional labour market needs. The timing so close to the holidays may also reflect IRCC clearing its invitation queue ahead of the seasonal slowdown.
Year-End Context
This draw contributed to a strong finish for 2025: by mid-December, IRCC had issued more than 106,000 Express Entry invitations for the year, already surpassing its 100,000 target.
If You Don’t Have a Nomination
Provincial nomination remains one of the most reliable paths to an invitation for candidates with moderate CRS scores — it’s worth exploring whether a provincial nominee stream matches your occupation and background, particularly if your base CRS score alone wouldn’t clear general draws. Keep your Express Entry profile active and accurate regardless, since tie-breaking rules apply whenever multiple candidates share the same score.
Source: IRCC, Express Entry: Rounds of invitations.
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