If you’ve been refreshing Express Entry updates and thinking “Why is the CRS cut-off suddenly so low / so high?”, you’re not imagining things. From 2022 to early 2026, the same Express Entry system has produced everything from ultra-competitive Provincial Nominee rounds in the 800s to targeted category rounds dropping into the 300s—and even lower for very specific groups.
Before we dive in: Express Entry is a pathway to Canadian permanent residence (PR). Some people call it a “work visa route” because PR leads to work authorization in Canada, but the invitations are for PR applications.
What you should take away (fast)?
- There is no single “CRS cut-off”—it changes by round type (PNP vs CEC vs French vs occupation-targeted rounds).
- 2024–2026 is the era of targeted selection: category-based and program-specific draws reshaped what “competitive” looks like.
- A “low CRS” headline usually means a narrow category, not that Express Entry suddenly became easy for everyone.
The 2022–2026 CRS score Snapshot (Ranges that Actually Matter)
This table shows how wide the CRS cut-offs swing when you look across all draws in each year.
| year | draws | itas_total | min_crs | max_crs | median_crs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 24 | 46538 | 491 | 808 | 692 |
| 2023 | 42 | 110266 | 354 | 791 | 486 |
| 2024 | 52 | 98903 | 336 | 816 | 524.5 |
| 2025 | 58 | 113998 | 379 | 855 | 533.5 |
| 2026 | 9 | 30848 | 169 | 789 | 511 |
What a CRS “cut-off” really means (and why it jumps)?
A draw’s published CRS number is the score of the lowest-ranked candidate invited in that round. It is not a fixed pass mark—and it’s not a prediction for the next draw.
CRS cut-offs jump because IRCC can change:
- Who is eligible in that round (all-program vs CEC vs French vs a specific occupation category),
- How many invitations are issued,
- And how the pool is behaving (how many candidates are sitting above your score).
The Big Shifts that Changed CRS patterns from 2022 to 2026?
1) Category-based selection became the “new normal”
Legislative changes in 2022 opened the door for more targeted selection, and by mid-2023 category-based invitations started reshaping the draw landscape. By 2024, category-based rounds were a major part of the year’s invitation strategy.
2) Job-offer CRS points were removed (and that changed competition)
From March 25, 2025, candidates stopped receiving CRS bonus points for arranged employment/job offers. That single change forced many candidates to compete more heavily on language, education, experience, and nominations instead.
3) 2026 shows how targeted rounds can produce “shockingly low” cut-offs
When a draw targets a very specific, smaller eligible pool, the cut-off can fall dramatically. That doesn’t mean the overall pool is low—it means the target group is narrower.
CRS ranges by draw type (use this to set your target score)
2026 (Year-to-date)
| type | draws | itas | crs_range | median_crs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEC | 3 | 20000 | 508–511 | 509 |
| French | 1 | 8500 | 400–400 | 400 |
| PNP | 4 | 1957 | 711–789 | 747.5 |
| Physicians | 1 | 391 | 169–169 | 169 |
2025 (full year)
| type | draws | itas | crs_range | median_crs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| French | 9 | 48000 | 379–481 | 416 |
| CEC | 15 | 35850 | 515–547 | 531 |
| Healthcare | 7 | 14500 | 462–510 | 475 |
| PNP | 24 | 10898 | 667–855 | 748 |
| Education | 2 | 3500 | 462–479 | 470.5 |
| Trades | 1 | 1250 | 505–505 | 505 |
2024 (full year)
| type | draws | itas | crs_range | median_crs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEC | 10 | 26500 | 507–547 | 518.5 |
| French | 11 | 23000 | 336–478 | 410 |
| PNP | 14 | 15483 | 663–816 | 716 |
| General | 9 | 14445 | 524–549 | 535 |
| Healthcare | 3 | 10250 | 422–463 | 445 |
| STEM | 1 | 4500 | 491–491 | 491 |
| Trades | 2 | 3600 | 433–436 | 434.5 |
| Transport | 1 | 975 | 430–430 | 430 |
| Agriculture | 1 | 150 | 437–437 | 437 |
2023 (full year)
| type | draws | itas | crs_range | median_crs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All-program | 19 | 76700 | 481–561 | 496 |
| French | 6 | 8700 | 375–486 | 454.5 |
| STEM | 2 | 6400 | 481–486 | 483.5 |
| Healthcare | 3 | 5600 | 431–476 | 463 |
| PNP | 5 | 4396 | 691–791 | 748 |
| Trades | 2 | 2500 | 388–425 | 406.5 |
| Transport | 2 | 1670 | 435–435 | 435 |
| Agriculture | 2 | 1000 | 354–386 | 370 |
| FSW program | 1 | 3300 | 489–489 | 489 |
2022 (full year)
| type | draws | itas | crs_range | median_crs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All-program | 11 | 35750 | 491–557 | 510 |
| PNP | 13 | 10788 | 674–808 | 754 |
The extremes: Lowest vs Highest CRS cut-offs (2022–2026)
Lowest cut-offs in this period
| date | year | draw | type | crs | itas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-19 | 2026 | 397 | Physicians | 169 | 391 |
| 2024-02-29 | 2024 | 287 | French | 336 | 2500 |
| 2024-03-26 | 2024 | 291 | French | 338 | 1500 |
| 2023-09-28 | 2023 | 267 | Agriculture | 354 | 600 |
| 2024-02-01 | 2024 | 282 | French | 365 | 7000 |
| 2023-07-12 | 2023 | 258 | French | 375 | 3800 |
| 2025-03-21 | 2025 | 341 | French | 379 | 7500 |
| 2023-12-21 | 2023 | 278 | Agriculture | 386 | 400 |
| 2023-08-03 | 2023 | 261 | Trades | 388 | 1500 |
| 2024-08-15 | 2024 | 310 | French | 394 | 2000 |
Highest cut-offs in this period
| date | year | draw | type | crs | itas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-09-29 | 2025 | 369 | PNP | 855 | 291 |
| 2024-11-18 | 2024 | 325 | PNP | 816 | 174 |
| 2024-11-12 | 2024 | 322 | PNP | 812 | 733 |
| 2022-01-05 | 2022 | 213 | PNP | 808 | 392 |
| 2025-02-04 | 2025 | 334 | PNP | 802 | 455 |
| 2025-08-18 | 2025 | 361 | PNP | 800 | 192 |
| 2022-06-08 | 2022 | 224 | PNP | 796 | 932 |
| 2025-01-07 | 2025 | 331 | PNP | 793 | 471 |
| 2024-10-21 | 2024 | 319 | PNP | 791 | 648 |
| 2023-02-15 | 2023 | 241 | PNP | 791 | 699 |
What CRS score should you aim for in 2026?
Instead of chasing one “perfect” score, pick the draw types you realistically qualify for:
- If you’re targeting PNP: you’re competing in a very different league—PNP cut-offs are typically high because nominations add major points.
- If you’re eligible for CEC: watch CEC ranges (in 2025 they stayed largely in the 500s; early 2026 is similar).
- If you have strong French: French-focused rounds have repeatedly produced lower cut-offs than general/CEC/PNP in recent years.
- If your work experience matches a targeted category: occupation-based rounds can be “surprisingly reachable” if you’re actually in that category.
How to raise your CRS (the moves that still work after 2025 changes)?
Since job-offer points are no longer part of CRS, the strongest levers now are:
- Language score upgrades (often the fastest high-impact improvement).
- A second language (French can open additional pathways beyond pure CRS competition).
- Education strategy (credential upgrades + correct ECA alignment).
- Canadian experience (when feasible, it can shift you into more favorable draw types).
- Provincial nomination (high effort, high reward—especially if your occupation is in demand regionally).