Express Entry Draw June 22: PNP Round Issues 955 ITAs at CRS 730 — Biggest PNP Draw of 2026 Ends the Pause

The 25-day silence is over — and IRCC broke it with the biggest Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) round of the year. On June 22, 2026, IRCC issued 955 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) at CRS 730 to candidates with a provincial nomination. That's nearly three times the size of the last PNP round and a 75-point drop in the cutoff. After a month of shrinking draws and a rising floor, this one reversed both at once.

What happened

On June 22, 2026 at 04:06:26 UTC, IRCC issued 955 ITAs to Express Entry candidates with a provincial nomination and a minimum CRS score of 730, according to Immigration News Canada and CIC News. The tie-breaking rule selected profiles created before March 9, 2026 at 01:02:28 UTC.

This was round #419 and the first Express Entry draw of any kind since May 28 — a 25-day pause that ranks among the longest gaps of 2026. It's also the largest PNP-specific round since December 2024.

A cutoff of 730 sounds high until you remember every provincial nominee gets an automatic 600 CRS points for the nomination itself. A floor of 730 means the lowest-ranked invited candidate had a base score of roughly 130 before the boost — entirely normal for a younger skilled worker without Canadian experience. The number to watch in a PNP draw isn't the headline cutoff; it's how far it moves.

Why the cutoff dropped 75 points

The last PNP round — May 25, 334 ITAs at CRS 805 — was the smallest, highest-cutoff PNP draw of the year. June 22 went the other way on both counts, and the two moves are connected.

A much larger round digs deeper. May 25 invited 334 candidates. June 22 invited 955 — a 186% jump and 274 more than the previous 2026 high of 681 (set back in January). When IRCC invites nearly three times as many people, it has to reach further down the ranking to fill the round, which pulls the cutoff down.

A fresh wave of nominations entered the pool. A bigger round is only possible if there are more nominees to invite. During the pause, provinces released a large batch of new nominations into Express Entry — IRCC's pool snapshot from June 21 showed the 601+ CRS band swelling to 941 candidates, up sharply from the few hundred sitting there in May. That refilled supply is what let IRCC issue 955 invitations and drop the floor to 730 in the same draw. The 75-point fall from 805 to 730 is the clearest signal we have that the nominee shortage of April and May has eased.

For context, the only 2026 PNP draw with a lower cutoff was March 2 at CRS 710. So 730 isn't a record low — but it's the lowest PNP floor in over three months, and it arrives attached to the largest round of the year.

PNP draws this year

Here's how the recent PNP rounds compare. The reversal in June is hard to miss.

Through the spring, the trend was fewer invitations at a higher floor — a tightening pool of nominees. June 22 snapped the line. Whether it's a one-time release of backed-up nominations or the start of a higher PNP cadence depends entirely on what provinces feed into the pool next.

The bigger story: the pause is over, but CEC is still waiting

For a month, the June draw pause was the real headline — no Canadian Experience Class (CEC) round, no French-language round, no category-based round since late May. June 22 ended the silence, but it only addressed the PNP lane. As of this draw, IRCC had not paired it with a CEC or category round.

That matters most for candidates in the 501–600 CRS range, the band CEC draws clear. The last CEC round was May 27 — 3,000 ITAs at CRS 518. Every week without a CEC draw lets high-scoring candidates stack into that range, which pushes the next CEC cutoff up rather than down. Our pause forecast pegged 522+ as the realistic floor whenever CEC resumes — and 25 days of accumulation makes a number below 518 very unlikely.

What's expected next

A CEC round is overdue. With the PNP lane cleared, CEC is the obvious next lever. Expect a cutoff at or above the May 27 level of 518 — most likely in the 520–525 range — and a round size of 2,000–3,000 ITAs. (IRCC sets each draw; this is an estimate based on recent rounds, not a promise.)

A French-language round is the easy release valve. French-eligible draws clear at CRS 400 or lower and need no policy decision. If IRCC wants to relieve pool pressure quickly, a French round is the simplest move — 2026's French cutoffs have dropped as low as the 390s.

The next PNP round depends on supply. June 22's size was driven by a one-time batch of nominations. The next PNP draw could be much smaller if provinces don't refill the pool at the same pace. Watch the cutoff: if it climbs back toward 800, supply has tightened again.

If you got invited

You have 60 days from June 22 — until around August 21, 2026 — to submit a complete PR application. A PNP-linked ITA triggers the standard Express Entry document list, plus your provincial nomination letter.

• Immigration medical exam (IME) — book now. Panel physicians in major cities run 2–3 week waits into the summer.
• Police certificates (PCC) from every country you've lived in 6+ months since age 18. Some take 8+ weeks — start the slowest one today using our country-by-country PCC guides.
• Provincial nomination letter — the program and stream details must match your IRCC profile exactly. A mismatch is the most common cause of a returned application.
• Employment reference letters for every work-experience claim — title, duties, hours, dates, salary, on company letterhead.
• Valid language test — IELTS, CELPIP, TEF, or TCF, valid for two years. If yours expires before late August, retake before submitting.
• Proof of funds — verify against the current 2026 thresholds unless you're exempt through CEC or a valid job offer.
• Budget for higher fees — the April 30 fee schedule added roughly $75 per applicant.

If you weren't selected

You have a nomination but a base CRS below ~130 (total below 730): you weren't reached this round, but June 22 just showed the floor can fall fast when supply returns. Keep your profile current and your documents ready.

You don't have a nomination yet: that 600-point boost is the surest way into a PNP draw. Check the active streams in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario, and read our PNP guide for which provinces accept direct applications.

You're CEC-eligible in the 500–525 range: the next CEC round is the one to watch. A language retest that lifts you from CLB 8 to CLB 9 can add 20–30 points — worth doing before the cutoff climbs further.

CRS score check

Want to know where you stand after today's draw? Run the numbers: CRS Calculator | All Express Entry Draws | PNP Guide | How to Improve CRS Fast | Why Draws Slow Down