IRCC's August 3 pool data shows 2,433 fewer candidates than July 19, with growth concentrated above CRS 470. Here's the full breakdown and what it predicts.
IRCC's latest Express Entry pool snapshot, published August 3, 2026, shows something most candidates won't see in a draw result: the pool got smaller even as the top of it got more crowded. Total active candidates fell to 229,100 — down 2,433 from July 19 — while the number of candidates scoring 501 or higher actually grew by 1,572. Two different stories, same two weeks.
Here's the full breakdown, and what it tells you about where you actually stand.
| CRS score range | August 3 | July 19 | Difference |
|---|
| 0–300 | 7,683 | 7,836 | −153 |
| 301–350 | 17,101 | 17,490 | −389 |
| 351–400 | 50,107 | 51,107 | −1,000 |
| 401–410 | 10,775 | 12,339 | −1,564 |
| 411–420 | 11,326 | 12,460 | −1,134 |
| 421–430 | 11,942 | 11,961 | −19 |
| 431–440 | 13,267 | 13,437 | −170 |
| 441–450 | 13,595 | 13,680 | −85 |
| 451–460 | 14,845 | 14,879 | −34 |
| 461–470 | 16,057 | 16,086 | −29 |
| 471–480 | 16,368 | 16,119 | +249 |
| 481–490 | 12,890 | 12,615 | +275 |
| 491–500 | 12,939 | 12,880 | +59 |
| 501–600 | 19,705 | 18,133 | +1,572 |
| 601–1,200 | 500 | 511 | −11 |
| Total | 229,100 | 231,533 | −2,433 |
Read down the "difference" column and there's a clean split at 470: every band at or below 470 shrank, every band from 471 up through 600 grew (the very top band, 601+, dipped slightly — that's mostly PNP-nominated candidates cycling out through draws). This is a pool that's losing its lower and middle bands while its upper band fills in.
IRCC's data also lets you see what percentile your own score falls into — a more useful number than the raw band count if you're trying to gauge your real competitiveness.
| CRS score range | Cumulative candidates | Percentile range |
|---|
| 0–300 | 7,683 | 0.00%–3.35% |
| 301–350 | 24,784 | 3.35%–10.82% |
| 351–400 | 74,891 | 10.82%–32.69% |
| 401–410 | 85,666 | 32.69%–37.39% |
| 411–420 | 96,992 | 37.39%–42.34% |
| 421–430 | 108,934 | 42.34%–47.55% |
| 431–440 | 122,201 | 47.55%–53.34% |
| 441–450 | 135,796 | 53.34%–59.27% |
| 451–460 | 150,641 | 59.27%–65.75% |
| 461–470 | 166,698 | 65.75%–72.76% |
| 471–480 | 183,066 | 72.76%–79.91% |
| 481–490 | 195,956 | 79.91%–85.53% |
| 491–500 | 208,895 | 85.53%–91.18% |
| 501–600 | 228,600 | 91.18%–99.78% |
| 601–1,200 | 229,100 | 99.78%–100.00% |
A few reference points worth knowing off the top of your head: the August 6 French-language draw cleared at CRS 391, which sits inside the 351–400 band — roughly the 11th-to-33rd percentile, a wide band but still comfortably ahead of the bottom third of the pool. The August 7 Transport category draw cleared at 470, right at the boundary of the 65th–73rd percentile. And the August 5 CEC draw cleared at 516 — inside the 501–600 band, meaning it reached into roughly the top 9% of the entire pool. If your score sits at 516 or higher, you're not just "above the CEC cutoff" — you're ahead of more than 90% of everyone currently in Express Entry.
The August 3 data predates two rounds IRCC ran right after: the August 4 PNP draw (507 ITAs, CRS 768) and the August 5 CEC draw (3,000 ITAs, CRS 516) — 3,507 invitations not yet reflected in the numbers above. Add the August 6 French draw (5,000 ITAs) and the August 7 Transport draw (300 ITAs), and IRCC has issued 113,423 ITAs across 46 draws so far in 2026, as of August 7.
Between those two snapshots, IRCC ran four selection rounds, issuing 7,515 invitations:
| Date | Round type | ITAs issued | CRS cutoff |
|---|
| July 20 | Provincial Nominee Program | 511 | 744 |
| July 21 | Canadian Experience Class | 2,000 | 516 |
| July 22 | French-Language proficiency | 5,000 | 399 |
| July 23 | Skilled Military Recruits | 4 | 368 |
The July 23 round was IRCC's first-ever Skilled Military Recruits draw since the category launched in February — a reminder that not every category-based draw is about volume. Four ITAs moved the needle on nobody's odds, but it's a data point for a category that had never actually run before.
None of these four draws fully explains why every band under 470 shrank while every band above it grew. Draws remove candidates roughly proportional to where they sit in the CRS distribution — a 5,000-ITA French draw at 399 pulls disproportionately from the 350–450 range, for instance. But the pattern across the full two weeks — steady erosion below 470, steady growth above it — points to something structural: fewer new candidates are entering the pool at the bottom, while candidates already in the pool are aging into higher scores (a birthday, a new job anniversary, a fresh language test) faster than new low-scoring profiles are replacing them.
If your CRS is 501 or higher: you're in the top 9% of the pool, and that band grew by 1,572 candidates in two weeks — the fastest-growing segment. This is also exactly the range CEC and PNP draws pull from. If you're not already getting invited, check whether your profile actually qualifies for CEC or a PNP stream; score alone isn't enough if you don't meet the program's baseline eligibility.
If your CRS is 471–500: you're between the 73rd and 91st percentile — ahead of most of the pool, but below where CEC and PNP draws currently clear. This is the band category-based draws are built for. The Transport category cleared at 470 this month; healthcare and social services has cleared as low as 462 this year. Check whether your occupation fits any of the ten active categories.
If your CRS is 400–470: you're in the largest single stretch of the pool — over 100,000 candidates span this range. General and CEC draws are out of reach at current cutoffs. Your realistic levers are a PNP nomination (adds a flat 600 points), a French-language test if you have any French ability (the August 6 draw cleared at 391), or closing the gap with a stronger language score.
If your CRS is below 400: you're not out of range for French-language draws specifically — August's cutoff of 391 reached into this territory — but every other category currently sits well above you. Building toward NCLC 7 French is the single highest-leverage move available to a candidate in this band right now.
Tip
Don't just track the CRS cutoff of the last draw — track which percentile band you're in using the table above. A cutoff of 516 sounds like a huge number until you see it's really "the top 9% of the pool." A cutoff of 391 sounds soft until you realize it's still ahead of a third of everyone in Express Entry. The percentile, not the raw score, is what tells you how much competition you're actually up against.
IRCC does not publish a draw calendar, so the safest forecast is based on the pattern, not a promise. The pool's bottom-heavy erosion and top-heavy growth suggest CEC and PNP cutoffs are likely to stay in their recent bands (514–518 for CEC, 700s–800s for PNP) unless draw sizes change meaningfully. The French sub-pool, by contrast, still has real depth in the 350–400 range — expect IRCC to keep running large French draws as long as that supply holds, which keeps the door open for candidates in that band. We report what the data shows, not what IRCC will do next.
Where do you actually sit? CRS Calculator | All Express Entry Draws | Category-Based Draws Explained | How to Improve Your CRS Score Fast
Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute immigration advice. Always verify information with official IRCC sources and consult a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) or licensed immigration lawyer for advice specific to your situation.