IRCC's September 13 pool data shows just 120 more candidates than August 30, but the top of the pool grew by 1,257 — here's the full breakdown and what it predicts.
IRCC's latest Express Entry pool snapshot, published September 15, 2026 and covering data as of September 13, looks quiet on the surface: the pool grew by just 120 candidates over two weeks, settling at 226,793. But that headline number hides two very different stories happening at once. The 471–500 range lost 2,085 profiles, while the 501–600 range gained 1,242 — the top of the pool keeps getting more crowded even as the middle empties out.
Here's the full breakdown, and what it tells you about where you actually stand.
| CRS score range | September 13 | August 30 | Difference |
|---|
| 0–300 | 7,746 | 7,735 | +11 |
| 301–350 | 17,240 | 17,495 | −255 |
| 351–400 | 46,782 | 46,824 | −42 |
| 401–410 | 11,033 | 10,723 | +310 |
| 411–420 | 11,506 | 11,183 | +323 |
| 421–430 | 12,064 | 11,811 | +253 |
| 431–440 | 13,300 | 13,233 | +67 |
| 441–450 | 13,657 | 13,463 | +194 |
| 451–460 | 14,823 | 14,800 | +23 |
| 461–470 | 16,163 | 16,099 | +64 |
| 471–480 | 16,105 | 16,981 | −876 |
| 481–490 | 12,426 | 13,273 | −847 |
| 491–500 | 12,590 | 12,952 | −362 |
| 501–600 | 20,784 | 19,542 | +1,242 |
| 601–1,200 | 574 | 559 | +15 |
| Total | 226,793 | 226,673 | +120 |
Read the "difference" column closely and there's a clear break at 470: the 401–470 range grew across every band, while every band from 471 to 500 shrank — 2,085 candidates disappeared from that stretch alone. The 501–600 band, meanwhile, kept climbing. Candidates just below the CEC and PNP cutoffs are either getting invited out of the pool or aging into higher scores, while a wave of lower-scoring profiles is moving up to replace them from below.
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 | 7,746 | 0.00%–3.42% |
| 301–350 | 24,986 | 3.42%–11.02% |
| 351–400 | 71,768 | 11.02%–31.64% |
| 401–410 | 82,801 | 31.64%–36.51% |
| 411–420 | 94,307 | 36.51%–41.58% |
| 421–430 | 106,371 | 41.58%–46.90% |
| 431–440 | 119,671 | 46.90%–52.77% |
| 441–450 | 133,328 | 52.77%–58.79% |
| 451–460 | 148,151 | 58.79%–65.32% |
| 461–470 | 164,314 | 65.32%–72.45% |
| 471–480 | 180,419 | 72.45%–79.55% |
| 481–490 | 192,845 | 79.55%–85.03% |
| 491–500 | 205,435 | 85.03%–90.58% |
| 501–600 | 226,219 | 90.58%–99.75% |
| 601–1,200 | 226,793 | 99.75%–100.00% |
A few reference points worth knowing off the top of your head: the September 1 CEC draw cleared at CRS 521, which sits inside the 501–600 band — roughly the top 9% of the entire pool. The September 4 healthcare and social services draw cleared at 475, right at the boundary of the 73rd–80th percentile. And the September 3 Physicians category draw cleared at just 198 — a reminder that occupation-specific categories with small, shallow candidate pools can clear far below where CRS alone would suggest.
The September 13 data predates three rounds IRCC ran right after: the September 14 PNP draw (576 ITAs, CRS 734), the September 15 CEC draw (2,000 ITAs, CRS 519), and the September 16 Senior Managers draw (250 ITAs, CRS 389) — 2,826 invitations not yet reflected in the numbers above. With those draws counted, IRCC has issued 128,982 ITAs across 56 rounds so far in 2026.
Between those two snapshots, IRCC ran four selection rounds, issuing 6,291 invitations:
| Date | Round type | ITAs issued | CRS cutoff |
|---|
| August 31 | Provincial Nominee Program | 562 | 697 |
| September 1 | Canadian Experience Class | 2,000 | 521 |
| September 3 | Physicians with Canadian Work Experience | 229 | 198 |
| September 4 | Healthcare and Social Services | 3,500 | 475 |
The August 31 PNP draw posted the lowest PNP cutoff of the year so far, and the September 1 CEC round produced the second-highest CEC cutoff of 2026. Even with 6,291 candidates removed from the pool, total pool size barely moved — which means new candidates entered the pool almost as fast as IRCC pulled them out through draws.
If your CRS is 501 or higher: you're in the top 9% of the pool, and that band grew by 1,242 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, but this is the exact range that shrank the most over the last two weeks — 2,085 candidates left this band. Category-based draws are built for this range: healthcare and social services cleared at 475 this month.
If your CRS is 400–470: you're in the largest single stretch of the pool — over 100,000 candidates span this range, and every band here actually grew over the last two weeks, meaning more competition, not less. General and CEC draws remain out of reach at current cutoffs. Your realistic levers are a PNP nomination (adds a flat 600 points) or closing the gap with a stronger language score.
If your CRS is below 400: French-language draws have cleared as low as the 390s this year — check the category-based draws explainer if you have any French ability. Otherwise, building toward NCLC 7 French remains the single highest-leverage move available to a candidate in this band.
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 521 sounds like a huge number until you see it's really "the top 9% of the pool." 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 471–500 band's sharp two-week decline suggests candidates in that range are either getting invited faster than they're being replaced, or aging upward into the 501+ band. If that trend holds, expect category-based cutoffs in the high 460s to low 480s to keep pulling deeper into a thinner pool, which could push future cutoffs in that range slightly higher rather than lower. 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.