September 4, 2026 Express Entry Healthcare Draw: 3,500 ITAs at CRS 475

IRCC has posted another category-based Express Entry round, one day after the physicians draw. On its rounds of invitations page, the latest round is Healthcare and Social Services Occupations, 2026-Version 3, held on September 4, 2026 at 11:16:45 UTC. The department issued 3,500 invitations. The Comprehensive Ranking System score of the lowest-ranked candidate invited was 475. Rank needed was 3,500 or above.

The tie-breaking rule is May 26, 2026 at 00:26:14 UTC. If more than one candidate sat at 475, only those who submitted their profile on or before that timestamp were invited. The ministerial instructions table lists this round as invitation set 441. IRCC's official account posted the same three figures.

This is not a new program. The category has been on IRCC's 2026 list. The change that matters today is the published cutoff and volume. The last healthcare and social services round on the official table was June 25, 2026, which issued 4,000 invitations at CRS 475. Today's cutoff is the same. The invitation count is 500 lower.

Draw results at a glance

Official IRCC figures for this round:

The three rounds immediately before this one, already on IRCC's list, were different programs:

A 475 cutoff applies only to candidates who met this category's instructions. The September 1 CEC cutoff of 521 still governs CEC-only rounds. Do not read 475 as a general CRS drop.

Who this category actually includes

IRCC's category-based selection page, last modified June 22, 2026, sets the floor. To be eligible for this category you must:

• Have accumulated, within the past 3 years, at least 12 months of full-time work experience, or an equal amount of part-time experience. The experience does not need to be continuous.
• Have gained that experience in a single occupation listed in IRCC's healthcare and social services table, no matter your primary occupation.
• Have gained that experience in Canada or abroad.
• Meet all requirements in the instructions for that round.
• Also be eligible for one of the three programs managed through Express Entry.

IRCC's live table lists 37 occupations. Examples on that page include general practitioners and family physicians (NOC 31102), dentists (31110), licensed practical nurses (32101), and dental hygienists and dental therapists (32111). Check the official table for the full list before you treat a job title as in-category.

This is not the physicians-only category used on September 3. That category is limited to three physician NOC codes and requires Canadian work experience. We covered that round in our September 3 physicians explainer. A physician with Canadian experience may sit in both. A nurse or other listed worker with qualifying foreign experience may sit only in this broader one.

IRCC's pool snapshot on the rounds page listed 226,673 candidates in total. The 451-500 band held 74,105 profiles. A 475 cutoff sits inside that crowded range. Most people in the band were not invited. Only category-eligible candidates at or above 475 who met the May 26 tie-break were selected.

If you received an ITA

IRCC's apply for permanent residence page states that an invitation is valid for 60 days only.

1. Sign in to your IRCC account and start the permanent residence application immediately.
2. Confirm that work letters, licence documents, language tests, and any Educational Credential Assessment still match the profile that was invited.
3. Book police certificates and a medical exam with a panel physician early.
4. Recalculate your CRS if anything has changed. IRCC says that if your recalculated score is below the lowest score in your round, you should decline the invitation.
5. Support every claimed fact. Inconsistencies are a common reason for delay or refusal.

An ITA is not an approval.

If you were not invited

Useful next steps include:

• Confirm you actually meet this category. The experience must be in one listed occupation for at least 12 months in the last three years.
• Check whether you also sit in CEC. The September 1 CEC cutoff was 521. We covered that round in our September 1 CEC explainer.
• Keep the profile accurate. An expired language test or a job-title mismatch can take you out of a category you would otherwise have entered.
• A provincial nomination still adds 600 CRS points if you have a qualifying path.

If you want a structured review of category eligibility, CRS, or a complete application after an ITA, contact JSR Immigration & Legals through our consultation page or the work permit service page.

This article is general information current to September 4, 2026, and is not legal or immigration advice. Confirm the live round on Canada.ca before you act.