September 3, 2026 Express Entry Physicians Draw: 229 ITAs at CRS 198

IRCC has posted a category-based Express Entry round two days after the September 1 Canadian Experience Class draw. On its rounds of invitations page, the latest round is Physicians with Canadian Work Experience, 2026-Version 1, held on September 3, 2026 at 11:18:08 UTC. The department issued 229 invitations. The Comprehensive Ranking System score of the lowest-ranked candidate invited was 198. Rank needed was 229 or above.

The tie-breaking rule is August 6, 2026 at 19:40:38 UTC. If more than one candidate sat at 198, only those who submitted their profile on or before that timestamp were invited. The ministerial instructions table lists this round as invitation set 440.

This is not a new program. It is a targeted category that has been on IRCC's 2026 list. The change that matters today is the published cutoff and volume, not a change to who can enter the category.

Draw results at a glance

Official IRCC figures for this round:

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

A 198 cutoff is not a standing target for the rest of Express Entry. It 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 198 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 the table below, no matter your primary occupation.
• Have gained that experience in Canada.
• Meet all requirements in the instructions for that round.
• Also be eligible for one of the three programs managed through Express Entry.

The official occupation list for this category is short:

This is not the broader healthcare and social services category. That other category covers many health occupations and allows experience in Canada or abroad. The physicians category is limited to these three NOC codes and requires Canadian experience.

IRCC's medical doctors with experience in Canada page states the same core test: at least one year of full-time work as a medical doctor in Canada in the last three years, plus eligibility for an Express Entry program.

IRCC's pool snapshot as of August 30, 2026 listed 226,673 candidates in total. A 198 cutoff sits in the lowest CRS band. Most people in that band were not invited. Only category-eligible physicians at or above 198 who met the tie-break were selected. Rank needed of 229 shows how small this slice is.

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. Foreign physician experience without the required Canadian year does not put you in this draw.
• 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 3, 2026, and is not legal or immigration advice. Confirm the live round on Canada.ca before you act.