September 28, 2026 Express Entry PNP Draw: 733 ITAs at CRS 725

IRCC has posted a new Provincial Nominee Program round. On its rounds of invitations page, opened on September 28, 2026, the latest block is a Provincial Nominee Program round dated September 28, 2026 at 10:41:06 UTC. The department issued 733 invitations. The Comprehensive Ranking System score of the lowest-ranked candidate invited was 725. Rank needed was 733 or above.

The same figures appear as invitation 445 on the ministerial instructions list. The tie-breaking rule is September 17, 2026 at 01:36:17 UTC. If more than one nominee sat at 725, only those who submitted their Express Entry profile on or before that timestamp were invited.

This is a program-specific PNP round, not a new program. The September 14 PNP round invited 576 people at CRS 734. Today's cutoff is 9 points lower. Volume rose from 576 to 733.

Draw results at a glance

Official IRCC figures for this round:

Compare that with the four previous PNP-only rounds already on IRCC's list:

Today's 733 invitations is the largest PNP-only round in that stretch. The cutoff sits between the August 31 low of 697 and the September 14 line of 734. Do not treat 725 as a standing target.

Only candidates with a valid provincial or territorial nomination in their Express Entry profile were in scope. The September 15 CEC and September 16 senior-managers instructions did not apply here.

Why the cutoff sits above 700

A provincial or territorial nomination adds 600 CRS points. Most invited scores in a PNP-only round are nomination points plus a human-capital remainder. A 725 cutoff means the lowest invited nominee had about 125 points besides the nomination. That remainder still has to hold on language, age, education, and skilled work.

IRCC's Express Entry PNP page is clear: you must accept the nomination in your profile before you can be invited in a PNP-specific round. A paper nomination that is not attached to the profile does not count.

If you received an ITA

IRCC's apply for permanent residence page states that an invitation is valid for 60 days only. Start the application as soon as the invitation appears.

1. Sign in to your IRCC account and start the permanent residence application immediately.
2. Confirm the nomination still appears on the profile that was invited.
3. Confirm that language tests, work letters, and any Educational Credential Assessment still match that profile.
4. Book police certificates and a medical exam with a panel physician early.
5. 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.
6. Support every claimed fact. Inconsistencies are a common reason for delay or refusal.

An ITA is not an approval. The nomination does not replace medical or criminality screening.

If you hold a nomination but were not invited

Check three things against the official instructions, not against a tracker:

• Is the nomination accepted in the live Express Entry profile?
• Is your CRS at or above 725?
• Was the profile submitted on or before September 17, 2026 at 01:36:17 UTC if you sat exactly at 725?

If the nomination is recent and the score is below 725, stay in the pool. Keep language results and job details current. An expired test or a title mismatch can drop you out of a later round.

If you do not have a nomination

This draw does not change CEC, French-language, or occupation-category cutoffs. Those run on separate ministerial instructions. A nomination remains the most reliable way to clear a PNP-only round because of the 600-point boost.

Ontario's Workforce Priority Stream and other provincial portals remain the usual route to that boost. Meet the current provincial criteria before you file. See our September 14 PNP draw post for the previous cutoff. The September 15 CEC post covers different instructions.

If you want a structured review of a nomination, 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 28, 2026, and is not legal or immigration advice. Confirm the live round on Canada.ca before you act.