IRCC issued 8,034 invitations across four rounds between July 6 and 10, 2026. Round 425, a French-Language proficiency round, accounted for over half of that total on its own, inviting 5,000 candidates at a cut-off of CRS 420, the largest single round in this batch.
The batch began with round 423, a Provincial Nominee Program draw of 534 invitations at CRS 708, and continued with round 424's Canadian Experience Class round of 2,000 invitations at 517. It closed with round 426, a Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience round of 500 invitations at a cut-off of 392.
As with every batch, candidates can compare their own CRS against these four cut-offs with the CRS calculator, and the complete round history sits in the live draw table.
| Round | Date | Category | Invitations | CRS cut-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #423 | July 6, 2026 | Provincial Nominee Program | 534 | 708 |
| #424 | July 7, 2026 | Canadian Experience Class | 2,000 | 517 |
| #425 | July 9, 2026 | French-Language proficiency | 5,000 | 420 |
| #426 | July 10, 2026 | Senior managers with Canadian Work Experience | 500 | 392 |
Each bar is the lowest CRS score invited in that round. Invitation counts differ by orders of magnitude between rounds, so they are given as text rather than as a second axis.
PNP
#423 · 534 ITAs
708
CEC
#424 · 2,000 ITAs
517
French
#425 · 5,000 ITAs
420
Senior mgrs
#426 · 500 ITAs
392
600 points is what a provincial nomination adds on its own.
- Provincial nomination
- General programme round
- Category-based selection
French-Language proficiency at 420: the highest French cut-off of recent months
Round 425's cut-off of 420 is on the higher end for a French-language category round, and combined with 5,000 invitations, it represents substantial volume at a relatively demanding score for this category. Because this round selects only from candidates who meet the French-language eligibility threshold, a rising cut-off within that category can mean the eligible pool has grown, or that more of the eligible candidates hold stronger scores on the core factors, rather than any change to French-language requirements themselves.
A candidate who meets the French-ability threshold but sits below 420 should not read this round as a ceiling for the category; cut-offs in this category have varied over recent batches, and a lower cut-off could follow in a future round depending on the eligible pool at that time. Converting test scores to CLB remains the first step in confirming eligibility.
Senior Managers at 392: a category with a specific occupational scope
Round 426 invited 500 candidates under Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience at a cut-off of 392, well below both the CEC and PNP rounds in this batch. This category selects from candidates in senior management occupations who also have qualifying Canadian work experience, a combination that narrows the eligible pool considerably compared with the general CEC stream.
For a candidate in a senior management role with Canadian work experience but a CRS below CEC's typical range, this round is a meaningful data point. As with other category rounds, eligibility depends on occupational classification, which is worth confirming carefully rather than assuming the category applies based on job title alone.
CEC at 517 and PNP at 708
Round 424's CEC cut-off of 517 on 2,000 invitations sits squarely within the range this category has held through the year, offering candidates without a nomination or category eligibility a stable planning number. As with all recent CEC rounds, this figure excludes any contribution from a job offer, since arranged employment points were removed from the CRS in March 2025.
Round 423's PNP cut-off of 708 continues the pattern of high nominee scores driven by the 600-point nomination bonus. Once that bonus is removed, the underlying score behind this round sits around 108, a plausible figure for a nominated candidate whose core human capital factors are more modest but who has secured a provincial nomination.
Four rounds, four different pools
This batch is a clear illustration of how differently the same CRS number can be read depending on which round it comes from. A score of 420 competitive in the French-language round would not come close to the CEC cut-off, while a score of 708 in the PNP round says nothing about a candidate's underlying human capital factors without knowing they hold a nomination. Framed only as an observation of recent batches, IRCC's continued use of category rounds alongside general ones means candidates benefit from checking every round in a batch against their own circumstances rather than focusing on a single stream.
For candidates without a nomination or category eligibility, CEC at 517 remains the number to track most closely from this batch.
What to take from this round
- Round 425's French-language cut-off of 420 on 5,000 invitations is high for this category; candidates meeting the language threshold should still watch future rounds for lower cut-offs.
- Round 426's Senior Managers cut-off of 392 applies only to candidates in senior management occupations with qualifying Canadian work experience.
- Round 424's CEC cut-off of 517 remains the stable reference point for candidates without a nomination or category eligibility; check your score with the CRS calculator.
- Round 423's PNP cut-off of 708 includes a 600-point nomination bonus and should not be compared directly to a CRS score without a nomination.
Round numbers, dates, invitation counts and CRS cut-offs are IRCC's own, from their published rounds of invitations. The analysis is general information, not immigration advice, and reading it creates no consultant-client relationship.