Express Entry Pool Breakdown: Active Candidates by Score Range

How Many People in the Express Entry Pool –  October 25, 2026 Update

IRCC Update Date:  October 25, 2026

Total candidates in the pool:  228,724 active profiles.

The total number of people in the pool decreased by 732 between the 11th of October and the update on the 25th of October. While the decrease is a good sign, there were 8,252 invitations sent between those two dates. This shows that there are still very high numbers of people entering the pool in 2026, so competition is likely to remain very intense for Canadian permanent residence through Express Entry.

Candidates in The Express Entry Pool Over Time

The following chart illustrates how the pool has changed throughout the first months of 2026:

Number of Candidates in the EE Pool by Score Range in 2026

Profiles in the 601-1200 Range

As of the update on October 25, 2026, there are a total of 787 active profiles. As you can see from the graph below, the number of people sitting in this score range has hovered between 200-950 in 2026, which is a much smaller range than we see at the other levels. This is because these candidates typically have a PNP nomination, and the 600 point boost that comes with it. 

In many PNP draws you’ll see that nearly all applicants within this range have received an invitation to apply. If you are an applicant in this range, you have a very strong profile and great chances of receiving an invitation on the next PNP Draw.

Profiles in the 501-600 Range

This range saw a decrease of 1,103 active profiles from the previous update, bringing the total to 20,535. While we’ve seen a decrease between the last two looks into the pool, we do expect this range to increase (potentially significantly) between now and the end of November when the high-wage occupation points come into play. The increase will be partly due to the number of profiles increasing because of the pause in draws on November 3 to update the high-wage points, and partly due to the high-wage points themselves. This is an a score range to keep an eye on when we get the next update.

Tl;DR: the cut-off scores for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) may remain high in upcoming draws (515+) due to the high number of people in the pool at this range.

Profiles in the 491-500 Range

This range has decreased from the 12,700-applicant band in July 2026 to the 12,100-12,200 candidate range in October 2026. There was a nominal increase of 26 candidates in this range between 11 and 25 October, though there was a draw of 5,000 candidates with French language proficiency during this period which may have pulled heavily from this range.

All in all, competition remains in the high 490s strong for candidates in the pool. If you’re currently in the pool in either this range, or the 500-510 range, remember that there are tens of thousands of other candidates who are likely working towards increasing their CRS as soon as possible – many of whom will get a boost from the high-wage occupation points coming soon.

In other words, it’s not likely that competition will ‘ease’ in the 500+ range in the near term.

Tips for Candidates in the 451–500 range

If your CRS is between 451 and 500, you are still in one of the strongest positions in the pool right now – especially if you’re eligible for the soon-to-be-added high-wage occupation points.

This range continues to grow, and competition is increasing, especially in the upper 470s and 490s. But it is also where IRCC regularly issues invitations through Canadian Experience Class, French-language, and Trades draws.

Profiles in the 401–450 Range

On the latest update, there was a decrease of 23 candidates in this range, which now stands at 63,505 active profiles.

The number of applicants has gradually increased from 61,000 during the final quarter of 2026. We typically observe the highest fluctuations after French-language draws. We can attribute some of the growth in this range over the last few months to the 8-week gap in French language draws, which ended on October 16.

Tips for Candidates in the 301–350 Range

There is still limited movement in this score range, and many candidates are waiting here. Increasing your CRS score remains very important. Read our article on how to improve your Express Entry Score.

Profiles in the 0–300 Range

This part of the pool remains very stable, with only small changes over time.
This range continues to show very little movement, and candidates with scores below 300 remain very unlikely to receive an invitation without major changes to their profiles.

A Note for Candidates for scores below 300

The only category that has issued invitations for applicants with scores under 300 CRS points during 2026 is Physicians with Canadian Work Experience. If you are a healthcare professional waiting for an invitation for this category you chances are high, but for the rest of the categories, receiving an invitation if your profile score is in this range is very unlikely.

The majority of candidates in this range need a major boost in their scores, such as a provincial nomination, Canadian work experience, or improved language scores, to become competitive.

Check our article on the different strategies for improving your CR Score.