Record-Breaking PNP Draw Invites 1,123 Candidates on December 8, 2025

Key Takeaways for Express Entry Candidates from the December 8, 2025 Draw 

• Type of Draw: Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
• Invitations Issued: 1,123
• CRS Score (Lowest Ranked): 729
• Rank Needed: 1,123 or above
• Tie-Breaking Rule: March 5, 2025 at 05:10:48 UTC
• Prediction for the Next Draw: Canadian Experience Class

Our Analysis of This Express Entry Draw 

The December 8 PNP round invited 1,123 candidates with a CRS score of 729, building on the steady momentum PNP draws have shown throughout the fall. Over the past several months, rounds have been inviting in the 500–700 range, but today’s draw stands apart – it’s not just another round, it’s a massive one. In fact, it’s the largest PNP draw of the entire year, surpassing every previous PNP round by a wide margin. 

There were 1,110 candidates sitting at 601+ before this round – almost all PNP nominees – so this draw would’ve covered the majority of that group. 

Even so, a cut-off of 729 isn’t surprising once you remember how PNP rounds function. Anyone with a provincial nomination gets an automatic 600-point boost, so even in a huge draw like this, the CRS can only fall so far. That’s why PNP cut-offs rarely “soften” in a dramatic way: the pool of nominees is already stacked above 600, and the ranking happens above that band. 

So yes, this draw likely cleared most of the highest-ranked nominees, but the threshold stays high because that’s simply how the system is built. 

What’s Going On With PNP This Year? 

PNP invitations have stacked up quickly in 2025. If you zoom out a little, you’ll notice that PNP is one of the most active draw categories this year. Provincial nominations come with strict validity windows, and IRCC can’t leave nominees sitting in the pool for too long. That’s why PNP draws tend to follow an almost two-week schedule – the timing is driven by practicality, not always strategy. Nominees need to be picked up before their status expires. 

How This Draw Fits Into the Broader Pattern 

CRS cut-offs in PNP draws have moved around this year, mostly sitting in the high 600s to upper 700s, and today’s score of 729 fits comfortably within that usual band. In other words, nothing unusual there. 

What really matters and what sets this round apart is the size. This is the largest PNP draw of the entire year, and the biggest since April by a wide margin. A round this large suggests provinces had a substantial number of nominations ready to go, and IRCC had the capacity to bring them in before year-end. It’s a clear sign that the PNP continues to be a major driver in Express Entry’s overall activity. 

The surge in PNP activity is mainly driven by the increased nomination space IRCC has allocated to them. Provinces are responding to those allocations. And the federal Immigration Levels Pan for 2026 only strengthens this trend, which boosts PNP admissions dramatically – from roughly 55,000 allocations at the start of 2025 to 91,500 for 2026. 

Is the PNP Still a Good Option? 

PNP has become one of the steadier routes for anyone with real connections to a province. Nomination quotas are rising, provinces are updating their streams more frequently, and many are rewarding people who already have their boots on the ground – workers, graduates, and folks building their lives in specific regions. And realistically, this may be the last PNP round we see for 2025. 

The outlook for next year is encouraging. The higher allocation for 2026 suggests more room for provinces to nominate candidates, which is good news for anyone considering a PNP pathway. But there’s another piece to keep in mind: according to the latest IRCC data, about 10,700 people are still waiting on their Express Entry–aligned PNP applications to be processed, and roughly 96,000 more are in the queue for non–Express Entry PNP permanent residence. So, while PNPs will almost certainly play a larger role in 2026, there’s still a substantial backlog for IRCC to work through.