Maple News reports that Canada’s Express Entry pool expanded for the first time in months, increasing by 2,193 profiles between March 15 and April 12, even as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada issued nearly 14,000 Invitations to Apply during the same period.
The growth was concentrated in the 451–480 CRS band (+1,581 profiles) and the 501–600 band (+571), which had been shrinking in recent updates.
The latest Canadian Experience Class draw on April 14 issued 2,000 invitations, the smallest CEC draw of 2026, with a CRS cutoff of 515, six points higher than the previous draw.
Over the four weeks, the Express Entry pool rose from 231,362 to 233,555—its first expansion since February.
The strongest gain came from the 461–470 band (+696). Across every 10-point bracket from 401 to 480, profiles rose, with increases ranging from 390 to 696 per band. Taken together, the 401–480 range accounted for a net gain of 3,895 profiles.
The 501–600 segment grew by 571, a sign that high-CRS entries remain active even as earlier draws pulled numbers in that band downward.
By contrast, the 351–400 range declined by 1,256 profiles, a drop likely linked to French-language proficiency draws that have targeted candidates with CRS scores as low as 393. The 481–490 and 491–500 ranges also fell by 329 and 247 profiles, respectively.
Note: The April 12 data does not reflect three Express Entry draws conducted on April 13–15, which issued a combined 6,324 ITAs, a reminder that pool dynamics can shift quickly after new invitations are issued.
In total, nine CRS ranges gained profiles while six declined, underscoring ongoing volatility and intensifying competition within Canada’s Express Entry system.