Immigrtation News update August 21, 2026
Express Entry (IRCC)
August 19 — French language proficiency: 5,000 ITAs, CRS 382
August 18 — Canadian Experience Class (CEC): 1,000 ITAs, CRS 523
August 17 — Provincial Nominee Program (PNP): 442 ITAs, CRS 760
August 7 — Transport occupations: 300 ITAs, CRS 470
August 6 — French language proficiency: 5,000 ITAs, CRS 391
August 5 — CEC: 3,000 ITAs, CRS 516
August 4 — PNP: 507 ITAs, CRS 768
July 23 — Skilled military recruits: 4 ITAs, CRS 368
July 22 — French language proficiency: 5,000 ITAs, CRS 399
July 21 — CEC: 2,000 ITAs, CRS 516
July 20 — PNP: 511 ITAs, CRS 744
July 10 — Senior managers: 500 ITAs, CRS 392
YTD — 49 draws and issued 119,865 Invitations
Ontario Immigration Naminee Program (OINP)
The Ontario Workforce Priority stream EOI portal opened on August 4, five weeks after the June restructuring replaced the previous eight streams.
Three pathways: TEER 0–3 with a job offer, TEER 4–5 with a job offer, and self-employed physicians (no job offer required).
Important: EOIs registered under the old streams were automatically withdrawn — candidates must re-register. No draws have been held yet, and no score thresholds announced. Phase 2 (entrepreneurs, exceptional talent, healthcare) is still to come.
Alberta PNP (AAIP)
August 12 — Dedicated Health Care (Express Entry): 57 invitations, minimum 60
August 11 — Rural Renewal Stream: 127 invitations, minimum 51
August 7 — Agriculture Priority Sector: 38 invitations, minimum 55
August 6 — Accelerated Tech Pathway: 95 invitations, minimum 60
August 4 — Health Care Priority Sector: 50 invitations, minimum score 66
YTD: 4,184 invited out of 6,603 nomination
BC PNP
August 6 draw and roughly 500 invitations
Build – Construction Trades: 187 invitations, minimum 88
Care – Childcare: 183 invitations, minimum 102
Care – Health: 124 invitations, minimum 84 (lowest health cut-off recorded in 2026)
Care – Veterinary Care: 6 invitations, minimum 72
Care – Education: fewer than 5 invitations, minimum 68
YTD: 3,761 invited out of 6,403
Manitoba PNP (MPNP)
August 13 – 53 LAAs, Skilled Worker stream, strategic recruitment initiatives only
July 30 – 766 LAAs
July 16 – 1,976 LAAs — the largest MPNP draw of 2026
YTD: 4,800 of 6,239
Saskatchewan PNP (SINP)
No update – continues to run capped, sector-specific intake windows rather than open draws.
The next windows are September 14 and November 2.
YTD: 2,628 of 4,761
Nova Scotia (NSNP)
- Doesn’t publish a public draw history, 5,300 nomination spots for 2026
- Priority sectors — Healthcare, skilled trades/construction (Critical Construction Worker Pilot), STEM, manufacturing, natural resources
- Priority framework introduced Apr 27: healthcare and skilled trades at top tier
New Brunswick PNP (NBPNP)
Invitations now limited to three sectors: Healthcare, Education, and Construction trades
New employer designations (AIP): still frozen
New Brunswick continues rolling EOI intake
YTD: 2,738 invited out of 3,603
Prince Edward Island (PEI PNP)
July 16 – 195 invitations
Priority categories – Healthcare, Skilled Trades, Manufacturing, Childcare, and Agriculture.
YTD 853 invited out of 1,704
Newfoundland & Labrador (NLPNP)
No update
Programs: Skilled Worker Stream, Express Entry Skilled Worker Stream, International Graduate Stream, International Entrepreneur Stream, and International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream
YTD 1,487 invited out of 2,537
New IRCC update – Reciprocal employment work permits (C20): On August 6, IRCC walked back a restriction posted in error on July 29 that would have required applicants to be current employees of the foreign company. New hires are again eligible, and these permits remain LMIA-exempt.
TR to PR — 33,000 Temporary Workers – no update
Protected Persons — 115,000 PR Initiative — no update