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This surge was driven in large part by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada<\/a>\u2019s (IRCC\u2019s) 29-day pause in Canadian Experience Class<\/a> (CEC) draws\u2014the longest period without a CEC draw in 2026.<\/p>\n During that window, high-scoring candidates continued to enter the pool while none were removed through CEC-specific invitations, causing the 501\u2013600 range to swell from 13,860 to 17,945 profiles.<\/p>\n When CEC draws resumed on May 27, the impact of that accumulation was immediate: IRCC issued 3,000 Invitations to Apply<\/a> (ITAs) at a CRS cut-off of 518\u2014the highest CEC cut-off of 2026\u2014with a tie-breaking date of April 30, 2025.<\/p>\n What changes occurred in the Express Entry pool over the last four weeks?<\/p>\n Between April 26 and May 24, the Express Entry<\/a> pool grew from 234,452 to 238,847 profiles\u2014a net increase of 4,395.<\/p>\n During this period, the 501\u2013600 CRS<\/a> score range grew by 29%, swelling to 7.51% of the total Express Entry candidate pool.<\/p>\n Beyond the 501\u2013600 range, several other brackets saw growth, including the 461\u2013500 bands, which also grew broadly:<\/p>\n The 471\u2013480 range gained 553 profiles; These upper-mid bands have been consistently absorbing new candidates over recent reporting periods.<\/p>\n The lower end of the pool, by contrast, contracted:<\/p>\n The 401\u2013420 bands lost a combined 957 profiles (with the 411\u2013420 range shedding the most at 554); These decreases are consistent with French-language proficiency draws pulling candidates from these bands.<\/p>\n Note: The pool composition data published on May 24 does not account for the three Express Entry draws that took place between May 25 and 28, through which a total of 7,834 ITAs were issued. This is discussed in further detail below.<\/p>\n In total, eight score ranges gained profiles, while seven experienced declines:<\/p>\n \tCRS score range\u00a0April 26\u00a0May 24\u00a0Difference (May 24 \u2013 April 26)\u00a0<\/p>\n \t0\u2013300\u00a08,339\u00a08,303\u00a0-36\u00a0<\/p>\n \t301\u2013350\u00a018,733\u00a018,375\u00a0-358\u00a0<\/p>\n \t351\u2013400\u00a052,874\u00a052,581\u00a0-293\u00a0<\/p>\n \t401\u2013410\u00a012,185\u00a011,782\u00a0-403\u00a0<\/p>\n \t411\u2013420\u00a012,956\u00a012,402\u00a0-554\u00a0<\/p>\n \t421\u2013430\u00a012,613\u00a012,915\u00a0+302\u00a0<\/p>\n \t431\u2013440\u00a014,456\u00a014,401\u00a0-55\u00a0<\/p>\n \t441\u2013450\u00a014,305\u00a014,463\u00a0+158\u00a0<\/p>\n \t451\u2013460\u00a015,175\u00a015,274\u00a0+99\u00a0<\/p>\n \t461\u2013470\u00a015,973\u00a016,262\u00a0+289\u00a0<\/p>\n \t471\u2013480\u00a016,487\u00a017,040\u00a0+553\u00a0<\/p>\n \t481\u2013490\u00a012,815\u00a013,323\u00a0+508\u00a0<\/p>\n \t491\u2013500\u00a013,209\u00a013,449\u00a0+240\u00a0<\/p>\n \t501\u2013600\u00a013,860\u00a017,945\u00a0+4,085\u00a0<\/p>\n \t601\u20131200\u00a0472\u00a0332\u00a0-140\u00a0<\/p>\n \tTotal\u00a0234,452\u00a0238,847\u00a0+4,395\u00a0<\/p>\n These distributions are compared in the chart below for easier visualization:<\/p>\n
\nThe 481\u2013490 range gained 508 profiles; and
\n461\u2013470 gained 289 profiles.<\/p>\n
\nThe 351\u2013400 range declined by 293 profiles; and
\nThe 301\u2013350 score range lost 358 profiles.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-28-at-11.53.56-PM-scaled.png\")
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