Express Entry Pool Shrinks, but Competition at the Top Grows

August 18, 2026

Last Updated 9 hours ago

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Canada’s latest Express Entry data shows that the candidate pool became smaller in the first half of August, but that does not necessarily mean competition is easing.

Between August 3 and August 16, the total number of profiles dropped by 2,241, falling to 226,859. Much of that decline came from candidates with CRS scores between 351–400 and 501–600.

At the same time, the number of candidates with scores above 500 actually increased overall, rising from 19,096 to 20,205. The 471–490 range also grew, adding more than 400 profiles during the same period.

The changes followed four Express Entry draws between August 4 and 7, in which IRCC issued 8,807 invitations across the PNP, Canadian Experience Class, French-language and Transport categories.

The figures suggest that while recent draws have reduced the overall size of the Express Entry pool, candidates with stronger CRS scores continue to accumulate, keeping the upper score ranges highly competitive.

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