IRCC Issues 391 Invitations in Historic First Physician-Specific Express Entry Draw

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held a groundbreaking Express Entry round on February 19, 2026. This event marked the first time the department issued invitations specifically for physicians with Canadian work experience.

Record-Low CRS Score for Medical Professionals

The draw issued 391 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to qualified doctors. Candidates needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of only 169 to qualify. This score represents the second-lowest cut-off in the history of the Express Entry system. It sits just above the 2021 pandemic-era draw. In that previous round, the score dropped to 75 for Canadian Experience Class candidates. Today's result remains a major milestone for the program. IRCC applied a tie-breaking rule of January 3, 2026, at 3:25 a.m. UTC. This means candidates with the minimum score needed early profile submissions.

Expanding Category-Based Selection

The new physician category stems from an announcement made in December. The government aims to address critical labor shortages in the medical field. By targeting doctors already working in Canada, officials hope to stabilize the healthcare sector. This round is the ninth selection held in 2026. It highlights a shift toward more specialized draws. These rounds prioritize specific professional backgrounds instead of just general high scores.

Summary of Recent Express Entry Rounds

Next Steps for Invited Physicians

Doctors receiving invitations now have 60 days to submit their full applications. This process leads toward obtaining permanent residency status in Canada. This initiative supports the long-term goal of retaining international medical talent. It helps fill vital roles within provincial health systems across the country.

Source: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/rounds-invitations.html

What This Data Tells Us

A cutoff of 169 is the most striking number in any 2026 round, and it says almost nothing about competition. In a first-ever category with a narrow eligible population, the cutoff simply reflects how few physicians were in the pool.

That is the defining feature of category-based selection. Once IRCC opens a category, eligibility replaces score as the deciding factor, and a profile that would never clear a general round becomes competitive overnight.

The four rounds held that same week make the point clearly. Cutoffs ran from 169 to 789 within five days, and the difference had nothing to do with candidate quality. It reflected which door IRCC chose to open.

Targeting physicians already working in Canada also reveals the intent. This was a retention measure aimed at doctors the health system already depends on, not a recruitment drive abroad.

For candidates in other fields, the lesson is not that scores are falling. It is that identifying which category your background fits is worth more than points added inside the general pool.