A guided, step-by-step plan: find your NOC, check eligibility, calculate your CRS.
Start your Express Entry planIRCC's rounds data still shows the October 28 Transport draw as the latest. Invitations are paused while CRS points are recalculated under the November 3 rules.
As of November 13, 2026, there have been no Express Entry invitation rounds since October 28, according to IRCC's own rounds data. The latest round is still #453, a Transport Occupations draw that invited 150 candidates with a minimum CRS of 477. This is a planned pause, not a rule change: IRCC said it would stop invitation rounds while the system recalculates points in existing profiles under the Express Entry changes that took effect on November 3, 2026.
IRCC said the recalculation "could take up to two weeks" and that rounds would start again when it is complete. It has not published a restart date.
The last rounds before the pause
The three most recent rounds, all held before the November 3 changes, from IRCC's rounds data (checked November 13, 2026):
| Round | Date | Type | Invitations | Minimum CRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #453 | October 28, 2026 | Transport Occupations | 150 | 477 |
| #452 | October 27, 2026 | French-language proficiency | 5,000 | 407 |
| #451 | October 26, 2026 | Provincial Nominee Program | 792 | 761 |
Why there are no draws right now
On November 3, 2026, IRCC changed how the Comprehensive Ranking System awards points for Canadian work experience and job offers, including extra points tied to high-wage occupations and the removal of the LMIA requirement for qualifying job offers. Because existing profiles had to be rescored under the new rules, IRCC said it would pause invitation rounds until the recalculation is finished.
Counted from November 3, a two-week recalculation period would end around November 17. That is IRCC's upper estimate for the recalculation, not an announced draw date, and the first round could come earlier or later. For the full list of changes, see our explainer on the November 3 changes now in force.
Who is affected
- Every candidate currently in the Express Entry pool, in all categories: no invitations are being issued in any round type during the pause.
- Provincial nominees in the pool waiting for a PNP-specific round.
- Candidates whose score is expected to change under the new rules: their new score is what the first rounds after the pause will use.
What the pause does not change
A pause in invitation rounds does not close Express Entry. You can still create and update profiles, and applications already submitted after an invitation continue to be processed. Extra points under the new rules do not guarantee an invitation: each round still sets its own cut-off.
What to do now
- Log in to your account and check that your profile is complete and accurate once your score is recalculated: work history, NOC codes and any job offer details.
- Check your profile's expiry date. A profile that expires during the pause has to be resubmitted.
- Estimate your score under the current rules with our CRS calculator, and follow new rounds on our Express Entry draws page.
- For background on the pause itself, see our earlier post on the expected pause, and for the programme overview, our Express Entry page.
Timelines in this post are IRCC's estimates and can change. Neither IRCC nor we can guarantee an invitation, a score or a processing time. Official sources: IRCC's 2026 changes to Express Entry points page and its rounds-of-invitations data.
Not sure how this applies to your situation? A licensed immigration consultant (RCIC) can review your profile with you.
