On September 4, 2026, IRCC issued 3,500 Invitations to Apply in Express Entry round #444, targeting candidates with Healthcare and Social Services experience. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score was 475, matching June’s cut-off, with a tie-break time of May 26, 2026, 00:26:14 UTC. Candidates now have 60 days to submit a complete permanent residence application.
How Healthcare Express Entry Draw #444 Different
This was the third healthcare and social services round of the year, and it landed at a familiar CRS threshold of 475. What stands out is the invitation count. Both earlier healthcare draws in 2026 issued 4,000 ITAs each, a record for the category. Round #444 pulled that number back to 3,500, a sign that IRCC is calibrating volume rather than simply repeating its earlier pace.
Occupations in scope remain broad. Registered nurses, pharmacists, social workers, dental hygienists, and medical laboratory technologists all qualify, along with several allied health roles. A candidate’s primary Express Entry program, whether Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades, or Canadian Experience Class, does not need to be health-related. One qualifying year of healthcare or social services work within the reference period is enough to be considered.
How Does This Draw Compare to Earlier Healthcare Rounds in 2026?
| Metric | Details |
| Draw Round | #444 |
| Date | September 4, 2026 |
| Category | Healthcare and Social Services |
| CRS Cut-off | 475 |
| ITAs Issued | 3,500 |
| Tie-break Time | May 26, 2026, 00:26:14 UTC |
| 2026 Healthcare ITAs to Date | 11,500 |
Zooming out, the healthcare category has grown every year since it launched in 2023: 5,600 ITAs that first year, 10,250 in 2024, and 14,500 in 2025. With 11,500 already issued in 2026, at least one more healthcare round before year-end would keep that growth trend alive, though IRCC has given no formal signal that it will. CRS cut-offs, meanwhile, have stayed in a fairly tight band, moving between 462 and 475 across the last seven healthcare rounds, well off the category’s all-time high of 510 in May 2025 and its low of 422 in February 2024.
Why Does IRCC Keep Running Healthcare-Specific Draws?
Canada’s healthcare workforce is under sustained strain from an aging population and retirements outpacing new graduates in several regions. Category-based draws let IRCC pull qualified candidates out of the general Express Entry pool faster than a pure points-ranking system would, on the logic that the country cannot afford to wait for healthcare talent to rise to the top organically. Alongside the broader healthcare stream, IRCC has now run three dedicated draws in 2026 for physicians with Canadian work experience, issuing 891 ITAs through that narrower channel, which shows the category is being refined rather than left static.
What Should Candidates Below CRS 475 Do Next?
A score close to 475 is a useful benchmark rather than a reason to disengage. Keep your Express Entry profile current, particularly language test results and proof of ongoing healthcare or social services employment, since both can lapse and quietly drop a candidate out of contention. If your score sits meaningfully below recent cut-offs, a Provincial Nominee Program nomination remains one of the fastest ways to add 600 points and effectively guarantee an invitation, and French-language ability continues to open a separate, often lower-threshold, set of draws.
IRCC has not published a fixed draw calendar for the healthcare category, and rounds have ranged from three in a year to seven, so predicting the next one with confidence is difficult. A Provincial Nominee Program round is anticipated around September 14, 2026, based on recent scheduling patterns, and it is worth watching alongside any further healthcare-specific announcements.
Frequently Asked Questions
The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score was 475, the same threshold used in the June 2026 healthcare round.
IRCC issued 3,500 Invitations to Apply to candidates in the Healthcare and Social Services Occupations category.
No. Your primary Express Entry program does not need to be healthcare-related. You need at least one year of qualifying healthcare or social services experience within the required timeframe.
Candidates have 60 days from the date of invitation to submit a complete permanent residence application.
It is possible, since 11,500 ITAs have been issued so far against a rising multi-year trend, but IRCC has not confirmed a schedule and draw frequency has varied significantly year to year.
Consider a Provincial Nominee Program nomination, which adds 600 points, or improving your French-language test results to access additional draw categories.