955 PNP Invitations, No New EE Draws

Hi Reader,

Happy Sunday!

Summer is a great time to explore Canada by bike or scooter. My husband was in an e-scooter accident on his way to work this week. Thankfully, he is home and recovering. If you commute by bike or e-scooter, please wear a helmet and take extra care out there.

Now, back to Canadian immigration. There were no new Express Entry draws this week, but there were several important provincial updates and one significant announcement for Hong Kong applicants.

Grab a cup of coffee. Let’s go through it together.

⚡ This Week in Canadian Immigration: 30-second summary

No new Express Entry draws were posted from August 24 to August 28, 2026.
Canada’s Hong Kong permanent residence pathways close to new applications on August 31.
Manitoba issued 741 Letters of Advice to Apply on August 27.
The Northwest Territories issued 104 invitations on August 26.
Newfoundland and Labrador issued 140 invitations on August 26.
British Columbia invited 16 entrepreneurs on August 25.
Alberta reported that it has used additional federal PNP spaces to nominate 12 Francophones and 50 physicians.

IRCC Updates

Hong Kong PR Pathways Close August 31

Canada’s Hong Kong permanent residence pathways close to new applications on August 31, 2026.

As of June 30, IRCC had received approximately 30,315 applications representing 48,560 people, while about 13,370 people had obtained PR.

But the backlog is the bigger concern. As of February 28, IRCC reported 31,300 people in the processing inventory, a 2026 admissions target of only 800, and an estimated wait for a new applicant of more than 10 years.

At 800 admissions a year, that inventory is equivalent to roughly 39 years of admissions at the 2026 target level. That is not an IRCC forecast because future admission targets can change, but it shows the scale of the backlog.

Eligible Hong Kong PR applicants can also apply for an open work permit valid for up to three years. That public policy remains in place until May 2029.

If you have already applied under the Hong Kong pathways, I would not rely on this PR pathway alone. Through a Canadian Immigration Roadmap, we can review your complete profile and identify whether there are other realistic PR pathways you could work toward instead of simply waiting 10+ years.

PNP Updates

Manitoba

Manitoba had the largest provincial draw of the week.

On August 27, MPNP Draw #278 issued 741 Letters of Advice to Apply.

✅ 600 invitations to candidates working in technical trades and transportation occupations, minimum score 731

✅ 62 occupation-specific invitations targeting general practitioners and family physicians, and bus drivers and transit operators

✅ 21 invitations through a Francophone selection

✅ 58 invitations through strategic recruitment initiatives

Of the 741 invitations, 150 went to candidates with valid Express Entry profiles.

One detail worth noticing is Manitoba’s continued Francophone selection. In addition to the 21 invitations issued specifically through the Francophone selection, another 16 strategic recruitment invitations went through Manitoba’s Francophone Community initiative.

Northwest Territories

The Northwest Territories held another EOI draw on August 26 and issued 104 invitations.

✅ Express Entry: 47
✅ Skilled Worker: 21
✅ Entry Level or Semi-Skilled: 36
✅ EOI score range: 346 to 555

The next NWT EOI draw is scheduled for September 25, 2026.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador issued 140 invitations on August 26.

✅ NLPNP: 94
✅ Atlantic Immigration Program: 46

This was the province’s third selection round in August.

British Columbia

BC PNP held an Entrepreneur Immigration draw on August 25.

✅ Base stream: 11 invitations, minimum score 116
✅ Regional stream: 5 invitations, minimum score 116

There was no new BC Skills Immigration draw this week.

One important update from last week that I want to highlight: on August 18, B.C. received 1,000 additional nomination spaces from the federal government, increasing its 2026 BC PNP allocation from 5,254 to 6,254 nominations.

The province says it plans to use its full allocation by December 31, 2026.

Alberta

Alberta did not hold a new draw this week, but its August 25 program update included something worth watching.

The federal government has made additional PNP spaces available for provinces and territories to nominate eligible Francophones and practice-ready physicians.

Alberta reported:

✅ 12 Francophone nominations
✅ 50 physician nominations

These nominations do not count against Alberta’s regular 2026 allocation of 6,603 nominations.

No new AAIP stream has been created. Candidates must still meet the requirements of an existing Alberta pathway.

💡 Professional Insight

This week is a good reminder that being eligible for an immigration program and receiving PR quickly are two very different things.

The Hong Kong pathways demonstrate why processing inventory and annual admissions targets matter. At the same time, Manitoba, Alberta and other provinces and territories continue to select candidates based on very specific occupations, locations and language profiles.

Here’s the flip side: this does not mean you should move provinces every time you see a promising PNP draw.

Your strategy should be built around the pathways that genuinely fit your profile and the amount of time you have left in Canada.

How I would approach this if you were my client

I would start with your timeline, not this week’s headlines.

If you already have a PR application sitting in a very long processing queue, I would check whether you have another viable pathway rather than assuming waiting is your only option.

If your CRS is not currently competitive, I would look at what can realistically change over the next 6, 12 or 18 months, including Canadian work experience, language scores, French and provincial pathways.

And if your work permit expires in 2027 or 2028, I would make sure the plan can actually be executed before your time runs out.

What You Should Do This Week

1. If you are eligible for the Hong Kong PR pathways but have not applied → August 31, 2026 is the final deadline for a new application.

2. If you already have a Hong Kong PR application in process → do not assume waiting is your only option. Review your current status, work permit timeline and whether you may have another pathway to PR.

3. If your work permit expires in 2027 or 2028 → your remaining timeline should be the priority. Review what options are still realistically available before your choices narrow further.

4. If you are waiting for an Express Entry draw → keep your profile and supporting documents current.

5. If French is already part of your PR strategy → Manitoba and Alberta are another reminder that French can create opportunities beyond federal French-language Express Entry draws.