Immigration digest, September 18, 2026

September 18: Newfoundland and Labrador issues 62 invitations

The province's official update records 62 invitations: 61 through the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP) and one through the Atlantic Immigration Program. No minimum score is published for this batch. The total should not be described as 62 NLPNP invitations.

September 17: PEI issues 195 invitations

Prince Edward Island issued 195 Labour and Express Entry invitations and none in the Business Work Permit Entrepreneur category. PEI does not publish a minimum score. This is a provincial draw, not a federal Express Entry round.

September 17: B.C. issues 33 rural health-support invitations

British Columbia issued 33 invitations under its Temporary Rural/Remote Health Support Initiative on September 17, 2026, with a minimum score of 60. This is a BC PNP score, not an Express Entry CRS score. Candidates must meet the initiative's requirements, and an invitation is not a nomination or an approval of permanent residence.

September 18: NWT announces its final 2026 Employer-Driven draw

On September 18, the Government of the Northwest Territories announced that the final 2026 Employer-Driven Stream draw would be held on September 25, 2026. Profiles had to be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time on September 22. The territory said the 2027 draws will be confirmed later and that the intake system stays open all year.

Express Entry: latest published rounds

These are the latest rounds in IRCC's data on September 18. They are not new September 18 rounds.

Round	Date	Type	Invitations	CRS cut-off
#444	September 16	Senior managers with Canadian work experience	250	389
#443	September 15	Canadian Experience Class	2,000	519
#442	September 14	Provincial Nominee Program	576	734

September 17: guidance on genuine job offers

IRCC updated its instructions on assessing whether a job offer is genuine. The revision sets out separate steps for the International Mobility Program (IMP) and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), and addresses outside information and procedural fairness when an officer asks an employer for evidence. Applicants and employers should review the updated instructions when they prepare an employer-specific work permit file or respond to a concern. A separate article explains the update: how IRCC assesses whether a work permit job offer is genuine.

September 18: employer-specific work permit and compliance instructions

IRCC updated its instructions on employer-specific work permits under the IMP and on employer compliance inspections. The update reflects the current employer attestation text in the Employer Portal, aligns the instructions with the revised job-offer genuineness guidance, and corrects outdated information.

For employer-specific, LMIA-exempt IMP work permits, the employer submits the offer through the Employer Portal before the worker applies and pays the $230 employer compliance fee.

September 18: Immigration Loans Program instructions updated

IRCC also updated its Immigration Loans Program instructions and agreements. The new instructions and agreements cover four loans: the Loan for Transportation to Canada, the In-Canada Transportation Loan, the Assistance Loan and the Right of Permanent Residence Fee Loan. IRCC's update page does not describe eligibility, so check the linked instructions for who can receive each loan.

Alberta: recent results, not new draws on September 18

These results are from Alberta's official draw table. The list is not complete, so check the table for all draws.

September 1: Alberta Opportunity Stream, 575 invitations, minimum score 56.
September 3: Accelerated Tech Pathway, 96 invitations, minimum score 60.
September 9: Dedicated Health Care Pathway, Express Entry, 51 invitations, minimum score 60.

Recent policy reminders

Study permits: for applications submitted on or after September 1, 2026, a student alone outside Quebec must show CAD 23,448 for first-year living expenses, in addition to tuition and travel costs.
Workers who want to study (September 9 notice): eligible work permit holders may study for up to six months, or until their work permit expires if that is sooner. The temporary measure runs until December 31, 2027. Full-time study still needs a study permit.
Hong Kong pathways: the Hong Kong permanent residence pathways stopped accepting new applications after August 31, 2026. Applications received by then continue to be processed.

Scope. This digest covers developments confirmed in the linked official sources, with event dates kept as published. It is not a complete list of provincial invitations, court decisions or tribunal notices. It is general information, not legal advice.

September 18 digest: invitations, NWT deadline and IRCC updates.