Express Entry Categories for 2026

Key Takeaways

• Targeted Express Entry categories in 2026 will focus on French speakers, healthcare, trades, and education occupations to meet Canada’s labour market needs.
• Eligibility for category-based draws requires at least 6 months of recent work experience in a targeted occupation or CLB 7 in French.
• IRCC selects categories based on labour market data, provincial input, and national priorities, with updates reported annually to Parliament.
• Applicants not in targeted categories can still enter the Express Entry pool and be selected through general or Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws.

What Are Express Entry Categories?

Express Entry categories are specific occupational or skill-based groupings used by IRCC to invite candidates from the Express Entry pool.

These categories are designed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), to meet Canada’s economic goals by prioritizing candidates with in-demand skills, language abilities, or Canadian work experience

Canada Express Entry Categories 2026: The New List

Canada adjusts the EE categories every year based on changing labour market needs. Currently, there are seven categories listed for 2026:

• Agriculture and Agri-food Occupations: Currently scoped only for Butchers in retail and wholesale
• Education Occupations  (Teachers, early childhood educators, special needs instructors, and others)
• French-Language Proficiency: For applicants with a minimum score of 7 in all 4 language abilities on the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens
• Healthcare and Social Services Occupations (Physicians, nurses, dentists,  psychologists and other practitioners, also veterinarians and social workers)
• Physicians with Canadian work experience: For general practitioners, family physicians and other healthcare professionals with Canadian experience)
• Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations
• Trades Occupations:  For carpenters, plumbers, contractors, and others)

New Express Entry Categories for 2026

The standout addition in 2026 is the Physicians with Canadian work experience category. This includes roles such as:

• General practitioners and family physicians
• Specialists in surgery
• Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine

This change supports Canada’s growing need for Healthcare practicioners and aligns with provincial hiring trends

Removed Categories for 2026

While not officially discontinued, some categories like STEM and Agriculture & Agri-Food have not been prioritized in 2025 draws so far. This shift reflects IRCC’s focus on domestic labour shortages and in-Canada experience

How Canada Chooses Categories

IRCC chooses categories for targeted Express Entry draws based on the following factors:

• Labour market information and projections
• Input they receive from partners, including provinces and territories, and stakeholders across the country

Each year, IRCC reports to Parliament on the categories chosen for the previous year, including why and how they were chosen, the instructions to establish a category, and the number of invitations issued for each.

Canada will also include information about category-based Express Entry draws in the annual Express Entry Year-End Report.

In order to remain flexible to the labour market, IRCC will also monitor and assess categories on a regular basis.

If you’re interested in moving to Canada but not sure which program you may be eligible for, check your eligibility for more than 20 different Canadian immigration programs by taking Moving2Canada’s free Canada Immigration Quiz.

Category-based Express Entry Draw History

The following tables show the draw histories of category-based Express Entry draws.

Your Express Entry Categories FAQs Answered

Can I qualify under more than one category?

Yes, if you meet the criteria for multiple categories, you may be invited under any of them.

What if my Occupation Was Removed in 2025?

You can still be invited through general or program-specific draws if your CRS score is high enough.

How often are category-based draws held?

There is no fixed schedule, but IRCC conducts them regularly based on labour market needs.

Who is eligible to receive an ITA through a category-based draw?

Any applicant who has at least  6 months of work experience in the last 3 years in a targeted occupation or those who are able to demonstrate CLB level 7 in French can be selected through a category-based draw.

What should applicants do if their occupation is not targeted in the Categories?

Applicants whose occupation is not currently targeted should still enter the Express Entry pool if they are eligible. Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) continue to select candidates from the pool, and IRCC is still conducting all-program draws.

Additionally, IRCC may update the list of targeted occupations. If your occupation is not targeted now, it could be in the future.

How can you increase your chances of being selected in a category-based draw?

If an applicant has a targeted work experience of the required level of French,  in order to increase their chances of receiving an ITA, they should focus on increasing their CRS score. The CRS cut-off for category-based draws is generally lower than all-program draws however is still very competitive.

Will The Occupations Targeted Change?

Yes, targeted occupations are assessed annually, with IRCC adding the education occupations but removing the transport occupations in 2025.

In addition to adding and removing categories, IRCC will also update the occupations targeted within each category, with the latest update happening on February 27, 2025.