Federal (Express Entry) immigration draws
Federal (Express Entry) draw history: latest round 16 Sep 2026, issuing 250 invitations, with a cut-off of 389. 445 rounds on record, 128,982 invitations in 2026.
View the score calculator and official sources →
Latest round
250
16 Sep 2026 (9 days ago)
Latest cut-off score
389
Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)
Total in 2026
128,982
56 rounds
Rounds on record
445
across 22 invitation categories
Canadian Experience Class · invitations and cut-off per round
CRS score distribution in the pool
The table shows the latest pool figures published by IRCC, grouped by CRS score. “At or above” gives the cumulative count. These figures describe the pool’s score distribution, not an individual candidate’s rank for an invitation.
226,793candidates in the pool
| Score range | Candidates | Share | At or above | Change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 601-1200 | 574 | 574 | +15 | ||
| 501-600 | 20,784 | 21,358 | +1,242 | ||
| 451-500 | 72,107 | 93,465 | -1,998 | ||
| 491-500 | 12,590 | 33,948 | -362 | ||
| 481-490 | 12,426 | 46,374 | -847 | ||
| 471-480 | 16,105 | 62,479 | -876 | ||
| 461-470 | 16,163 | 78,642 | +64 | ||
| 451-460 | 14,823 | 93,465 | +23 | ||
| 401-450 | 61,560 | 155,025 | +1,147 | ||
| 441-450 | 13,657 | 107,122 | +194 | ||
| 431-440 | 13,300 | 120,422 | +67 | ||
| 421-430 | 12,064 | 132,486 | +253 | ||
| 411-420 | 11,506 | 143,992 | +323 | ||
| 401-410 | 11,033 | 155,025 | +310 | ||
| 351-400 | 46,782 | 201,807 | -42 | ||
| 301-350 | 17,240 | 219,047 | -255 | ||
| 0-300 | 7,746 | 226,793 | +11 | ||
Select any score range to see its history, or open the full trend page →
About the lower bands: general rounds have cut off high in recent years, but that does not mean a lower score is hopeless. A provincial nomination adds 600 points, and category-based rounds (healthcare, trades, French and others) cut far lower — they follow a different logic. This table describes the shape of the pool; it predicts no future cut-off.
125 published pool readings on record, dating back to 2022-01-17 · Official table
Admissions targets
The number of people targeted to become permanent residents during the year, including people nominated in earlier years and their accompanying family
| Year | Category | Target | Used | Remaining | Notes and source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Federal High Skilled (Express Entry) | 111,000 86,000–122,000 | — | Not applicable | IRCC Supplementary Immigration Levels Plan 2026–2028, last checked: 2026-08-14 |
| 2027 | Provincial Nominee Program (national total) | 92,500 82,000–106,000 | — | Not applicable | IRCC Supplementary Immigration Levels Plan 2026–2028, last checked: 2026-08-14 |
| 2026 | Federal High Skilled (Express Entry) | 109,000 85,000–120,000 | 128,982 Invitations issued year to date | Not applicable | An admissions target counts people who become permanent residents during the year, which is not the same measure as invitations: those invited typically land 6–12 months later. Invitations exceeding the year's admissions target is therefore normal and cannot be used to infer a remaining balance. The official category is Federal High Skilled, covering FSW, CEC and FST. IRCC Supplementary Immigration Levels Plan 2026–2028, last checked: 2026-08-14 |
| 2026 | Provincial Nominee Program (national total) | 91,500 82,000–105,000 | — | Not applicable | This is the target for people landing as permanent residents in the year — not the number of nomination certificates provinces may issue. IRCC Supplementary Immigration Levels Plan 2026–2028, last checked: 2026-08-14 |
| 2026 | All permanent residents (all categories) | 380,000 350,000–420,000 | — | Not applicable | IRCC Supplementary Immigration Levels Plan 2026–2028, last checked: 2026-08-14 |
All rounds of invitations
445 rounds · Subscribe to updates for this page Category
| Date | Invitation category | Invitations | Cut-off | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior managers with Canadian Work Experience | 250 | 389 | ||
| Canadian Experience Class | 2,000 | 519 | ||
| Provincial Nominee Program | 576 | 734 | ||
| Healthcare and Social Services Occupations | 3,500 | 475 | ||
| Physicians with Canadian Work Experience | 229 | 198 | ||
| Canadian Experience Class | 2,000 | 521 | ||
| Provincial Nominee Program | 562 | 697 | ||
| French-Language proficiency | 5,000 | 382 | ||
| Canadian Experience Class | 1,000 | 523 | ||
| Provincial Nominee Program | 442 | 760 | ||
| Transport Occupations | 300 | 470 | ||
| French-Language proficiency | 5,000 | 391 | ||
| Canadian Experience Class | 3,000 | 516 | ||
| Provincial Nominee Program | 507 | 768 | ||
| Skilled Military Recruits | 4 | 368 | ||
| French-Language proficiency | 5,000 | 399 | ||
| Canadian Experience Class | 2,000 | 516 | ||
| Provincial Nominee Program | 511 | 744 | ||
| Senior managers with Canadian Work Experience | 500 | 392 | ||
| French-Language proficiency | 5,000 | 420 | ||
| Canadian Experience Class | 2,000 | 517 | ||
| Provincial Nominee Program | 534 | 708 | ||
| Healthcare and Social Services Occupations | 4,000 | 475 | ||
| Physicians with Canadian Work Experience | 271 | 223 | ||
| Canadian Experience Class | 4,000 | 516 | ||
| Provincial Nominee Program | 955 | 730 | ||
| French-Language proficiency | 4,500 | 409 | ||
| Canadian Experience Class | 3,000 | 518 | ||
| Provincial Nominee Program | 334 | 805 | ||
| Provincial Nominee Program | 380 | 798 | ||
| French-Language proficiency | 4,000 | 400 | ||
| Canadian Experience Class | 2,000 | 514 | ||
| Provincial Nominee Program | 473 | 795 | ||
| French-Language proficiency | 4,000 | 419 | ||
| Canadian Experience Class | 2,000 | 515 | ||
| Trades Occupations | 3,000 | 477 | ||
| French-Language proficiency | 4,000 | 393 | ||
| Senior managers with Canadian Work Experience | 250 | 429 | ||
| French-Language proficiency | 5,500 | 397 | ||
| Healthcare and Social Services Occupations | 4,000 | 467 | ||
| Physicians with Canadian Work Experience | 391 | 169 | ||
| French-Language proficiency | 8,500 | 400 | ||
| Healthcare and social services occupations | 1,000 | 476 | ||
| Healthcare and social services occupations | 3,500 | 462 | ||
| Healthcare and social services occupations | 2,500 | 472 | ||
| Trade occupations | 1,250 | 505 | ||
| Education occupations | 2,500 | 462 | ||
| Healthcare and social services occupations | 2,500 | 470 | ||
| Healthcare and social services occupations | 4,000 | 475 | ||
| Healthcare and social services occupations | 500 | 504 | ||
| Healthcare and social services occupations | 500 | 510 | ||
| Education occupations | 1,000 | 479 | ||
| Trade occupations | 1,800 | 433 | ||
| Trade occupations | 1,800 | 436 | ||
| Transport occupations | 975 | 430 | ||
| Transport occupations | 670 | 435 | ||
| Trade occupations | 1,000 | 425 | ||
| Transport occupations | 1,000 | 435 | ||
| Trade occupations | 1,500 | 388 |
Select a category to see its 10 most recent invitation rounds. Categories with no rounds recorded in the past 18 months are omitted from the filters; their earlier records remain in the archive.
Express Entry: application guide
Express Entry is the online system Canada uses to manage applications for three skilled-worker programs. It is not a separate immigration program. To enter the pool, you must qualify for one of those programs. Candidates are then ranked by their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score for invitation rounds.
Who this is for
- Skilled workers eligible for one of the three programs: the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program or the Federal Skilled Trades Program. Eligibility for one of these programs is required to enter the pool
- People with a provincial or territorial nomination, who continue to be invited through general rounds and Provincial Nominee Program-specific rounds
- Readers who want to understand cut-off scores: a cut-off is the lowest score among candidates invited in a round, not an eligibility requirement for entering the pool
EOI registration and scoring
- First, check which of the three programs you qualify for: the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program or the Federal Skilled Trades Program. The Canadian Experience Class is based on skilled work experience gained in Canada. Confirm your eligibility before creating an Express Entry profile.
- Prepare your documents, sign in to your IRCC secure account, create your profile, and complete and submit it within 60 days to enter the pool.
- While in the pool, you are ranked by CRS score and wait for an invitation. Ways to improve your score include contacting provinces and territories about nomination opportunities, improving your language results or education, and gaining more skilled work experience.
- After an invitation, submit your application for permanent residence and wait for IRCC to review it and decide.
Requirements (10)
- Be eligible for one of the three programssource
- Express Entry manages three immigration programs: the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. You must qualify for 1 of these 3 programs to enter the pool. Eligibility is assessed against the requirements of the relevant program; Express Entry has no separate eligibility criteria.
- Create and submit a profile within 60 dayssource
- Create a profile in your IRCC secure account, then complete and submit it within 60 days. If that deadline passes, you must start a new profile. Information about dependent children is requested after an invitation, not when creating the profile. The system uses your answers to determine which programs you qualify for.
- CRS ranking in the poolsource
- Candidates in the pool receive a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score and are ranked accordingly. Invitations go to the highest-ranking candidates at the time of the round. Entering the pool does not guarantee an invitation; you must be invited before applying for permanent residence.
- Invitation order when eligible for multiple programssource
- If you qualify for more than one program, the system invites you under the first eligible program in this order: Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program, then Federal Skilled Trades Program. You cannot select a different program. If you decline, you return to the pool and the same order applies to any later invitation; the system does not move to the next program.
- Three types of roundssource
- General rounds invite the top-ranking candidates who are eligible for one of the three programs. Program-specific rounds invite only candidates eligible for one named program, such as a Provincial Nominee Program round. Category-based rounds are held after the Minister establishes a category to meet an economic goal, and invite the top-ranking candidates in the pool who are eligible for that category. Every round has published instructions giving the date and time, the number of invitations, the round type, which programs are included, and the category eligibility where that applies.
- How ties are brokensource
- When several candidates have the round’s lowest score, priority is determined by the date and time their Express Entry profiles were submitted. Earlier submissions take priority, so submitting even a day earlier can matter when scores are tied.
- Update your profile when circumstances changesource
- Update your profile after a change in career, gaining or losing a job offer, new language results, marriage or divorce, or the birth or adoption of a child. Updates do not change the date and time the system first received your profile, so your position in a tie-break is unchanged.
- A profile can become ineligiblesource
- A profile may become ineligible for five common reasons: work experience no longer meets the program requirements (for example, experience required within the 3 years before applying falls outside that period while you wait); language results expire; the educational credential assessment expires; funds fall below the required amount; or the primary occupation changes. The funds table is updated annually at 50% of the low income cut-off totals, so changes to the standard may require updated proof of funds.
- If your work permit expires while waitingsource
- Apply to extend your work permit before it expires. If it has expired, you can apply to restore your status. Leaving Canada does not remove your profile from the pool. If you do not apply for restoration, you must leave Canada as soon as the permit expires. Working in Canada without legal status can make you ineligible for Express Entry.
- After an invitationsource
- After receiving an invitation, complete and submit your permanent residence application for IRCC to review. Processing times vary by program; the official page does not give a single timeframe.
Important details (7)
- Express Entry manages candidate profiles, rankings and invitations. After you receive an invitation, you apply for permanent residence under the relevant immigration program.
- Each round invites candidates in score order until the round’s invitation count is reached. The lowest score among those invited becomes that round’s cut-off. Cut-offs therefore vary by round and are not a fixed requirement for entering the pool.
- A low cut-off in a category-based round does not mean an easier route. Those rounds select only from people already in the pool who also meet that category’s own eligibility rules — the score is low because few people qualify, not because the bar is lower.
- The longer you sit in the pool, the more likely your work experience falls outside the three years before you apply — the first reason on the official list of ineligibility. Language results and educational credential assessments expire in the same way.
- Working in Canada without legal status can make you ineligible for Express Entry. If your permit has expired, apply to restore your status and do not continue working.
- False information or important omissions in your profile can lead to refusal, a finding of inadmissibility, and a five-year bar on applying to come to Canada.
- Declining an invitation returns you to the pool. Any later invitation follows the same order — Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program, then Federal Skilled Trades Program — rather than switching to a different program.
Who this is not for
- People who do not qualify for any of the three programs: they cannot enter the pool or receive a pool ranking score
- People who meet category requirements but do not qualify for one of the three immigration programs: category-based rounds select candidates already in the pool
- People working in Canada without legal status, which can make them ineligible for Express Entry
- Anyone who gives false information or leaves out important details: the consequences are refusal, a finding of inadmissibility, and a five-year bar on applying to come to Canada
Read the full application guide →
Based on official guidance. Checked by iRadar: 1 Sep 2026; official page updated: 22 Jun 2026. Refer to the official page for the requirements. official page
Canadian Experience Class: application guide
For people who have already worked in Canada: a year of skilled work inside Canada in the past three years opens this route to permanent residence.
Who this is for
- Has at least 1 year (1,560 hours) of paid skilled work done inside Canada, while authorized to work, in the 3 years before applying
- That work is in NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 — the experience can come from more than one NOC
- Meets the minimum language level in all 4 abilities (CLB 7 for TEER 0/1, CLB 5 for TEER 2/3)
- Plans to live outside Quebec
EOI registration and scoring
- Take an IRCC-approved language test and meet the minimum level for your TEER in reading, writing, listening and speaking. Results are valid for 2 years.
- Create an Express Entry profile and enter your language results. When declaring Canadian work experience, review the “Self-employed work” option.
- Enter the pool and wait for an invitation to apply (ITA). Your language results must still be valid when you submit your permanent residence application after an invitation; expired results will lead to refusal.
Requirements (10)
- Canadian skilled work experiencesource
- At least 1 year or 1,560 hours of work experience in the 3 years before applying, calculated at 30 hours per week. This can come from one full-time job, equivalent part-time work or several jobs combined. For example, 15 hours per week for 24 months also totals 1,560 hours.
- Occupation categorysource
- The work must be in NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3. Your experience can span more than one NOC, but choose the one that most closely aligns with what you actually did.
- Duties must match the NOCsource
- You must show that your work matches the lead statement of the selected NOC occupation and includes most of its listed main duties.
- The work must be paidsource
- You must have been paid wages or earned commission. Volunteer work and unpaid internships do not count.
- Status while gaining the experiencesource
- It must be gained by working in Canada while authorized to work under temporary resident status. Remote work counts only if you were physically in Canada working for a Canadian employer.
- Languagesource
- You must meet the minimum level in all 4 abilities: CLB 7 / NCLC 7 for NOC TEER 0 or 1, and CLB 5 / NCLC 5 for TEER 2 or 3. It is your lowest ability that counts, not an average.
- How long test results lastsource
- Results must be less than 2 years old both when you complete your Express Entry profile and when you submit your permanent residence application. Applying with expired results means refusal. Accepted tests: CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training (One Skill Retake is not accepted) and PTE Core for English; TEF Canada and TCF Canada for French.
- Educationsource
- CEC has no education requirement, but education affects your CRS ranking in the pool. Canadian secondary or post-secondary credentials earn points. Foreign credentials earn points when supported by proof of completion and an educational credential assessment (ECA) for immigration purposes.
- Admissibilitysource
- You must be admissible to Canada. Some people are not allowed into Canada for security, criminal or medical reasons.
- Where you plan to livesource
- You must plan to settle outside Quebec. Work experience gained in Quebec can count, but you must provide evidence that you do not intend to settle there, which officers will review. Provincial nominees must settle in the province or territory that nominated them.
Important details (6)
- Work experience gained while you were a full-time student does not count toward CEC, including paid co-op terms. For example, a six-month internship completed during full-time studies does not count toward the required work experience.
- Self-employment does not count. One temporary public policy exempts foreign physicians who were invited through Express Entry on or after April 25, 2023 and submitted an application, who have experience providing publicly funded medical services in Canada (such as fee-for-service work) and were ineligible because they were self-employed — that experience now counts as Canadian work experience. Do not check the “Self-employed work” box under Work experience in Canada.
- Remote work counts toward CEC only if you were physically in Canada and working for a Canadian employer. Remote work done from outside Canada does not count.
- Expired language results are a hard refusal, not a fixable omission. If yours are about to expire and you have not been invited, your options are to retest, apply before they expire, or decline the invitation and go back into the pool.
- LINC centres are not approved testing agencies for people applying under the Canadian Experience Class.
- Education does not affect basic CEC eligibility, but it affects your ranking in the pool and your chances of receiving an invitation.
Who this is not for
- People with work experience only outside Canada: CEC counts experience gained in Canada
- Experience gained while a full-time student, including paid co-op terms
- People whose work experience is from self-employment (a temporary exemption applies to some foreign physicians; see Important details below)
- Experience from volunteering or unpaid internships
- People who plan to settle in Quebec — Quebec selects its own skilled workers
Read the full application guide →
Based on official guidance. Checked by iRadar: 21 Aug 2026; official page updated: 22 Jun 2026. Refer to the official page for the requirements. official page
Category-based selection (Express Entry): application guide
Category-based selection is a way of selecting candidates from the Express Entry pool, not a fourth immigration program. The Minister establishes categories to meet economic objectives. Each round invites eligible candidates in CRS score order. You must still qualify for one of the three programs — CEC, FSW or FST — and enter the pool first.
Who this is for
- People already eligible for one of the three programs who, within the past 3 years, have at least 12 months of full-time (or equivalent part-time) experience in a single occupation on one of the official lists — there are eight occupation categories, listed by 2021 NOC code
- People with French test results of NCLC 7 or higher in all four abilities — the one category that does not look at occupation
- People whose primary occupation is not listed but who have 12 months of experience in a listed occupation within the past 3 years; the requirement applies regardless of their primary occupation
- Physicians, senior managers and researchers with the relevant Canadian work experience: these are three separate categories, and only experience gained in Canada counts
- People with 10 years of continuous service in a recognised foreign military who hold an offer from the Canadian Forces Recruiting Group
EOI registration and scoring
- Before taking part in category-based selection, confirm that you qualify for one of the three programs — CEC, FSW or FST — then create a profile and enter the Express Entry pool.
- Check your 2021 NOC code against the lists above. Confirm whether you have 12 months of experience in a listed occupation within the past 3 years, rather than relying on your current job title. The requirement applies regardless of your primary occupation.
- For the French-language category, take TEF Canada or TCF Canada and reach NCLC 7 or above in reading, writing, listening and speaking. You must meet the threshold in every ability.
- Wait in the pool, ranked by CRS score. Each category-based round’s instructions set out the eligible category and full requirements. Check your eligibility against those instructions before receiving an invitation.
Requirements (14)
- Express Entry and category eligibilitysource
- To be eligible for a category-based invitation, you must meet the minimum Express Entry criteria, including eligibility for 1 of its 3 immigration programs, and all requirements in the instructions for that round. Category requirements apply in addition to the basic Express Entry criteria.
- How a category-based round workssource
- After you create a profile and enter the pool, you receive a CRS score. IRCC identifies candidates who meet a category’s requirements, ranks them by CRS score and invites the highest-ranking candidates. Category-based selection changes the eligible group; rankings still use CRS. These rounds supplement other invitation types and may not be needed if enough eligible, high-ranking candidates are already invited through general or program-specific rounds.
- Work experience requirements shared by eight categoriessource
- Apart from the French-language and skilled military categories, the other eight all use the same work-experience rule: within the past 3 years, at least 12 months of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time experience) in a single occupation listed in that category’s table; the experience does not need to be continuous; and it counts no matter your primary occupation. The one difference is where the work was done — for healthcare and social services, STEM, trades, education and transport, the page says “in Canada or abroad”; for physicians, senior managers and researchers it says “in Canada”.
- Category 1: French-language proficiencysource
- You must have French test results showing a minimum score of 7 in all four language abilities on the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens, and meet all the requirements in that round’s instructions. It is the lowest of the four abilities that counts, not an average. This category does not look at occupation and has no work-experience list — it is the only one of the ten that turns purely on language. In this site’s data it is the category-based selection that issues by far the most invitations: several 2026 rounds of 5,000 each, with a cut-off of 382 on 2026-08-19. It does not hold the lowest cut-off — the physicians category does, see the caveats below — but it is the largest of the low-cut-off rounds, and so the one most readers will see and most likely misread as “I qualify”.
- Category 2: Healthcare and social services occupations (37 NOCs, in Canada or abroad)source
- The list (occupation / 2021 NOC / TEER): Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine 31100 (1); Specialists in surgery 31101 (1); General practitioners and family physicians 31102 (1); Veterinarians 31103 (1); Dentists 31110 (1); Optometrists 31111 (1); Audiologists and speech-language pathologists 31112 (1); Pharmacists 31120 (1); Dietitians and nutritionists 31121 (1); Psychologists 31200 (1); Chiropractors 31201 (1); Physiotherapists 31202 (1); Occupational therapists 31203 (1); Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating 31209 (1); Nursing coordinators and supervisors 31300 (1); Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses 31301 (1); Nurse practitioners 31302 (1); Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals 31303 (1); Licensed practical nurses 32101 (2); Paramedical occupations 32102 (2); Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists 32103 (2); Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians 32104 (2); Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment 32109 (2); Dental hygienists and dental therapists 32111 (2); Medical laboratory technologists 32120 (2); Medical radiation technologists 32121 (2); Medical sonographers 32122 (2); Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists 32123 (2); Pharmacy technicians 32124 (2); Other medical technologists and technicians 32129 (2); Massage therapists 32201 (2); Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations 33101 (3); Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates 33102 (3); Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants 33103 (3); Social workers 41300 (1); Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies 41301 (1); Social and community service workers 42201 (2).
- Category 3: STEM occupations (11 NOCs, in Canada or abroad)source
- The list (occupation / 2021 NOC / TEER): Architecture and science managers 20011 (0); Cybersecurity specialists 21220 (1); Civil Engineers 21300 (1); Mechanical Engineers 21301 (1); Electrical and electronics engineers 21310 (1); Industrial and manufacturing engineers 21321 (1); Geological Engineers 21331 (1); Civil engineering technologists and technicians 22300 (2); Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians 22301 (2); Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians 22310 (2); Insurance agents and brokers 63100 (3). This list is narrower than many people expect: software development and data science occupations are not on it, while insurance agents and brokers are.
- Category 4: Trade occupations (25 NOCs, in Canada or abroad)source
- The list (occupation / 2021 NOC / TEER): Construction estimators 22303 (2); Construction managers 70010 (0); Home building and renovation managers 70011 (0); Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors 72100 (2); Sheet metal workers 72102 (2); Welders and related machine operators 72106 (2); Electricians (except industrial and power system) 72200 (2); Industrial electricians 72201 (2); Plumbers 72300 (2); Gas fitters 72302 (2); Carpenters 72310 (2); Cabinetmakers 72311 (2); Bricklayers 72320 (2); Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics 72400 (2); Heavy-duty equipment mechanics 72401 (2); Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics 72402 (2); Electrical mechanics 72422 (2); Water well drillers 72501 (2); Other technical trades and related occupations 72999 (2); Concrete finishers 73100 (3); Roofers and shinglers 73110 (3); Painters and decorators (except interior decorators) 73112 (3); Floor covering installers 73113 (3); Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services 82021 (2); Butchers - retail and wholesale 63201 (3).
- Category 5: Education occupations (5 NOCs, in Canada or abroad)source
- The list (occupation / 2021 NOC / TEER): Secondary school teachers 41220 (1); Elementary school and kindergarten teachers 41221 (1); Early childhood educators and assistants 42202 (2); Instructors of persons with disabilities 42203 (2); Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants 43100 (3). Note that university professors and lecturers are not in this category — they appear under researchers with Canadian work experience, which counts only experience gained in Canada.
- Category 6: Transport occupations (4 NOCs, in Canada or abroad)source
- The list (occupation / 2021 NOC / TEER): Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors 72404 (2); Air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors 72600 (2); Aircraft instrument, electrical and avionics mechanics, technicians and inspectors 22313 (2); Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics, and mechanical repairers 72410 (2). The category currently holds only these four, all of them aviation or vehicle maintenance occupations; truck drivers (NOC 73300) are not among them.
- Category 7: Physicians with Canadian work experience (3 NOCs, in Canada only)source
- The list (occupation / 2021 NOC / TEER): Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine 31100 (1); Specialists in surgery 31101 (1); General practitioners and family physicians 31102 (1). The experience requirement here reads “in Canada”. The same three occupations also appear in the healthcare and social services category, where experience gained abroad does count; under this category it does not.
- Category 8: Senior managers with Canadian work experience (4 NOCs, in Canada only)source
- The list (occupation / 2021 NOC / TEER): Senior managers - financial, communications and other business services 00012 (0); Senior managers - health, education, social and community services and membership organizations 00013 (0); Senior managers - trade, broadcasting and other services 00014 (0); Senior managers - construction, transportation, production and utilities 00015 (0). All four are TEER 0, and the experience must have been gained in Canada.
- Category 9: Researchers with Canadian work experience (2 NOCs, in Canada only)source
- The list (occupation / 2021 NOC / TEER): University professors and lecturers 41200 (1); Post-secondary teaching and research assistants 41201 (1). The experience must have been gained in Canada — teaching at a university outside Canada does not make you eligible for this category.
- Category 10: Skilled military recruits (unlike the other nine)source
- This category does not use the “12 months in the past 3 years” rule. It has its own set, and all four apply: first, you must be a Foreign Skilled Military Applicant — an eligible foreign national serving in a recognised foreign military with a minimum of ten years of continuous service, whose work experience and training align with the main duties of one or more of NOC 40042 (Commissioned officers of the Canadian Armed Forces), 42102 (Specialized members) or 43204 (Operations members); second, you must have an offer of arranged employment with the Canadian Armed Forces made by the Canadian Forces Recruiting Group, for continuous full-time work in Canada lasting at least 3 years, in one of those same three NOCs; third, you must have at least a 2-year post-secondary credential, with an educational credential assessment if you studied outside Canada; fourth, you must meet all requirements in the instructions for that round.
- How categories are chosen and reportedsource
- The official page says categories are chosen on the basis of labour market information and projections, and of input from partners including provinces and territories and stakeholders across the country. Categories are announced in advance. Each year IRCC reports to Parliament on the categories chosen the previous year, why and how they were chosen, the instructions establishing each category, and the number of invitations issued for each; it also includes category-based selection in the Express Entry Year-End Report and monitors and assesses categories regularly. In other words the categories change, and this page reflects only the list published on the day this site checked.
Important details (8)
- A low cut-off does not mean a low bar. Those rounds have low cut-offs because few people qualify: everyone not eligible for the category is excluded first, and the ranking runs only over those who remain. Reading 382 as “I qualify” is the single most likely misreading of this site’s data. The most extreme case in this site’s data is not the French round: on 2026-02-19 the physicians with Canadian work experience category drew at 169, issuing 391 invitations. A score of 169 would be meaningless in a general round; it stands only because very few people in the pool have worked as a physician in Canada. The skilled military round that same year issued 4 invitations in total. How low a cut-off goes measures how rare the eligible candidates are, not how easy the route is.
- Your primary occupation does not have to be listed if you have 12 months of experience in a single listed occupation within the past 3 years. A labour shortage alone does not qualify an unlisted occupation for the category.
- The 12 months of experience must be in a single listed occupation. Experience across two or three different occupations cannot be combined to meet that requirement.
- Location requirements can differ for the same occupation. The three physician NOCs (31100, 31101, 31102) appear in both healthcare and social services, which accepts experience gained in or outside Canada, and physicians with Canadian work experience, which accepts only experience gained in Canada. Check the requirements for the relevant category.
- This page explains category eligibility. The full requirements for a specific round are set out in its invitation instructions and may include additional conditions not listed here.
- A category may go an entire year without an invitation round. Category-based rounds supplement other round types and may not be needed if enough eligible, high-ranking candidates are invited through general or program-specific rounds. An absence of rounds in a given year does not by itself indicate a problem with the category.
- This site retains 3 historical agriculture and agri-food occupations rounds, most recently on 16 February 2024. That category was not among the ten categories on the official list when this page was checked. The official page does not give establishment or removal dates, so we cannot confirm when the category changed. Consult the latest official list for the categories currently in use.
- Category names and versions can change. For example, healthcare occupations was renamed healthcare and social services occupations. The v1 / v2 / v3 labels in our historical records distinguish versions observed in published rounds; they do not represent official effective dates. Check the official source linked on this page for current requirements, as conditions from older rounds may no longer apply.
Who this is not for
- People who do not qualify for the Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program or Federal Skilled Trades Program: category-based rounds select candidates already in the Express Entry pool
- Anyone reading a low cut-off as a low bar: those rounds have low cut-offs because few people qualify for the category, not because the requirements are easier
- People without experience in a listed occupation: a labour shortage does not replace the list requirement, so check the relevant NOC code
- People whose experience spans several listed occupations but is less than 12 months in any one of them: experience across different occupations cannot be combined
- People considering the physicians, senior managers or researchers categories whose relevant experience was gained outside Canada: these three categories require experience gained in Canada
Read the full application guide →
Based on official guidance. Checked by iRadar: 2 Sep 2026; official page updated: 22 Jun 2026. Refer to the official page for the requirements. official page