IRCC has now confirmed the Express Entry categories for 2026, following the Minister’s February 18, 2026 announcement in Toronto and IRCC’s accompanying news release/backgrounder.
If you’ve been watching category-based draws since 2023, you’ll recognize the pattern: the system is no longer in its “experimental” phase. It’s maturing. And the 2026 update makes that obvious — not because the categories exist (we already knew that), but because the rules are being tightened in ways that directly respond to how these streams were used — and misused — in 2024 and 2025.
- Biggest change: the experience threshold for category eligibility is now 12 months (1,560 hours) within the last 3 years.
- The experience does not need to be continuous, but the hours still have to add up.
- IRCC kept the “core” categories (French, Healthcare, STEM, Trades, Education) and introduced new ones targeting doctors, researchers, senior managers, transport, and skilled military recruits.
- Notable shift: Trades is now far more “trade-heavy” AND cooks have been removed.
- Transport is back, but it’s a tighter, aviation/mechanics-focused version — not the wide list including drivers or supervisors many people associate with “transport draws.”
The Experience Threshold Is Now 12 Months
There were already strong signals for months that IRCC would raise the minimum work experience requirement for category eligibility. This has now been formalized.
For 2026, the minimum eligible work experience for the categories is 12 months, not 6. The experience must be gained within the last 3 years, and importantly, it does not need to be continuous, but you still have to meet the equivalent full-time threshold of 1,560 hours.
This is a step in the right direction. Six months was too easy to “manufacture” on paper in categories that were already vulnerable to overrepresentation or thin documentation. Raising the bar doesn’t eliminate fraud, nothing does but it raises the cost of gaming the system and pushes selection closer to candidates with real continuity and substance behind their claims.
- Minimum requirement increased to 12 months (1,560 hours)
- Experience must be within the last 3 years
- Experience does not have to be continuous, but must add up to the required hours
- Applies across the 2026 categories as confirmed in IRCC materials
What Stayed: The “Core” Categories Continue in 2026
IRCC is continuing with the categories that have essentially become the backbone of category-based selection: French-language proficiency, health care & social services, education, STEM, and trades.
This is where you can see the system maturing. The categories aren’t just being kept — they’re being tuned.
French-Language Proficiency
French remains a major priority because it supports Canada’s Francophone vitality outside Quebec. The French category is still occupation-neutral (i.e., it’s not tied to a specific NOC list). That can be a strength, but it’s also why this category will continue to attract a disproportionate amount of attention and strategy.
If you’re going the French route, treat it like a serious plan, not a “points hack.” Language-based selection tends to grow quickly, and anything that grows quickly also invites policy tightening later.
What Changed (And Why It Matters): Trades Is Now More “Trades” and Cooks Are Out
This is the change many people saw coming.
In 2025, trades draws were surprisingly limited — and the one trade draw that did happen came with a significantly higher CRS threshold. Behind the scenes, there was a growing perception (and it wasn’t exactly subtle) that the trades category was being dragged into overrepresentation issues particularly through the inclusion of cooks.
Now in 2026, trades is tighter. It’s more aligned with actual construction/infrastructure and industrial needs and notably, cooks have been removed. In practical terms, that’s IRCC acknowledging what everyone in the space already understood: when one occupation becomes “the entry key” into a category, the category stops functioning as intended.
Trades Draws: How the Trend Shifted
Here’s the historical trade draw data you referenced. Notice how 2025 looks like a completely different universe compared to 2023–2024.
| Date | CRS Cut-off | ITAs | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 3, 2023 | 388 | 1,500 | Trade occupations |
| Dec 19, 2023 | 425 | 1,000 | Trade occupations |
| Jul 4, 2024 | 436 | 1,800 | Trade occupations |
| Oct 23, 2024 | 433 | 1,800 | Trade occupations |
| Sep 18, 2025 | 505 | 1,250 | Trade occupations |
If you look at that 2025 row in isolation: CRS 505 with only 1,250 ITAs for an entire year’s worth of “trade category signalling”, it tells you something important: IRCC wasn’t comfortable running that category at scale in its 2025 structure.
So yes, in 2026, the trade category looks more serious, more aligned, and less vulnerable to one occupation hijacking the entire pipeline.
2026 Categories: Full Occupation Lists (As Confirmed)
Below are the occupation lists by category, structured exactly for quick reference: Occupation, 2021 NOC, and TEER.
Health Care and Social Services
| Occupation | 2021 NOC code | 2021 TEER |
|---|---|---|
| Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians | 32104 | 2 |
| Audiologists and speech-language pathologists | 31112 | 1 |
| Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists | 32123 | 2 |
| Chiropractors | 31201 | 1 |
| Dental hygienists and dental therapists | 32111 | 2 |
| Dentists | 31110 | 1 |
| Dietitians and nutritionists | 31121 | 1 |
| General practitioners and family physicians | 31102 | 1 |
| Licensed practical nurses | 32101 | 2 |
| Massage therapists | 32201 | 2 |
| Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations | 33101 | 3 |
| Medical laboratory technologists | 32120 | 2 |
| Medical radiation technologists | 32121 | 2 |
| Medical sonographers | 32122 | 2 |
| Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates | 33102 | 3 |
| Nurse practitioners | 31302 | 1 |
| Nursing coordinators and supervisors | 31300 | 1 |
| Occupational therapists | 31203 | 1 |
| Optometrists | 31111 | 1 |
| Other medical technologists and technicians | 32129 | 2 |
| Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating | 31209 | 1 |
| Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment | 32109 | 2 |
| Paramedical occupations | 32102 | 2 |
| Pharmacists | 31120 | 1 |
| Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants | 33103 | 3 |
| Pharmacy technicians | 32124 | 2 |
| Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals | 31303 | 1 |
| Physiotherapists | 31202 | 1 |
| Psychologists | 31200 | 1 |
| Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 31301 | 1 |
| Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists | 32103 | 2 |
| Social and community service workers | 42201 | 2 |
| Social workers | 41300 | 1 |
| Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine | 31100 | 1 |
| Specialists in surgery | 31101 | 1 |
| Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies | 41301 | 1 |
| Veterinarians | 31103 | 1 |
STEM
The most interesting part of STEM in 2026 is what’s still missing. With global competition for tech talent (and obvious geopolitical shifts), many expected IT-heavy occupations to remain front and centre. Instead, the STEM list is still relatively narrow, and once again, IT is largely absent. At the same time, insurance agents and brokers remain in STEM, which continues to raise eyebrows for obvious reasons.
| Occupation | 2021 NOC code | 2021 TEER |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture and science managers | 20011 | 0 |
| Civil engineering technologists and technicians | 22300 | 2 |
| Civil engineers | 21300 | 1 |
| Cybersecurity specialists | 21220 | 1 |
| Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians | 22310 | 2 |
| Electrical and electronics engineers | 21310 | 1 |
| Geological engineers | 21331 | 1 |
| Industrial and manufacturing engineers | 21321 | 1 |
| Insurance agents and brokers | 63100 | 3 |
| Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians | 22301 | 2 |
| Mechanical engineers | 21301 | 1 |
Trades
| Occupation | 2021 NOC code | 2021 TEER |
|---|---|---|
| Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services | 82021 | 2 |
| Floor covering installers | 73113 | 3 |
| Painters and decorators (except interior decorators) | 73112 | 3 |
| Roofers and shinglers | 73110 | 3 |
| Concrete finishers | 73100 | 3 |
| Other technical trades and related occupations | 72999 | 2 |
| Water well drillers | 72501 | 2 |
| Electrical mechanics | 72422 | 2 |
| Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics | 72402 | 2 |
| Heavy-duty equipment mechanics | 72401 | 2 |
| Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics | 72400 | 2 |
| Bricklayers | 72320 | 2 |
| Cabinetmakers | 72311 | 2 |
| Carpenters | 72310 | 2 |
| Gas fitters | 72302 | 2 |
| Plumbers | 72300 | 2 |
| Industrial electricians | 72201 | 2 |
| Electricians (except industrial and power system) | 72200 | 2 |
| Welders and related machine operators | 72106 | 2 |
| Sheet metal workers | 72102 | 2 |
| Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors | 72100 | 2 |
| Home building and renovation managers | 70011 | 0 |
| Construction managers | 70010 | 0 |
| Butchers – retail and wholesale | 63201 | 3 |
| Construction estimators | 22303 | 2 |
Education
| Occupation | 2021 NOC code | 2021 TEER |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants | 43100 | 3 |
| Instructors of persons with disabilities | 42203 | 2 |
| Early childhood educators and assistants | 42202 | 2 |
| Elementary school and kindergarten teachers | 41221 | 1 |
| Secondary school teachers | 41220 | 1 |
New in 2026: Categories Designed to Pull In “High-Leverage” Talent
IRCC not only just renewed categories, but added new ones. These aren’t general categories. They’re clearly designed to target people who can plug into specific national priorities: health system capacity, research innovation, leadership talent, transport infrastructure, and national defence readiness.
Physicians with Canadian Work Experience
| Occupation | 2021 NOC code | 2021 TEER |
|---|---|---|
| General practitioners and family physicians | 31102 | 1 |
| Specialists in surgery | 31101 | 1 |
| Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine | 31100 | 1 |
Researchers with Canadian Work Experience
| Occupation | 2021 NOC code | 2021 TEER |
|---|---|---|
| Post-secondary teaching and research assistants | 41201 | 1 |
| University professors and lecturers | 41200 | 1 |
Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience
A quick word of caution here (without dramatics): these are senior manager codes. If your day-to-day role is execution-focused, even if you manage a small team, odds are you’re not in these. These are the roles that set policy, direction, budgets, and organizational priorities — not simply follow them.
| Occupation | 2021 NOC code | 2021 TEER |
|---|---|---|
| Senior managers – construction, transportation, production and utilities | 00015 | 0 |
| Senior managers – trade, broadcasting and other services | 00014 | 0 |
| Senior managers – health, education, social and community services and membership organizations | 00013 | 0 |
| Senior managers – financial, communications and other business services | 00012 | 0 |
Transport Occupations
When most people hear “transport draws,” they think truck drivers and ground logistics occupations. That is not what this is.
The 2026 transport list is narrow and technical — aviation and mechanic-heavy — and it’s a very different direction than the broader transport category many remember from earlier iterations.
| Occupation | 2021 NOC code | 2021 TEER |
|---|---|---|
| Air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors | 72600 | 2 |
| Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics, and mechanical repairers | 72410 | 2 |
| Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors | 72404 | 2 |
| Aircraft instrument, electrical and avionics mechanics, technicians and inspectors | 22313 | 2 |
Skilled Military Recruits
This category is the most “conditional” category on the list. It’s not just about having eligible work experience andf the eligibility framework is explicitly tied to recognized foreign military service and a Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) offer.
In plain terms: this is not a category you casually “qualify” for. It’s designed to attract highly skilled foreign military applicants being recruited into key CAF roles.
| Occupation | 2021 NOC code | 2021 TEER |
|---|---|---|
| Operations members of the Canadian Armed Forces | 43204 | 3 |
| Specialized members of the Canadian Armed Forces | 42102 | 2 |
| Commissioned officers of the Canadian Armed Forces | 40042 | 0 |
- Foreign Skilled Military Applicant (serving in a recognized foreign military)
- Minimum 10 years of continuous service
- Work experience/training aligned with eligible CAF NOC(s)
- A full-time CAF job offer for at least 3 years (issued by Canadian Forces Recruiting Group)
- At least a 2-year post-secondary credential (ECA required if outside Canada)
Loose Ends IRCC Should Still Fix (If the Goal Is a Mature, Abuse-Resistant System)
I’ll say this clearly: 2026 is a step forward. The categories are narrower, the experience threshold is stronger, and IRCC is clearly trying to reduce “easy entries” into category eligibility.
But if IRCC wants to reduce the gaming we saw in 2024–2025, there are still a few obvious pressure points that need tightening — and none of these ideas are new. Canada has done versions of this before.
1) Tie French draws to actual labour needs, not just language alone.
French proficiency is valuable, it supports Francophone vitality outside Quebec and strengthens Canada’s bilingual identity. But right now, French draws are effectively an occupation-neutral gateway, and with scores hovering in the sub-400s, it can become a “primary strategy” even when labour-market alignment is weak.
My view: keep French draws, but pair them with occupational targeting (even if broad). That way, the language advantage remains, but it’s also anchored to real sector demand.
2) Introduce sub-caps inside category lists to prevent single-occupation overrepresentation.
What happened with Trades in 2025 is the exact reason this matters. When one occupation dominates participation, the entire category becomes distorted. You end up with fewer invites, higher CRS thresholds, and a category that stops behaving like its name suggests.
Canada has used caps and sub-caps before (pre-Express Entry era), including removing certain occupations temporarily due to overrepresentation and setting per-occupation sub-caps for NOC B roles. That model wasn’t perfect — but it was an effective pressure valve.
3) Consider country-specific balancing to support diversity.
This is always politically sensitive, so I’ll keep it practical: if the policy objective includes diversity and resilience, it’s reasonable to explore mechanisms that prevent the system from becoming overly dependent on any one source region — especially when program awareness turns into mass replication behaviours.
4) Move toward “blind targeting”: Announce the category, not the exact NOC list.
This is where Ontario (OINP) has been smarter than the federal system at times. When you publicly publish the exact NOC list in advance, you invite predictable behaviour: profiles “adjust” to match what’s hot, not what’s true.
A more mature system would allow IRCC to target internally and publish results after the fact, without handing out a public checklist that encourages NOC-shifting. None of this is about making immigration “harder.” It’s about making it more defensible, more stable, and harder to exploit, so genuine candidates don’t get caught in the blast radius when the system inevitably tightens again.
Reference point (historic policy example): IRCC/CIC has previously used caps and occupation restrictions in the Canadian Experience Class due to overrepresentation (including cooks). You can link the archived CIC/IRCC page here for readers who want the historical context:
If you zoom out, 2026 is not just “new categories.” It’s IRCC continuing to narrow selection toward candidates that can contribute quickly, in sectors Canada has clearly identified as critical, while raising the eligibility threshold so that categories aren’t as easily “unlocked” in six months.
The system is moving in the right direction. There are still loose ends. But compared to the volatility and distortion we saw across multiple streams in 2024 and 2025, this is a more disciplined framework.
If you want an honest assessment of whether your profile genuinely fits a category, and what your best alternative is if it doesn’t, reach out. A strategy session can save you months of wrong moves.
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