Express Entry Categories 2026: Who Qualifies for Category-Based Draws

For 2026, Express Entry has 10 categories that IRCC can use to invite candidates with specific skills, even if their CRS score is below the general cutoff. They are French-language proficiency, healthcare and social services, STEM, trades, education, transport, and four new groups: physicians, senior managers and researchers with Canadian work experience, plus skilled military recruits. For the occupation categories, you need at least 12 months of experience in a listed job within the past three years (IRCC category page, dated June 22, 2026).

Key points

• IRCC announced the 2026 categories on February 18, 2026. Physicians, researchers, senior managers, transport and military recruits are new.
• Occupation categories need 12 months of full-time (or equivalent) experience in one listed occupation in the past 3 years. This is longer than the 6-month minimum used in earlier years.
• You must still qualify for FSW, CEC or FST. A category does not replace program eligibility.
• In 2026, French rounds had cutoffs of 382–420 and healthcare rounds 467–475. As of October 1, STEM, education and researcher rounds had not been held.
• There is no separate application. IRCC checks your profile automatically.

The 10 categories and their rules

Category	Main requirement	Example occupations (NOC 2021)
French-language proficiency	NCLC 7+ in all four abilities	Any occupation
Healthcare and social services	12 months in a listed occupation, past 3 years, in Canada or abroad	Registered nurses (31301), social workers (41300), medical lab technologists (32120), pharmacy technicians (32124)
STEM	Same as above	Civil engineers (21300), electrical and electronics engineers (21310), cybersecurity specialists (21220)
Trades	Same as above	Electricians (72200), plumbers (72300), carpenters (72310), welders (72106)
Education	Same as above	Secondary teachers (41220), elementary teachers (41221), early childhood educators (42202)
Transport (new)	Same as above	Air pilots (72600), aircraft mechanics (72404), automotive service technicians (72410)
Physicians with Canadian work experience (new)	12 months in Canada, past 3 years	Specialists (31100, 31101), general practitioners (31102)
Senior managers with Canadian work experience (new)	12 months in Canada, past 3 years	Senior managers, NOC 00012–00015
Researchers with Canadian work experience (new)	12 months in Canada, past 3 years	University professors and lecturers (41200), post-secondary teaching and research assistants (41201)
Skilled military recruits (new)	10+ years’ continuous service in a recognized foreign military; Canadian Forces Recruiting Group job offer of 3+ years; 2+ year post-secondary credential	Commissioned officers (40042) and other CAF roles

The full occupation lists, with every eligible NOC code, are on the IRCC category page. Check your exact five-digit NOC code against that list. Similar job titles can fall under different codes.

How category rounds work

IRCC describes the process this way:

1. The Minister sets categories based on labour market data and input from provinces, territories and stakeholders, and announces them in advance.
2. When IRCC holds a category round, it ranks only the candidates who meet that category’s rules, by CRS score.
3. The top-ranked eligible candidates get invitations. They have 60 days to apply.
4. When you apply, IRCC checks your program eligibility, category eligibility and admissibility. If you were invited in a category you do not actually meet, your application can be refused.

Category rounds are in addition to CEC, PNP and general rounds. IRCC says it may skip a category round if enough top candidates in that category have already been invited through other rounds.

2026 category results so far

From IRCC’s rounds data, January 1 to October 1, 2026:

Category	Rounds	ITAs	CRS range	Most recent round
French-language proficiency	10	50,500	382–420	Aug 19 (382)
Healthcare and social services	3	11,500	467–475	Sep 4 (475)
Trades	2	6,500	476–477	Oct 1 (476)
Senior managers (Cdn experience)	3	1,000	389–429	Sep 16 (389)
Physicians (Cdn experience)	3	891	169–223	Sep 3 (198)
Transport	1	300	470	Aug 7 (470)
Skilled military recruits	1	4	368	Jul 23 (368)
STEM	0	—	—	None in 2026
Education	0	—	—	None in 2026
Researchers (Cdn experience)	0	—	—	None in 2026

For comparison, 2026 CEC cutoffs ranged from 507 to 523. Category rounds have mostly invited people at much lower scores. For round-by-round results, see Express Entry draws 2026.

Category-by-category notes

French-language proficiency

This is the largest category in 2026 by far. It has no occupation rule, so any candidate eligible for Express Entry with NCLC 7 in all four abilities (TEF Canada or TCF Canada) qualifies. French at that level also earns up to 50 additional CRS points.

Healthcare and social services

This covers clinical roles and some social services jobs. Experience can come from outside Canada. Make sure your reference letters describe duties that match the NOC description.

Trades and transport

Trades rounds have been large but rare (April 2 and October 1, 2026). Transport is new, and its one round so far was small. Trades workers can also qualify through the Federal Skilled Trades Program.

STEM and education

Both are listed for 2026, but neither had a round between January and October 1, 2026. The most recent STEM round in IRCC’s data was on April 11, 2024. Do not plan around a STEM round until one happens.

Physicians, senior managers and researchers with Canadian experience

These new categories reward people who already work in Canada in high-skill roles. Very few candidates qualify, so cutoffs have been low (physicians 169–223). Researchers had no round as of October 1.

Skilled military recruits

This is a narrow pathway for people recruited by the Canadian Armed Forces. You cannot apply to it on your own. You need an offer from the Canadian Forces Recruiting Group.

How to check whether you qualify for a category

1. Find your NOC 2021 code. Look up the occupation that matches your main duties on the government’s NOC site. Do not rely on your job title.
2. Compare it with the category list. The occupation has to appear on the IRCC list for that category. Being in a related field is not enough.
3. Count your months. You need 12 months of full-time work (or the same amount part-time) in that one occupation within the past 3 years. For the physician, senior manager and researcher categories, the work must have been done in Canada.
4. Confirm program eligibility. You still have to meet the rules for FSW, CEC or FST. Being eligible for a category does not replace this.
5. Make your profile match your documents. The NOC code, dates and hours in your profile must match your reference letters.

Common mistakes with category draws

• Choosing a NOC code to fit a category. If your duties do not match the code, your application can be refused, and a finding of misrepresentation can lead to a five-year ban.
• Counting experience spread across several occupations. The 12 months must all be in one listed occupation.
• Counting old experience. Work done more than 3 years before the invitation does not count toward the category.
• Assuming a round will happen. IRCC does not promise rounds for every category. STEM, education and researchers had none between January and October 1, 2026.
• Letting language results expire. This matters especially for French-category candidates. Results must be less than 2 years old when you create your profile and when you apply.

What changed from 2025

The 2025 categories, announced February 27, 2025, were French, healthcare and social services, trades, and education, with a stated focus on CEC rounds (IRCC 2025 release). The 2026 list adds transport and the four new groups, and keeps STEM and education on the category page. It also raises the experience requirement to 12 months. IRCC’s 2026 consultation on Express Entry reform says further consultations on categories are expected later in 2026. See our reform explainer.

What to do next

1. Find your NOC 2021 code and check it against IRCC’s category lists.
2. Count your qualifying months in that occupation within the past 3 years. Gather reference letters that show duties and hours.
3. If French is possible for you, look at TEF Canada or TCF Canada. NCLC 7 opens the largest category.
4. Update your profile if your occupation or experience changes, and see the full Express Entry guide and the Canada hub.

If your work history spans several NOC codes, a licensed RCIC or Canadian immigration lawyer can help you decide which occupation to claim.