Express Entry Category-Based Draws

Category-based draws let IRCC invite Express Entry candidates by occupation or French ability instead of score alone, ranking you only against others in the same category. IRCC lists 10 categories for 2026. Most occupation categories need at least 12 months of full-time work in a single listed occupation within the past 3 years.

Check which category lists include your occupation with the NOC Finder

Last verified: November 2026

10
Categories IRCC lists for 2026
477
CRS cut-off in the latest category round, #453 on October 28, 2026
12 months
Of full-time work in one listed occupation within 3 years, for most occupation categories
NCLC 7
In all four abilities, for the French-language category

Cut-offs move every round. The draw tracker lists each round with its category and cut-off.

What is a category-based draw?

Express Entry is a pool. When you submit a profile and are eligible for at least one of the federal programs (Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades, or the Canadian Experience Class), you receive a CRS score and wait for a round of invitations.

A general (all-program) round: Invites the top-ranked candidates regardless of which program they qualify under. None has been held since 2024.
A program-specific round: Such as a Canadian Experience Class (CEC) round. It invites only candidates eligible under that one program.
A category-based round: Invites only candidates who meet the requirements of a category the Minister has chosen for that year.

In a category-based round you are ranked only against other candidates who fit the same category, so the cut-off can be considerably lower. Category-based selection does not replace your CRS score or change how points are calculated. It changes which candidates IRCC pulls from the pool in a given round.

You cannot apply to a category directly. You enter the same Express Entry pool, and the system identifies whether you meet a category based on the information in your profile. An officer confirms your eligibility when you submit a full application after an invitation.

The rule

Category-based selection lets IRCC invite Express Entry candidates by targeted skills, work experience, or French ability rather than by score alone.

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Which categories does IRCC list for 2026?

IRCC’s category-based selection page, as modified October 16, 2026, lists French-language proficiency, health care and social services, STEM, trades, education, transport, physicians, senior managers, researchers, and skilled military recruits.

On February 18, 2026, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship announced five new categories aimed at sectors with labour shortages: physicians, researchers, senior managers, transport occupations, and highly skilled military applicants recruited by the Canadian Armed Forces. That release named French-language proficiency, health care and social services, and trades as the categories whose rounds would continue from 2025.

Being on the list is not the same as being drawn. Through round #453 on October 28, 2026, the categories IRCC drew from in 2026 were French, transport, skilled military, senior managers, health care, physicians and trades, alongside CEC and PNP rounds. No STEM, education or researchers round has been held in 2026, even though all three remain on IRCC’s list.

Each category covers only a defined list of National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes. The Trades category targets specific skilled trades rather than every trade, and IRCC says it monitors and assesses the categories on a regular basis. IRCC’s category-based selection page lists the exact occupations.

How do you qualify for a category?

First, you must be eligible for Express Entry at all: you meet the minimum requirements of at least one federal program and have a profile in the pool. Second, you must meet the specific requirement of the category.

Occupation categories: IRCC has generally required at least 12 months of full-time work experience, or an equal amount of part-time work, in a single occupation on the category’s list within the past 3 years. That experience does not have to be continuous. IRCC puts the full details in the instructions for each round.
French-language proficiency: Test results showing at least NCLC 7 in all four abilities: speaking, listening, reading and writing. The category is based on your French ability rather than your job.
Physicians, senior managers and researchers: These need the work experience in Canada. For categories tied to a specific group, IRCC publishes the particular conditions, so the qualifying rule is not identical across every category.

Your profile has to show the right NOC code and the required amount of experience, supported by documents you can later prove. The final decision on whether you qualify is made by an IRCC officer after you submit your application.

Why do categories and cut-offs change?

Category-based selection exists to support an economic goal the Minister names for each category (IRPA s.10.3(1.1)), and those goals can change. IRCC says it chooses categories based on labour market information and projections and on input from provinces, territories and stakeholders. It reports to Parliament on them each year.

IRCC also decides, round by round, which category to draw from and how many invitations to issue, and therefore where the CRS cut-off falls. A category that ran often in one part of the year may pause. A category with a low cut-off in one round may have a higher cut-off in the next.

Through round #453, IRCC held 12 French-language rounds in 2026, with cut-offs from 382 to 435. The 2026 CEC rounds cut off from 507 to 523. These are past results, not a forecast.

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What do people ask?

What are the Express Entry categories for 2026?

IRCC lists 10 categories for 2026: French-language proficiency, plus these occupation categories: Healthcare and social services; STEM; Trades; Education; Transport; Physicians (Canadian experience); Senior managers (Canadian experience); Researchers (Canadian experience); Skilled military recruits. Each occupation category covers a closed list of NOC codes that can change, and a listed category is not always drawn. Our Express Entry Draw Tracker shows which ones IRCC has drawn.

When was the latest Express Entry category-based draw?

In our check of IRCC’s rounds on October 28, 2026, the latest category-based round was the Transport Occupations round #453 on October 28, 2026. It invited 150 candidates with a CRS cut-off of 477. IRCC decides round by round which category to draw next. Our Express Entry Draw Tracker lists every round with its category and cut-off.

What CRS score do I need for a category-based draw?

Each round sets its own cut-off. For recent examples, the latest health care round, on September 4, 2026, cut off at 475, and the latest French-language round, on October 27, 2026, cut off at 407. The next round can land higher or lower. Our CRS Calculator shows your score, and the Express Entry Draw Tracker shows every cut-off.

What are the requirements for an Express Entry category-based draw?

You must first be eligible for Express Entry through at least one federal program. For most occupation categories, IRCC has generally required at least 12 months of full-time work, or the same amount part-time, in a single listed occupation within the past 3 years; it does not have to be continuous. Physicians, senior managers and researchers need that experience in Canada. French proficiency needs NCLC 7 in all four abilities. Our NOC Finder shows your code.

How is a category-based draw different from a general or CEC draw?

A general round invites the top-scoring candidates across all programs, and a Canadian Experience Class round invites only CEC-eligible candidates. A category-based round invites only candidates who meet the chosen category. Because you compete only within the category, category rounds can have lower CRS cut-offs than CEC rounds, though not always. Our Express Entry Guide explains how every type of round works.

Can I apply directly to a category?

No. You enter the regular Express Entry pool by submitting a profile, and the system decides whether you meet a category from your profile: your NOC code, work experience and language results. You cannot pick a category yourself, so an accurate NOC code matters. An officer confirms your eligibility after an invitation. Our NOC Finder helps you check which category lists include your occupation.

Does a job offer increase my CRS score in a category draw?

Only if the occupation is on IRCC's high-wage list. Since November 3, 2026, a qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation earns 100, 70 or 50 CRS points, counted inside the labour market integration factor instead of on top of your Canadian work experience points; an offer outside the list earns 0. Your CRS score is the same in every round, category-based or general. A job offer can still matter for program eligibility, such as the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and for some provincial streams. Our CRS Calculator shows where your points come from.

Can you predict the next Express Entry category-based draw?

No. The Minister sets the categories each year, and IRCC decides round by round which category to draw from and how many invitations to issue, which moves the cut-off. A category that ran often can pause, and a low cut-off can rise in the next round. The only reliable figures are published results. Our Express Entry Draw Tracker lists each published round.

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Official sources

This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.