Canada’s immigration minister – Lena Metlege Diab, last night announced new Express Entry immigration categories for 2026. The writing on the wall is clear: the focus is on ‘bringing in the right people to help build a stronger future’. In this backdrop, immigration experts expect that Express Entry draws (the point-based pathway to enable skilled applicants to gain permanent residency) will focus on ‘category-based’ draws. With Canada’s continued emphasis on boosting Francophone immigration, several French-language proficiency draws are also likely to be held this year.The first Express Entry category draw for foreign medical doctors with Canadian work experience, will be held in the coming days. Diab also announced the addition of targeted Express Entry pathways for researchers and senior managers with Canadian experience, transport-sector workers such as pilots and aircraft mechanics, and skilled foreign military recruits for specialised roles (such as doctors, nurses and pilots).“By providing a clear path to permanent residence, we’re supporting the broader federal efforts to drive innovation and growth, including a $1.7 billion initiative announced in Dec by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada to attract world-leading researchers to Canada,” said Diab.At the same time, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), will continue category-based draws for candidates with strong French-language skills and for workers in existing priority sectors, including healthcare and social services professions (such as nurse practitioners, dentists, pharmacists, psychologists and chiropractors) and skilled ‘trades’ such as carpenters, plumbers and machinists and STEM-related occupations.“We’ll support education occupations: science, technology, engineering, and math. The STEM categories include engineers and cybersecurity specialists. Tomorrow’s economy will be driven by innovation and technologies like artificial intelligence. Growing these industries creates jobs and opportunities for the future,” said the Minister.For Indians aspirants from the tech sector, the continued encouragement to candidates in the STEM field is good news, however immigration experts are quick to point out that cooks no longer fall in the ‘trade’ category.However, in 2025, only one ‘trade’ occupation draw was held in September. Further, several cooks from India have been successful under the Canadian Experience Class draws. The route was: study in the hospitality stream in Canada, work as a cook under the post graduate work program, gain a year’s experience and qualify as eligible for CEC draws. This option remains open, but today such draws are subject to high cut-off scores.Under updated rules, the minimum work-experience requirement for occupational categories has been raised to one year within the past three years, compared with the earlier six-month requirement, though the experience no longer needs to be continuous.Also read: A guide to Canadian permanent residenceDiab stressed that, “IRCC’s effort to attract talent is part of our government’s International Talent Attraction Strategy. We’re not waiting for the right people to find us. We’re going out into the world to recruit the people our country needs, connect them with Canadian employers, and highlight why Canada is the best place in the world to build their careers and lives.”“Employers can plan, hire and invest with confidence, with an Express Entry program that functions effectively for them,” she added.The announcement comes as Canada recalibrates immigration levels following high inflows a few years ago, while this helped address labour shortages – especially during the pandemic – it also added pressure on housing, infrastructure and social services. The government has since moved to stabilise the system and reduce immigrant intakes.As of Jan 1, Canada had paused its start-up visa program. When asked about it, Diab mentioned that consultations are ongoing to determine how it should function, going forward.
