With Express Entry draws expected to accelerate later this quarter, IRCC has published a detailed breakdown of which occupations fared best in 2025 and will remain priorities in 2026—including an entirely new category for physicians with Canadian work experience. The guidance, released via CIC News on 15 January, confirms six occupation-based categories: Healthcare & Social Services, STEM, Trades, Agriculture, Education and the new Physicians subset. (cicnews.com)
Under the rules, candidates need as little as six months of recent experience in a listed occupation (12 months for physicians) to qualify for category-based draws. In 2025 IRCC issued seven healthcare draws, but none for STEM—signalling that IT professionals should expect a rebound this year as Ottawa tries to balance labour-market gaps.
For global mobility teams the guidance is gold: it narrows where internal transfers and foreign recruitment should focus. Consulting giant Accelera told GMN it is re-routing senior engineers through STEM-eligible NOCs 21310 and 22310 to maximise CRS gains, while a Québec hospital network said the physician category finally offers a permanent-residence path for contract doctors hired during the pandemic.
![New IRCC Guide Reveals Occupations Most Likely to Receive Express Entry Invitations in 2026]()
Meanwhile, VisaHQ’s Canada desk can streamline this process for both employers and applicants. Their platform (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) provides real-time Express Entry tracking, NOC code validation, and document-preparation services, helping candidates assemble airtight profiles and hit draw deadlines with confidence.
The publication also hints that three new categories—Leadership, Research & Innovation, and National Security—remain under ministerial consideration. If adopted, they could reshape recruitment strategies in the second half of 2026.
Practically, employers should audit job codes against the NOC 2021 update, ensure six-month experience thresholds can be documented and prepare language-testing budgets, as IRCC’s targeted draws typically post higher CRS cut-offs than general rounds.
Under the rules, candidates need as little as six months of recent experience in a listed occupation (12 months for physicians) to qualify for category-based draws. In 2025 IRCC issued seven healthcare draws, but none for STEM—signalling that IT professionals should expect a rebound this year as Ottawa tries to balance labour-market gaps.
For global mobility teams the guidance is gold: it narrows where internal transfers and foreign recruitment should focus. Consulting giant Accelera told GMN it is re-routing senior engineers through STEM-eligible NOCs 21310 and 22310 to maximise CRS gains, while a Québec hospital network said the physician category finally offers a permanent-residence path for contract doctors hired during the pandemic.
Meanwhile, VisaHQ’s Canada desk can streamline this process for both employers and applicants. Their platform (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) provides real-time Express Entry tracking, NOC code validation, and document-preparation services, helping candidates assemble airtight profiles and hit draw deadlines with confidence.
The publication also hints that three new categories—Leadership, Research & Innovation, and National Security—remain under ministerial consideration. If adopted, they could reshape recruitment strategies in the second half of 2026.
Practically, employers should audit job codes against the NOC 2021 update, ensure six-month experience thresholds can be documented and prepare language-testing budgets, as IRCC’s targeted draws typically post higher CRS cut-offs than general rounds.
