Barely 24 hours after Ottawa introduced a dedicated physicians category, IRCC pulled the trigger on a historic occupation-specific Express Entry draw on February 19, 2026. A total of 391 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residence were issued to foreign-trained doctors who possess at least one year of recent Canadian work experience. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off landed at an unprecedented 169 – the lowest score ever recorded in any Express Entry round since the system launched in 2015.
The razor-low threshold highlights both the acute shortage of medical professionals across Canada and the small size of the eligible talent pool. By restricting eligibility to physicians already practicing in Canada, IRCC was able to invite virtually every doctor in the Express Entry pool, dramatically reducing the usual competitive pressure.
Doctors who have not yet secured Canadian experience—and the employers looking to hire them—may still need help obtaining the right temporary visas and work permits. VisaHQ, a global visa-processing platform, offers end-to-end assistance with Canadian immigration paperwork, saving applicants time and preventing costly mistakes; you can learn more at https://www.visahq.com/canada/
![Record-Low CRS of 169 in First-Ever Physician-Only Express Entry Draw]()
For hospitals, provincial health authorities and private clinics that rely on internationally educated physicians (IEPs), the draw is a game-changer. Permanent residence status removes the need for repeated work-permit renewals and helps retention in underserviced regions. Employers should work proactively with credentialled foreign doctors to ensure they enter the Express Entry pool ahead of subsequent physician draws expected later this year.
Immigration lawyers caution that the 60-day application deadline remains firm. Candidates must assemble police certificates, language tests, proof of funds (if required) and, critically, evidence of licensure and Canadian work history. Processing times for occupation-specific streams are projected at six months, meaning the first cohort of physicians could land PR before the start of the 2026–27 residency-match cycle.
IRCC signalled that similarly narrow draws could follow for pilots, researchers and senior managers under the new category framework. Talent-acquisition teams should monitor cut-off trends closely; the physician draw suggests future occupation-specific rounds may dip well below historic CRS norms.
The razor-low threshold highlights both the acute shortage of medical professionals across Canada and the small size of the eligible talent pool. By restricting eligibility to physicians already practicing in Canada, IRCC was able to invite virtually every doctor in the Express Entry pool, dramatically reducing the usual competitive pressure.
Doctors who have not yet secured Canadian experience—and the employers looking to hire them—may still need help obtaining the right temporary visas and work permits. VisaHQ, a global visa-processing platform, offers end-to-end assistance with Canadian immigration paperwork, saving applicants time and preventing costly mistakes; you can learn more at https://www.visahq.com/canada/
For hospitals, provincial health authorities and private clinics that rely on internationally educated physicians (IEPs), the draw is a game-changer. Permanent residence status removes the need for repeated work-permit renewals and helps retention in underserviced regions. Employers should work proactively with credentialled foreign doctors to ensure they enter the Express Entry pool ahead of subsequent physician draws expected later this year.
Immigration lawyers caution that the 60-day application deadline remains firm. Candidates must assemble police certificates, language tests, proof of funds (if required) and, critically, evidence of licensure and Canadian work history. Processing times for occupation-specific streams are projected at six months, meaning the first cohort of physicians could land PR before the start of the 2026–27 residency-match cycle.
IRCC signalled that similarly narrow draws could follow for pilots, researchers and senior managers under the new category framework. Talent-acquisition teams should monitor cut-off trends closely; the physician draw suggests future occupation-specific rounds may dip well below historic CRS norms.
