The federal government of Canada has unveiled new priorities for permanent residence under its Express Entry system for 2026, introducing fresh occupational categories and stricter eligibility criteria.
Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab announced that three new groups will be prioritised under category based selection. These include researchers and senior managers with Canadian work experience, transport occupations and skilled military personnel.
Under the updated rules, the minimum work experience requirement for all categories has been increased to one year, up from six months. The experience does not need to be continuous but must have been obtained within the past three years.
For the military category, additional conditions apply. Applicants must have at least 10 years of continuous service in a recognised foreign military, a full time job offer from the Canadian Armed Forces for at least three years and a post secondary credential of two years or more.
Eligible transport occupations include air pilots, aircraft mechanics and automotive service technicians, while research roles cover post secondary teaching and research assistants as well as university professors and lecturers.
Since April 2024, category based selection has been the only pathway for candidates without Canadian work experience or provincial nominations. Non category draws now occur only under the Canadian Experience Class.
Diab said the changes align with the country’s Defence Industrial Strategy, part of the broader economic agenda led by Prime Minister Mark Carney. She also cautioned that asylum claims must not be used to bypass standard immigration pathways.
Express Entry remains Canada’s primary system for selecting skilled immigrants, ranking candidates through the Comprehensive Ranking System based on age, education, language proficiency and work experience. Since category based selection was introduced in 2023, more than 144000 invitations to apply have been issued.
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