These are the types of candidates IRCC is focusing on in 2026

Candidates with experience in sectors such as healthcare and research may be better positioned under Canada’s immigration system in 2026.

Throughout 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) introduced and expanded several initiatives that offer insight into the types of economic immigrants the federal government is prioritizing.

These developments point to a continued emphasis on addressing labour shortages in key public-interest and knowledge-based sectors.

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While it is not possible to predict future Express Entry selections with certainty, policy signals and draw patterns throughout 2025 provide a useful indication of the candidate profiles Canada is likely to focus on heading into 2026, which we'll highlight in this article.

In-Canada applicants

Throughout 2025, Canada has placed a strong emphasis on inviting candidates with Canadian work experience, particularly through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

CEC is one of the three immigration programs managed under Express Entry and requires candidates to have at least one year of skilled Canadian work experience within the past three years to qualify, among other criteria.

CEC was the second most frequent draw type in 2025 after Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws, seeing a total of 30,850 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence (PR) issued over the year.

This focus aligns with the federal government’s broader immigration objectives. In its latest Immigration Levels Plan, Canada announced plans to accelerate the transition of up to 33,000 temporary foreign workers to PR over 2026 and 2027.

The initiative is intended to prioritize workers who have established roots in their communities, are contributing to the labour market, and paying taxes in Canada.

These policy signals indicate that foreign nationals who are already living and working in Canada are likely to remain favoured for PR in the coming year.

Healthcare and social service workers

Healthcare and social service occupations have remained among Canada’s most in-demand labour sectors in 2025, driven by ongoing workforce shortages across the country.

In February 2025, IRCC expanded its Healthcare occupations category to include social service occupations, adding several new roles and signalling a broader focus beyond traditional healthcare professions. To date, the department has issued 14,500 invitations through healthcare draws, the highest number of issuances through category-based selection following French draws.

Earlier this year, the federal government held public consultations on 2026 economic priorities for Express Entry category-based selection and noted healthcare as a sector experiencing skilled talent shortages.

Healthcare workers are also consistently prioritized through PNPs, with many provinces and territories operating dedicated streams or targeted draws for professionals in the sector.

Some examples include British Columbia’s Health Authority Stream and Alberta’s Dedicated Healthcare Pathway. Nova Scotia has already announced plans to prioritize workers in healthcare and social services in 2026.

More recently, IRCC announced additional measures such as reserving 5,000 federal admission spaces for provinces and territories to nominate licensed doctors with qualifying job offers. The department also confirmed that provincially nominated physicians will be eligible for expedited work permit processing—within 14 days—allowing them to work while awaiting PR.

Taken together, these developments suggest that healthcare and social service workers are likely to remain a priority for IRCC heading into 2026.

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Doctors with Canadian work experience

On December 8, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) launched a new Express Entry category for physicians with recent Canadian work experience, indicating a need for such professionals.

To qualify, candidates must have accumulated at least 12 months of full-time, continuous work experience—or an equivalent amount of part-time work—in Canada within the past three years, in one of the three eligible physician occupations listed under the category. Candidates must also meet all requirements outlined in the instructions for the specific round of invitations.

As with all category-based selection rounds, eligible candidates must also meet the minimum criteria for Express Entry, including eligibility under one of the three federal economic immigration programs managed through the system.

Historically, category-based draws have featured lower Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off scores than other Express Entry draws. As a result, this new category is expected to improve PR prospects for internationally trained physicians with at least one year of Canadian work experience.

According to Immigration Minister Lena Diab, draws under this category are expected to begin in early 2026. Eligible candidates may create or update an Express Entry profile now to ensure they are considered.

French-speaking candidates

French-speaking candidates have been consistently prioritized under Express Entry, a trend that is likely to continue into 2026.

In 2025, French-language proficiency draws saw the largest cumulative number of invitations of any draw type. As of time of writing, these draws accounted for 42,000 ITAs (against a total of 106,998 ITAs issued overall)—with individual rounds often featuring large invitation volumes and comparatively lower CRS cut-off scores.

Canada’s latest Immigration Levels Plan reaffirms the federal government’s commitment to strengthening Francophone minority communities outside Quebec. Under the plan, the target for Francophone admissions outside Quebec is set to rise to 9% in 2026, up from 8.5% in 2025 under the previous levels plan.

Francophone immigration was also called out as a key consideration in the public consultations mentioned earlier, with the federal government stating it "plays a crucial role in supporting Canada’s economic growth.” Together, these operational and planning-level measures indicate that French-speaking candidates are likely to remain a priority for selection under Express Entry in 2026.

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Trades professionals

Skilled trades occupations—such as carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and construction contractors—have been identified as a priority under Canada’s immigration system in 2025, reflecting persistent labour shortages across the construction and infrastructure sectors.

In February, when IRCC announced its priority categories for 2025, it added 19 occupations to the Trades category, indicating demand for skilled professionals in the sector.

IRCC further signalled this focus in March 2025, when the department announced plans to admit up to 14,000 construction workers to Canada (although they did not specify whether these admissions would occur through permanent or temporary immigration pathways).

Trades occupations are also consistently prioritized through PNPs, with many provinces and territories operating dedicated streams or targeted draws for workers in skilled trades.

In the public consultations on Express Entry category-based selection for 2026, the federal government highlighted trades as a sector experiencing long-term labour shortages, and noted that addressing these shortages will help the country’s long-term growth and help stabilize the Canadian economy.

Taken together, these developments suggest that trades professionals are likely to remain a key target group for Canadian immigration programs heading into 2026.

International researchers and tech talent

In 2025, the Canadian government also placed renewed emphasis on attracting top global talent, particularly in research, technology, and other high-value sectors.

In its public consultations for 2026 priorities, it specifically called out the prioritization of researchers in its mission to attract global talent and support innovation.

In Budget 2025, the federal government announced plans to introduce an accelerated pathway for certain H-1B visa holders, with the stated goal of attracting “top talent” in healthcare, research, advanced industries, and other priority sectors.

The budget also proposed an initiative to recruit more than 1,000 highly qualified international researchers to Canada, alongside up to $1.7 billion in related investments. These measures are intended to strengthen Canada’s global competitiveness in innovation-driven fields.

As part of this initiative, the government outlined three new talent streams aimed at supporting the recruitment of international researchers in areas including STEM, healthcare, Francophone studies, and other strategic disciplines. Collectively, the streams are designed to target researchers working in the following priority areas:

Advanced digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and cybersecurity;
Health and biotechnology;
Clean technology and resource value chains;
Environment, climate resilience, and the Arctic;
Food and water security;
Democratic and community resilience;
Manufacturing and advanced materials; and
Defence and dual-use technologies.

While these initiatives are not directly under Express Entry’s PR pathways, individuals admitted through these streams may later become eligible for PR by accumulating qualifying Canadian work experience.

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