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Express Entry Category-Based Selection — 2026 Categories
Effective: Announced late 2025; physicians category added December 8, 2025
TL;DR
2026 categories: Senior Managers (Canadian experience), Researchers (Canadian experience), Healthcare/Social Services, Education, Trades, French-language proficiency, Transport, Skilled Military Recruits, and Physicians. STEM and Agriculture categories removed for 2026.
What changed
- STEM and Agriculture categories ended for 2026.
- New: Senior Managers, Researchers, Skilled Military Recruits, Physicians.
- French-language proficiency continues to be a priority category.
Who is affected
All Express Entry candidates targeting category-based draws.
Verify on canada.ca
Always confirm policy details, dates, and exact eligibility on the Government of Canada source page before acting:
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/rounds-invitations/category-based-selection.html ↗Related immigration topics
Other recent policy changes