Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted a new Express Entry draw on October 1, 2026, inviting 3,500 candidates under the Trades Occupations category to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

Draw Details

Date and time: October 1, 2026, at 12:47:55 UTC.
Category: Trades Occupations, 2026-Version 3.
Minimum CRS score: 476.
Invitations issued: 3,500.
Rank required: 3,500 or above.
Tie-break date: Express Entry profiles submitted before 16:55:23 UTC on May 28, 2026, were given priority among tied scores.

Second Round of the Year for This Category

This was only the second Trades Occupations draw held in 2026, following an earlier round on April 2 that issued 3,000 invitations at a CRS cut-off of 477. Combined, the two rounds have brought total Trades-category invitations for the year to 6,500. This was also the 447th Express Entry round overall and the 59th of 2026, bringing the year’s cumulative invitation total to 135,215 across all categories.

Eligibility for the Trades Occupations Category

To qualify for this category, candidates needed at least six months of continuous work experience, in Canada or abroad, within the past three years, in a single occupation on the eligible trades list, along with a CRS score at or above the round’s cut-off at the time it was conducted.

Next Steps for Invited Candidates

Candidates who received an ITA in this round have 60 days to submit a complete application for permanent residence, including documentation proving eligible trade work experience, a valid language test result, and any other required supporting documents.

What to Expect Going Forward

With only two Trades draws held so far in 2026 and roughly six months between them, this category does not follow a predictable schedule the way Canadian Experience Class or French-language draws do. Candidates in eligible trade occupations should keep their Express Entry profiles complete and current, since there is no indication of when the next round in this category will be held.