Public Consultation Runs Until September 1
According to IRCC's 2026 consultation page on category-based selection in Express Entry, the consultation runs from August 4 to September 1, 2026, and is open to both individuals and organizations.
IRCC says it is gathering views from the public, industry and partners on economic priorities and category-setting for 2027. In addition to the public survey, the department will consider labour market information, past category-based selection results, and input from partners, including federal, provincial and territorial governments.
Category-based selection allows IRCC to invite Express Entry candidates with specified language abilities, occupational experience, educational backgrounds or other talent attributes linked to a particular economic objective to apply for permanent residence. Even if candidates qualify for a category, they must still meet the basic eligibility requirements of a program managed through Express Entry and compete for invitations against other eligible candidates in the same round based on their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores.
IRCC has not announced four new Express Entry categories, nor has it confirmed that the changes under consideration will take effect in 2027. Any new category must first receive approval from the immigration minister and then be formally published by IRCC.
Four Talent Areas Included in the Survey
In the full consultation survey, IRCC identifies four talent areas that could influence category-setting for 2027:
| Potential focus | What the survey asks | Current policy status |
|---|---|---|
| Candidates working in occupations listed under the GTS | Whether related candidates, such as technology and AI talent, should be prioritized | The GTS is currently an employer-driven LMIA stream for temporary foreign workers, not an Express Entry category |
| Researchers | Whether researchers whose work aligns with the Canada Global Impact+ initiative should be prioritized | The future occupational scope and any Canadian work experience requirement have not been determined |
| Candidates aligned with International Talent Attraction Strategy priorities | Whether to provide further support for emerging technologies, health care, skilled trades and other priority fields | The strategy is an overarching talent framework, not an existing immigration category with fixed eligibility criteria |
| U.S. H-1B visa holders | Whether to prioritize H-1B talent working primarily in STEM occupations | Budget 2025 committed to launching an accelerated pathway, but its program type, eligibility criteria, allocation and launch date have not been announced |
The survey asks respondents to rate, separately, the need for Express Entry to prioritize each talent group. The options are “Great need,” “Average need,” “Little need,” “No need at this time” and “Don't know/not sure.” Respondents are rating each of the four areas individually, not ranking them against one another.
Respondents may also explain their reasoning, identify specific occupations, sectors or types of talent, and indicate separately whether selection should focus more on talent inside Canada, outside Canada, both equally, or “Don't know/not sure.” This question concerns the location of the talent and cannot be equated directly with whether a candidate has Canadian work experience.
H-1B Accelerated Pathway Remains in the Planning Stage
In the survey, IRCC describes U.S. H-1B visa holders as being primarily in STEM occupations. The H-1B is a U.S. non-immigrant work visa for foreign nationals in “specialty occupations.” Applicants generally need at least a bachelor's degree in the specialty or equivalent experience.
In Budget 2025, the Canadian government committed to launching an accelerated pathway for H-1B holders, with the aim of attracting talent in health care, research, advanced industries and other priority fields. However, as of this consultation, the government has not said whether the pathway will be a temporary or permanent immigration program, nor has it published application criteria, an occupation list, an allocation or a launch date.
The inclusion of H-1B holders in the survey therefore does not mean that they automatically qualify for Canadian permanent residence or that relevant candidates will receive a lower CRS cut-off.
The Survey's Researcher Focus Is Not the Same as the Current Category
Canada established an Express Entry category for “Researchers with Canadian work experience” in 2026. Under the current category requirements, candidates must have accumulated at least 12 months of relevant full-time work experience, or an equivalent amount of part-time experience, in Canada within the past three years, in either of the following occupations:
- University professors and lecturers (NOC 41200);
- Post-secondary teaching and research assistants (NOC 41201).
The current survey separately asks whether researchers whose work aligns with the Canada Global Impact+ Research Talent Initiative should be prioritized. It has not yet been determined whether any future category would retain the occupational scope or Canadian work experience requirement listed above.
In December 2025, the Canadian government announced that it would invest up to $1.7 billion over 12 years through the Global Impact+ research talent initiative to attract and support more than 1,000 international and expatriate researchers. Priority areas include AI, quantum technologies, cybersecurity, health and biotechnology, clean technology, climate resilience, food and water security, advanced manufacturing, and defence and dual-use technologies.
These are research recruitment and funding priorities, not a confirmed list of Express Entry occupations for 2027.
The International Talent Attraction Strategy Is Not a Single Immigration Category
IRCC is also seeking input on how category-based selection could support the International Talent Attraction Strategy. This cross-departmental framework encompasses several initiatives, including international research talent recruitment, changes to Express Entry categories, global skills recruitment, priority 14-day study permit processing for eligible international doctoral students, and alignment with permanent residence pathways to retain top talent who entered Canada as temporary workers.
According to IRCC's background information on the International Talent Attraction Strategy, the strategy focuses on attracting highly skilled talent to priority sectors facing persistent shortages and supporting innovative, emerging and high-growth industries.
As a result, candidates described in the survey as being “aligned with the strategy's priorities” do not currently share a single set of individual eligibility criteria. The Global Impact+ research talent initiative is only one component of the broader strategy, and the two should not be treated as equivalent.
GTS and AI Talent Policies Await Further Details
The GTS is an employer-driven Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) stream under Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker Program. It is not a permanent residence category that foreign talent can apply to independently.
Under the current GTS rules, Category A applies to innovative companies referred by a designated partner that need to hire unique and specialized talent. Category B covers 22 occupations or occupational subsets, primarily in engineering, data, cybersecurity, computing and information technology.
The GTS LMIA service standard is 10 business days. Complete work permit applications submitted online from outside Canada by applicants who meet the Global Skills Strategy eligibility requirements have a two-week processing target. Both service standards are expected to be met for 80% of applications; they are not fixed timelines or guarantees of approval for every application.
Canada's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy proposes expanding the GTS to accelerate the entry and onboarding of highly skilled AI talent, along with permanent residence measures to retain recruited workers. However, the government has not yet published new AI-specific eligibility criteria, an occupational scope or an implementation date, so the measure cannot be described as an AI fast-track work permit pathway that is already open.
IRCC Is Considering Narrowing Labour-Shortage Occupations
IRCC says it is considering narrowing the number or eligibility of “categories aimed at addressing labour shortages” to make economic immigrant selection more targeted. This does not mean the department has decided to reduce all Express Entry categories.
The survey asks respondents to choose between two approaches: continuing to cover all skilled occupations identified as facing long-term shortages, or focusing on a smaller, more targeted set of occupations.
Respondents who support narrowing the occupational scope may also rate factors that should be considered when setting the list, including the occupations' training, education, experience and responsibilities (TEER) requirements, alignment with federal priorities, the duration and severity of shortages, and whether to prioritize occupations that receive less support from other permanent economic immigration pathways, such as the Provincial Nominee Program.
IRCC also invites industry respondents to identify significant labour shortages that are not currently represented in the health care and social services, trades, education, transport and STEM categories.
Not All 10 Current Categories Are Included in the Survey Ranking
Express Entry has 10 current categories in 2026:
- French-language proficiency;
- Healthcare and social services occupations;
- Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations;
- Trade occupations;
- Education occupations;
- Transport occupations;
- Physicians with Canadian work experience;
- Senior managers with Canadian work experience;
- Researchers with Canadian work experience;
- Skilled military recruits.
However, the survey question asking which 2026 categories should continue in 2027 lists only the first nine and does not include skilled military recruits. Respondents may select multiple categories from those listed and then rank their selections in order of importance. The survey does not require every respondent to rank all 10 categories.
18 Category-Based Rounds Issued 58,216 Invitations in 2026
As of August 14, 2026, the latest official IRCC record was round #434, held on August 7. Since the beginning of 2026, Canada has conducted 18 category-based Express Entry rounds and issued a total of 58,216 invitations to apply (ITAs).
| Category | Rounds in 2026 | Invitations | Most recent round or current status |
|---|---|---|---|
| French-language proficiency | 9 | 45,500 | August 6, round #433 |
| Healthcare and social services occupations | 2 | 8,000 | June 25, round #422 |
| STEM occupations | 0 | 0 | No round in 2026; last held on April 11, 2024 |
| Trade occupations | 1 | 3,000 | April 2, round #408 |
| Education occupations | 0 | 0 | No round in 2026 |
| Transport occupations | 1 | 300 | August 7, round #434 |
| Physicians with Canadian work experience | 2 | 662 | June 24, round #421 |
| Senior managers with Canadian work experience | 2 | 750 | July 10, round #426 |
| Researchers with Canadian work experience | 0 | 0 | New in 2026; no round held yet |
| Skilled military recruits | 1 | 4 | July 23, round #430 |
| Total | 18 | 58,216 | — |
Seven of the 10 current categories have been used in category-based rounds in 2026. The three that have not are STEM, education, and researchers with Canadian work experience. The most recent STEM category-based round was held on April 11, 2024. The researcher category was announced in February 2026 and has not yet had its first round.
IRCC notes that candidates eligible for a particular category may still receive an invitation through Canadian Experience Class or other rounds. Therefore, the absence of a category-based round does not mean that candidates in the relevant occupations received no ITAs during the year.
2027 Federal High Skilled Admissions Target Is 111,000
Under Canada's 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, the notional Federal High Skilled permanent resident admissions target for 2027 is 111,000, with a planned range of 86,000 to 122,000.
Federal High Skilled includes the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). The figure of 122,000 is only the upper end of the planned range, not the official target. The 111,000 figure represents anticipated permanent resident admissions and cannot be equated directly with the number of Express Entry invitations issued that year.
For candidates, this consultation does not immediately change current eligibility requirements, CRS scores or invitation-round rules. Qualifying for a category does not automatically increase a candidate's CRS score or guarantee an invitation. Until IRCC formally announces the categories for 2027, applicants should continue to create and update their Express Entry profiles under the current rules.
As of August 14, 2026, IRCC had not announced an expected publication date for the results of this consultation.
