On February 18, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced the 2026 category-based selection priorities under Canada’s Express Entry system. The announcement was made by the Honourable Lena Metlege Diab and outlines new and continuing targeted invitation categories aligned with Canada’s labour market strategy.

For 2026, IRCC introduced new selection categories including:

Foreign medical doctors with Canadian work experience

Researchers and senior managers with Canadian work experience

Transport occupations (including pilots, aircraft mechanics, and inspectors)

Highly skilled foreign military applicants recruited into key Canadian Armed Forces roles

In addition, IRCC will continue category-based draws for candidates with strong French-language proficiency and those with work experience in health care, social services, and skilled trades occupations carried over from 2025.

The official announcement was released through the Government of Canada news portal and Express Entry program pages.

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Express Entry remains Canada’s primary federal application management system for permanent residence under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, the Canadian Experience Class, and portions of the Provincial Nominee Program.

Category-based selection, introduced in prior years, allows IRCC to target specific occupations, sectors, or language profiles rather than relying solely on Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores. The 2026 update reflects a continued structural shift toward labour-market-calibrated immigration.

Several policy patterns are evident in this announcement:

1. Prioritization of Canadian Work Experience

Many of the new categories emphasize candidates already working in Canada, particularly foreign medical doctors, researchers, and senior managers. This reinforces the operational preference for applicants with demonstrated domestic integration and economic contribution.

2. Strategic Sector Targeting

Transport occupations and defence-related recruitment signal alignment with broader infrastructure, mobility, and national security objectives. This suggests immigration policy is increasingly integrated with sectoral industrial strategies.

3. Continued Francophone Emphasis

French-language category draws remain in place, supporting Canada’s objective to increase Francophone immigration outside Quebec.

4. Ongoing Canadian Experience Class Draws

IRCC confirmed continued Canadian Experience Class draws in early 2026, further emphasizing retention of temporary residents already contributing to the labour market.

The first invitation round for foreign medical doctors with Canadian work experience is expected in the coming days.

Strategic Implications for Entrepreneurs

Although Express Entry primarily targets skilled workers, the 2026 introduction of a category for researchers and senior managers with Canadian work experience materially affects business founders operating in Canada under temporary work permits.

Canadian Executive Experience Now Carries Direct PR Value

Foreign nationals holding a valid Work Permit (WP) or Open Work Permit (OWP) who accumulate at least one year of qualifying Canadian work experience in a senior managerial role may now fall within a targeted category — provided their occupation aligns with the appropriate NOC classification.

This is particularly relevant for:

Start-Up Visa group members working under employer-specific or open work permits

C11 Significant Benefit Work Permit holders operating their own Canadian entities

ICT (Intra-Company Transfer) senior managers establishing Canadian branches or subsidiaries

Where founders are actively employed in executive or senior managerial positions within their Canadian corporations, and where duties align with NOC TEER 0 management classifications, they may technically qualify under this new targeted selection stream once one year of Canadian experience is met.

Shift Toward Execution-Based Permanence

The policy reinforces a structural principle: permanent residence is increasingly linked to demonstrated Canadian economic execution rather than projected business plans.

For founder-operators, this creates a clearer bridge between temporary operational presence and permanent status — provided the employment structure is compliant, properly documented, and commercially substantiated.

Compliance and Role Definition Become Critical

Merely holding a director title is insufficient. The role must reflect genuine managerial authority, active operational oversight, and wage justification consistent with Canadian standards.

What This Means for Advisors

The inclusion of senior managers with Canadian work experience as a targeted category requires careful file structuring for entrepreneur clients.

1. Work Permit Structuring Matters More Than Before

Advisors should ensure that temporary work permits (C11, ICT, OWP tied to SUV applicants, etc.) are structured with clear employment designation inside the Canadian entity, including:

Defined executive role

Active payroll records

Evidence of operational control

Commercial activity documentation

The pathway now depends heavily on demonstrating genuine employment rather than passive ownership.

2. NOC Alignment and Job Duty Precision

Senior management classifications must be mapped carefully to TEER 0 NOC codes. Overclassification or misalignment creates significant risk if IRCC scrutinizes category eligibility.

3. One-Year Canadian Experience Threshold Planning

Strategic timing becomes critical. Advisors may need to structure:

Entry timing

Payroll initiation

Corporate activity milestones

to ensure the one-year qualifying period is clean, defensible, and uninterrupted.

4. Increased Review Risk for Founder-Employees

Because this pathway may attract founder applicants, documentation standards are likely to tighten. Officers may scrutinize:

Wage legitimacy

Business revenue

Active operations

Corporate governance structure

Substance will matter more than structure.

5. Integration With Express Entry Strategy

CRS optimization, language testing, and education equivalency remain essential. The category provides targeting — not automatic selection.

Sources & References

Government of Canada – News Release: Canada prioritizes top talent in 2026 immigration Express Entry categories

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2026/02/canada-prioritizes-top-talent-in-2026-immigration-express-entry-categories.html

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada – Express Entry Overview

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry.html

Government of Canada – Express Entry Category-Based Selection

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/category-based-selection.html