Canada Doubles Work Experience Requirement for Express Entry Category Draws

IRCC Raises Minimum to 12 Months Effective Immediately, Affecting Skilled Immigrants in Key Sectors

Canada just made a big tweak to its Express Entry system that’s got a lot of hopeful immigrants buzzing (or groaning). As of February 18, 2026, Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab announced that the work experience requirement for category-based draws has doubled. Previously, you needed just 6 months of continuous relevant work in a targeted occupation within the last three years to qualify for those special invitation rounds. Now? It’s bumped up to at least 12 months of full-time (or equivalent part-time) experience in an eligible job, and it doesn’t have to be continuous anymore.

This change hits every occupational category under Express Entry, including the big ones like healthcare and social services (think nurses, dentists, pharmacists), STEM fields, skilled trades, French-language proficiency, and transport occupations. It also applies to the fresh 2026 additions: medical doctors with Canadian experience, researchers with Canadian experience, senior managers with Canadian experience, and transport roles like pilots and aircraft mechanics.

Why the jump? The government says it’s all about prioritizing “top talent” and “day-one contributors” who can really plug labour gaps right away. With overall immigration dialing back to sustainable levels (permanent resident targets steady at 380,000 a year), they’re tightening the net to make sure category draws snag people with more proven chops. The experience can come from Canada or abroad, but for the new Canadian-experience-focused categories (like doctors or researchers), that 12 months has to be gained here.

Key data points to chew on: Before this, folks with just half a year in the right field could snag an invite in targeted draws, sometimes with lower Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores. Now, candidates sitting at 6-11 months are basically sidelined until they hit the full year. Immigration watchers predict this could lower CRS cut-offs in future category rounds since the eligible pool shrinks a bit. For context, a recent February 20, 2026, healthcare draw invited 4,000 people at a CRS of 467, showing how these tweaks play out in real time.

The overall Express Entry profile requirement stays the same: you still need 12 months in any TEER 0-3 job to even enter the pool. This is strictly for qualifying for the category-specific boosts that fast-track you ahead of general draws.Bottom line? If you’re eyeing a category draw, clock those extra months pronto. It feels like Canada’s saying, “We want the best, and we’re willing to wait a little longer for them.” Tougher for newer grads or short-term workers, but it might mean smoother integration once folks arrive. Check IRCC’s site for your exact eligibility, because these rules kicked in fast

BACKGROUNDER

The February 18, 2026, change doubling the work experience requirement for Express Entry category-based draws(from 6 to 12 months in an eligible occupation within the last three years) is already shaking up expectations for Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores.

The big consensus from immigration analysts: CRS cut-off scores in category-based draws are expected to drop in the coming months and throughout 2026. Here’s why and what the data suggests so far.

Why CRS Cut-Offs Are Likely to Fall

Category-based draws target specific occupations (healthcare/social services, STEM, skilled trades, French proficiency, transport, and new 2026 additions like physicians, researchers, senior managers with Canadian experience, and military recruits). These rounds pull from a smaller, specialized pool than general draws, often resulting in lower CRS thresholds anyway.

By raising the bar to 12 months:

• Thousands of candidates with only 6-11 months of relevant experience are now ineligible for category draws.
• This instantly shrinks the eligible pool in high-demand fields like healthcare, STEM, and trades, where many recent international graduates or newer workers sat.
• If IRCC keeps issuing similar numbers of invitations per draw (e.g., 4,000 in the February 20, 2026, healthcare draw at CRS 467), fewer competitors mean the system needs to dip lower in the rankings to fill spots.

Early modelling from sources like Immigration News Canada predicts:

• Cut-offs in some healthcare and STEM category draws could drop by 20-30 CRS points compared to pre-change levels.
• For trades and other targeted streams, similar downward pressure is anticipated as the pool contracts.

Recent Draw Context

Just before and after the change:

• February 20, 2026: 4,000 ITAs for healthcare/social services at CRS 467 (post-change, but the pool adjustment is still unfolding).
• Earlier February draws (including the first for physicians) showed competitive but category-typical scores.

General draws (non-category) aren’t directly affected, the core pool entry still needs 12 months in any TEER 0-3 job, but category paths often offer the fastest route for eligible folks, especially those without ultra-high CRS from age, education, or language alone.