Express Entry Results #397

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued further invitations to apply (ITAs) through the system Express Entry.

Express Entry issued 391 invitation to apply (ITA) invitations in a draw for candidates under the category for doctors with work experience in Canada.

To be considered for this draw, candidates were required to have:

• The minimum The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) minimum score of 169;
• Express Entry candidate profile created before 3.25am (UTC) on 3 January 2026.

Details of the 2026 Express Entry results

Today’s draw is the first under the newly announced category for doctors with Canadian work experience. This also marks only the second category-based Express Entry draw and the ninth Express Entry selection of the year.

With an announced CRS score of just 169, this is also the second-lowest cut-off score in Express Entry history, surpassed only by the draw Canadian Experience Class (CEC) during the 2021 pandemic period, with a CRS score of just 75.

The doctor category of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) was first announced in December 2025, alongside a suite of measures to increase Canada’s supply of doctors through both federal and provincial pathways.

To be eligible under this new category, candidates must:

• Meet the basic eligibility criteria for one of the three programmes managed by Express Entry
• Have at least 12 months of full-time work experience within the previous 3 years (or an equivalent amount of part-time work experience) in a qualifying occupation
  • This work experience must have been acquired in Canada, and in one of the three occupations included in the category
• Meet all requirements in the Ministerial Instructions for a specific selection round

Express Entry draws in 2026 show that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is largely focusing on in-Canada immigration candidates, particularly those with provincial nomination and Canadian work experience.

Summary of the 2026 Express Entry draws

So far in 2026 alone, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has issued more than 30,648 Invitations to Apply (ITAs):

Read more about the Express Entry programme on the Government of Canada website here.