First Express Entry Draw Under the Physicians With Canadian Work Experience Category.

IRCC (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada) holds its first Canada Express Entry draw, inviting candidates in the Physicians with Canadian work experience category. 

On February 19, 2026, IRCC issued 391 ITAs for candidates under the Physicians with Canadian work experience under the Express Entry program. This latest round of invitations was considered to be the first draw under this new category since 2021.

To be eligible under this draw, candidates need to have:

❖  Minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) Score of 169

❖  Created an Express Entry profile before 3:25 a.m., Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) on January 3, 2026. 

Latest Express Entry Draw

The latest round of invitation for the Canada Express Entry draws under the Physicians with Canadian work experience category is being considered as the first draw under the list of new categories announced by the IRCC at the beginning of the year 2026. This draw also marks the second draw under the category-based selection and the ninth Express Entry draw of the year 2026. Here is a detailed list of draws in the year 2026: 

The latest round of invitation with a CRS score of 169 is being regarded as the second-lowest cut-off score in the history of Express Entry draws. The lowest CRS score was recorded in the pandemic era in 2021, under the Canadian Experience Class category, with a CRS score of just 75. 

With a total of 9 drawsand 30,848 ITAs, the bifurcation of the Express Entry draws is as follows: 

Who is Eligible for the Physicians with Canadian Work Experience Category 

IRCC announced the introduction of new categories to be admissible under the Express Entry program in December 2025, engaging the physicians with Canadian work experience category with certain measures to boost the supply of doctors to Canada through both federal and provincial pathways. To be eligible under this category that applicants must have:

❖  Meet the basic eligibility criteria for one of the three Express Entry managed programs which are (FSWP) Federal Skilled Worker Program, (FSTP)  Federal Skilled Trades Program, and (CEC) Canadian Experience Class category

❖  Must have gained at least 12 months of full-time work experience within the three previous years in an eligible occupation. 

❖  This work experience must have been obtained in Canada, in one of the three occupations included within this category, namely General practitioners and family physicians,  Specialists in surgery, and Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine.

Eligible Occupations with their Valid NOC Codes

 Explore which occupations are included in this category: IRCC Unveils New Express Entry Category and Immigration Measures to Attract Doctors

From the beginning of the year 2026, Canada has largely focused on inviting candidates with provincial nominations and Canadian work experience. IRCC has issued 4 draws under the Provincial Nominee Program, and 3 draws under the Canadian Work Experience Class category respectively, which underlines the country’s continuous search to meet the needs of skilled and competent professionals for the in-demand occupations listed in the Canadian job market. 

By Employing candidates in the provinces of Canada and applicants with Canadian work experience highlights Canada's intention of accelerating its economy and hiring global talent without much heed and struggle.  

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