Canada holds first permanent residence selection of skilled military recruits

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

The immigration department issued four ITAs in a draw targeting skilled military recruits.

To be considered in this draw, candidates needed to have:

See how competitive your Express Entry profile is

This latest draw marks the first instance in which IRCC has conducted a draw under this category since introducing it in February 2026. It also reflects the lowest number of invitations ever issued in an Express Entry draw.

As of this latest draw, Canada’s immigration department has conducted 42 Express Entry selection rounds in 2026.

Overall this year, the department’s selections have remained strongly oriented toward candidates with Canadian work experience and provincial nominations in 2026.

Over the course of 2026, IRCC has issued 104,616 ITAs through the following Express Entry draw types: