OTTAWA: Canada introduced new express immigration categories today to attract skilled workers in key sectors. Canada has identified research, health care, aviation, and the military as important fields for hiring in 2026.
The government said the updated categories will take effect through the Express Entry system this year.
Officials linked the changes to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s broader policy goals. Carney wants Canada to reduce the overall number of new permanent residents while still recruiting workers and scholars for industries facing shortages. At the same time, he wants to strengthen defence capabilities and reduce dependence on the United States.
The government said it designed the new categories to restore immigration to sustainable levels. In recent years, Canada has moved to reduce immigration intake to ease pressure on housing, infrastructure, and social services. However, Ottawa has continued to seek workers for critical sectors where labour gaps persist.
Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab said the revised Express Entry categories will help Canada attract people who can “contribute from day one.” She added that Canada must build a workforce that can respond to a changing economy.
The new targeted categories include researchers, senior managers, and transport-sector workers such as pilots and aircraft mechanics. They also include foreign medical doctors who already have Canadian work experience. In addition, Canada will include highly skilled foreign military applicants recruited by the Canadian Armed Forces, including military doctors, nurses, and pilots.
Meanwhile, Carney announced a new defence strategy on Tuesday that aims to raise government investment in defence-related research and development by 85 percent over the next decade. The plan also targets a 240 percent increase in defence industry revenues, a 50 percent rise in exports, and up to 125,000 new jobs.
Canada further explained that the invitation rounds in existing Express Entry categories, including French-language candidates, health-care workers, and skilled trades, will continue alongside the new categories.
