Canada Immigration February 2026: 25,722 PR Invitations Show Category-Based Express Entry Is Now the Real Gateway

Last updated: March 9, 2026

Canada Immigration February 2026: 25,722 PR Invitations Show Category-Based Express Entry Is Now the Real Gateway — How French speakers, health-care workers, Canadian-experience candidates, and provincial nominees dominated Canada’s immigration invitations in February 2026.

Canada used February 2026 to prove that “fewer newcomers” does not mean “no opportunities”—it means more targeted, data‑driven selection for the right profiles. Skilled workers, French‑speaking candidates, people with Canadian experience, and provincial nominees all did well, even as the overall system remains in reset mode.

Levels Plan Still Tight, But Invitations Stay High

IRCC’s 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan hasn’t changed: Ottawa still aims for 380,000 new permanent residents a year and a smaller temporary‑resident population, with a higher share of economic immigrants within that total. Yet February numbers show that for those in priority categories, the system is still very active.

Immigration News Canada’s breakdown, “Canada Sent 25,722 PR Invitations In February 2026”, and VisaHQ’s summary, “Canada issues 25,722 permanent-residence invitations in February 2026 despite lower overall targets”, both report that:

• 25,722 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence were issued in February 2026.^[1]
• Of those, 19,593 ITAs (about 76%) came through Express Entry; the rest were via provincial nominee programs (PNPs).
• Ontario led provincial activity with 3,229 nominations, followed by Alberta (1,376) and British Columbia (889), with Atlantic provinces collectively issuing 635 invitations.

Clark Hill’s Americas recap notes that Ontario confirmed a 2026 OINP allocation of 14,119 nominations on February 6, signaling that provincial pathways remain central to Canada’s economic‑immigration strategy.

Express Entry in February: Category‑Based Selection Becomes the Default

February is one of the busiest Express Entry months in years—and it’s dominated by category‑based draws rather than general rounds.

Immigration.ca’s live tracker, “Express Entry Draws 2026”, shows that IRCC ran six draws in February, including:

• A French‑language proficiency draw on February 6 issuing 8,500 ITAs at a historic low CRS cut‑off of 400, the largest single French‑language draw to date.
• A Canadian Experience Class draw on February 17 issuing 6,000 ITAs with a CRS cut‑off of 508, targeting people already working or recently working in Canada.
• Several Provincial Nominee Program–specific draws for candidates with provincial nominations and higher CRS scores, reflecting the elevated points attached to PNP endorsements.

IRCC’s press release, “Canada prioritizes top talent in 2026 immigration Express Entry categories”, and Fragomen’s client alert, “Canada: Updates to Express Entry Category-Based Selection for 2026”, clarify how categories are set for the year. In 2026, IRCC will run category‑based draws for:

• French‑language proficiency
• Health care and social services occupations
• STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) occupations
• Education occupations
• Trade occupations
• Transport occupations and certain aviation roles
• Skilled military recruits with job offers from the Canadian Armed Forces

VisaHQ’s piece, “Ottawa Releases New Express Entry Occupation Categories for 2026”, notes three important refinements:

• Newly dedicated categories for health‑care support, social services and advanced manufacturing fill gaps not fully covered by earlier STEM or trades lists.
• IRCC confirmed that category‑based draws will account for “well over half” of all Express Entry invitations in 2026, with general all‑program draws largely replaced by CEC‑focused rounds for candidates without a category.
• The stakes for precise NOC coding and documentation are rising: lawyers are warning that misaligned NOC codes could knock otherwise strong candidates out of the relevant category.

Reuters’ coverage, “Canada revises express entry immigration rules, adds military roles”, quotes the immigration minister stressing that the 2026 adjustments are about attracting people who can “make an impact from day one” in critical industries, while keeping overall immigration “sustainable.”

Who Won in February: French, Health, In‑Canada Talent

Taken together, February’s data shows a very clear winner’s circle. Immigration News Canada’s and ImmiLaw Global’s breakdowns identify four profiles that dominated PR invitations:

• French‑speaking candidates, especially those who could combine CLB 7+ French with Canadian experience or a provincial nomination, benefiting from the massive 8,500‑ITA French draw at CRS 400.
• Health‑care professionals, including physicians, nurses and allied‑health workers; a physician‑only draw reportedly set a near‑record low CRS cut‑off of 169, underscoring how acute shortages have become.
• Candidates with Canadian work experience, notably under the Canadian Experience Class, who continue to enjoy lower risk and more frequent draws than comparably skilled overseas candidates.
• Provincial nominees, especially in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia, where active PNP streams allowed provinces to steer talent directly into PR despite federal target reductions.

Global overviews like Wolfsdorf’s “Global Immigration Recap: February 2026” and Corporate Immigration Partners’ “Global: Immigration News Roundup – February 20, 2026” read this as part of a broader 2026 pattern: even as Canada trims overall growth and caps new students and temporary workers, it is aggressively using category‑based selection to target very specific labor‑market gaps.

What This Means for IM Readers

For Immigration Monitor’s audience, three practical messages stand out from Canada’s February moves.

1. Categories now matter more than your raw CRS score.
   With IRCC confirming that category‑based rounds will drive “well over half” of Express Entry ITAs in 2026, being in the right category is now as important as having a high CRS. Skilled workers who ignore category design—French, health, STEM, trades, education, transport, advanced manufacturing—will increasingly find themselves outcompeted by lower‑CRS candidates in targeted streams.
2. Being in Canada pays off, especially in the right roles.
   February’s CEC and PNP‑heavy selection profiles show that candidates with recent Canadian work experience and provincial connections are at the front of the line, even as Ottawa reduces new temporary inflows. This is the practical expression of the 2026–2028 Levels Plan: fewer new arrivals, more transitions from temporary to permanent for people already integrated into the labor market.
3. French and health‑care are “force multipliers” for your profile.
   French‑language ability and health‑care credentials now operate as accelerators in Canada’s system: they open access to dedicated categories, lower CRS thresholds and more frequent draws. For many IM readers, that means the best way to future‑proof a Canada strategy in 2026 is to either invest in French to CLB 7+ or align with real skills shortages (health, education, trades, STEM, social services) that IRCC and provinces are explicitly targeting.

Canada is not “closing” in February 2026; it is narrowing its focus and rewarding those who can prove alignment with its priorities—language, sector, and in‑country experience. For your readers, the key is to stop asking, “Can I get into Canada?” and start asking, “Where do I fit in Canada’s 2026 categories—and how do I build toward that now?”

Readers who want to track how these Canadian shifts connect to parallel changes in the United States, the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand can follow continuing, neutral coverage on Immigration Monitor, which maps caps, levels plans, selection categories and permanence rules across the world’s main migration destinations.

The content in this article is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Immigration laws and policies are subject to change, and the application of the law to specific situations may vary. Readers are encouraged to consult with qualified immigration attorneys or accredited representatives for advice on their individual circumstances. Immigration Monitor does not provide personalized immigration services or legal representation.