On October 1, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada invited 3,500 trades candidates to apply for permanent residence. The round was Express Entry draw 447, limited to trades occupations. The wider plan for people already working in Canada is in temporary workers already in the country.
Who the draw was for
The category covers construction, electrical, and mechanical trades, among others on the trades list. A candidate needs at least one year of qualifying work in the previous three years. The point of a category draw is to invite people whose jobs match a shortage, rather than the highest overall score in the whole pool. How long a related work-permit file can take is in personalized processing times.
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The cutoff
The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score was 476. For candidates on that exact score, IRCC used a tie-break: only profiles submitted before 16:55:23 UTC on May 28, 2026, were invited. A score of 476 filed after that timestamp was not enough.
The April round
This was the second trades draw of 2026. On April 2 the department invited 3,000 candidates with a cutoff of 477. The October cutoff is one point lower. The levels plan those draws sit inside is discussed alongside the October federal changes, which are a separate statute from the invitation round.
After an invitation
An invitation to apply is not permanent residence. The candidate has a fixed period to file the full application and the documents that match the Express Entry profile. A mismatch is what slows the file. Processing times for in-Canada work permits are a different clock from this permanent-residence application.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the minimum score?
476 on the Comprehensive Ranking System, for the October 1, 2026 trades draw.
I had 476 and was not invited. Why?
Profiles at 476 were invited only if they were submitted before 16:55:23 UTC on May 28, 2026.
How much trades experience is required?
At least one year in an eligible trade, worked within the three years before the application.
