On October 1, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held this year’s second occupation-specific Express Entry draw for candidates working in skilled trades occupations, issuing 3,500 Invitations to Apply (ITAs).

Round #447 at a Glance

Full details are in the Ministerial Instruction for round #447.

How This Compares to the April Trades Draw

The CRS cut-off of 476 is one point lower than the previous trades occupations draw, round #408, held on April 2, 2026. That round invited 3,000 candidates at a cut-off of 477, so October’s draw issued 500 more ITAs at a slightly lower threshold.

2026 Express Entry Activity So Far

So far this year, Canada has issued 135,215 ITAs through 59 Express Entry draws. According to IRCC’s pool distribution data as of September 27, 2026, the Express Entry pool held 229,904 profiles, with 73,131 of them scoring between 451 and 500. That range is the band where trades occupation cut-offs have landed this year.

What Practitioners Should Note

Eligibility for this round turns on the candidate’s occupation falling within IRCC’s designated trades category, so the accuracy of the NOC code claimed in the profile is critical. Practitioners should confirm qualifying work experience against IRCC’s category-based selection requirements and the current Comprehensive Ranking System criteria before invited clients submit their applications.

Strengthen Your Express Entry and NOC Practice with LPEN

Choosing the right NOC code is the foundation of every category-based Express Entry profile. Join us on November 4, 2026, for A Guide to Navigating NOC and NAICS 2026 with Andrew Carvajal, a step-by-step session on how the NOC and NAICS work and how to use them with confidence (4 CPD hours).

We also recently held Express Entry Applications 2026 with Andrew Carvajal, an in-depth look at mastering federal skilled worker applications. The recording is available now for 5 CPD hours.

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