10th April 2026BY Nihang Law

Canada Could Make Major Express Entry Changes: What Ontario Applicants Should Know

IRCC has publicly proposed regulations that would create a new federal high-skilled immigration class. In addition, it also revealed plans to repeal the current Federal Skilled Worker Class, Canadian Experience Class, and Federal Skilled Trades Class. It should be noted that these Express Entry changes are just a proposal at this stage in IRCC’s 2026 to 2028 Forward Regulatory Plan, not a final law in force in Canada today.

As of April 2026, Express Entry is still operating under the current structure, with existing programs, invitation rounds, and category-based selection. Ontario applicants should not assume the system has already changed. They must continue to prepare under the policies that exist now while keeping an eye out for official changes and announcements from IRCC.

Last updated: April 2026

Many immigrant hopefuls in Ontario rely on Express Entry as their path to permanent residence in Canada. That is why, when possible major changes to Express Entry are reported, people pay attention.

Immigration involves a real-life timing issue. An Express Entry profile may expire after 12 months. An invitation to apply (ITA) only allows applicants 60 days to file a complete permanent residence application. Language test results, educational credential assessments, work permits, and Ontario job plans may all be running on different timelines at the same time.

That is why recent reports about Canada making major changes to Express Entry have caused real concern for applicants and families trying to plan ahead.

This is now the dilemma that PR hopefuls are facing. The current Express Entry system is still running right now, but potential changes could be looming following IRCC’s most recent announcement.

Disclaimer: This article is general information only, not legal advice. Immigration strategy depends on your status in Canada, work history, NOC, language results, admissibility, timing, and document strength.

Quick Start: Pick Your Situation

You are already in the Express Entry pool

Keep your profile accurate, current, and invitation-ready under the present rules.

You qualify under CEC, FSW, or FST but have not created a profile:

There is usually no benefit in waiting for an unknown replacement class.

You are counting on Ontario or another Express Entry-aligned PNP stream:

Review both the provincial criteria and your federal Express Entry eligibility now.

You already received an ITA:

Work from the current invitation and filing deadlines, not media headlines.

You are an Ontario employer supporting a worker’s PR plan:

Build around today’s rules, but document flexibility in case the federal entry class is restructured.

Is Canada Actually Planning to Replace the Current Express Entry Programs?

Yes, IRCC has formally indicated that it has plans to replace the current federal high-skilled classes with a new streamlined class. But at this point, it only appears in a forward regulatory plan, which is an early-stage regulatory notice. It is not a law that is in force today.

The Proposed Canada 2026 Express Entry Changes

IRCC’s forward regulatory plan states that amendments are being proposed to introduce a new federal high-skilled immigration class with streamlined eligibility requirements and repeal the existing Federal Skilled Worker Class, Canadian Experience Class, and Federal Skilled Trades Class programs.

IRCC says it plans to consult partners, stakeholders, and the public in Spring 2026, and that more information will be released in the future.

Understanding the Regulatory Timeline

That wording matters. Under the federal regulatory framework, Forward Regulatory Plans are meant to give advance notice of possible regulatory changes over a 24-month period. They are published at an early stage, before pre-publication in the Canada Gazette, Part I, and before final publication in the Canada Gazette, Part II.

In other words, the proposal is real, but it is not yet a finalized amendment to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.

What is Still in Force Right Now?

The current Express Entry structure remains in force today. As of April 2026, the system still manages the existing federal programs, with category-based rounds operating on top of that structure.

The Three Core Programs

Express Entry still manages three core immigration programs:

Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW), and
Federal Skilled Trades Program (FST)

Category-based rounds continue to require that a candidate first be eligible for at least one of those three programs before being placed in the pool.

2026 Category-Based Rounds

IRCC announced the 2026 Express Entry categories in February 2026. This announcement confirms that the current system is still being used in real time, even while replacement regulations are being contemplated. These rounds include continued draws for strong French-language ability and certain occupations, plus new categories such as the following:

Foreign medical doctors with Canadian work experience
Researchers and senior managers with Canadian work experience
Transport occupations
Skilled military recruits

If you receive an invitation to apply, you generally have 60 days to submit your permanent residence application. If you are not invited within 12 months, your Express Entry profile expires and is removed from the system.

Why is the Government Considering This Change?

IRCC is framing this proposal as a way to streamline eligibility, broaden access to talent, and align economic immigration more closely with labour market needs. Ultimately, Canada’s immigration strategies are increasingly being tied directly to economic priorities to ensure a large share of permanent resident admissions continues to go to skilled workers.

Simplifying the System

According to the forward regulatory plan, this change could positively affect the Canadian economy and businesses seeking skilled workers. It aims to do this by creating a more diverse talent pool and making the system easier to understand for clients, employers, and partners

The 2026–2028 Levels Plan

IRCC’s 2026 immigration materials show a broader policy emphasis on sustainable levels and securing a higher share for economic immigration within its targets. Under the 2026–2028 plan, the overall permanent resident target is set at 380,000 each year. Within that quota, economic immigration is projected to rise:

239,800 admissions in 2026
244,700 admissions in both 2027 and 2028

Building on Category-Based Selection

There is already a legal structure for targeted selection inside Express Entry. Category-based selection was added through legislative amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in 2022.

As IRCC’s report to Parliament explains, these categories are explicitly meant to respond to economic goals and labour shortages. This existing flexibility likely explains why IRCC now feels equipped to rethink the underlying federal entry classes themselves.

This helps explain why IRCC may be looking for a more streamlined, flexible high-skilled selection model. Canada’s immigration plan continues to give a large share of permanent resident admissions to economic immigration, so federal selection tools are increasingly being aligned with labour-market priorities.

What Does Recent Express Entry Draw Data Suggest About Where IRCC is Heading?

Recent Express Entry draw patterns reveal that IRCC has already been using the system in a more targeted way. Compared to 2024, invitations in 2025 appear highly concentrated in French-language proficiency, the Canadian Experience Class, and healthcare/social services, while several previous draw types completely disappeared.

Shifting from Broad to Narrow Selection

IRCC’s official Express Entry 2024 Year-End Report shows that invitations in that year were spread across a wider mix of draw types. By contrast, IRCC’s 2025 focus was significantly narrowed. Based on official category announcements and round-by-round invitation logs, 2025 rounds focused on:

Candidates with Canadian work experience
Strong French-language skills
Work experience in healthcare and social services
Trades
Education

Note: 2024 figures come from IRCC’s Express Entry Year-End Report. 2025 figures are manually compiled from IRCC’s Express Entry rounds of invitations page. Some labels evolved across years (e.g., 2024 “Healthcare Occupations” became 2025 “Healthcare and social services”, and “Education” appeared as a new 2025 category).

The Data Breakdown

Here is the exact data in table form for a clearer view of which draw types continued, disappeared, or were newly introduced:

Draw Type	2024 ITAs	2025 ITAs
Canadian Experience Class	26,500	35,850
Provincial Nominee Program	15,483	10,898
General	14,445	0
French language proficiency	23,000	48,000
Healthcare / Healthcare and social services	10,250	14,500
STEM occupations	4,500	0
Trade occupations	3,600	1,250
Transport occupations	975	0
Agriculture and agri-food occupations	150	0
Education occupations	0	3,500

The Key Takeaway

This comparison confirms that Express Entry selection became much more concentrated in 2025. French-language and Canadian Experience Class invitations rose, healthcare remained a major focus, and education appeared as a new category. At the same time, several categories, such STEM, Transport, and Agriculture and agri-food, did not get any draws at all.

While this pattern does not necessarily establish what the final replacement class will look like, it strongly supports the view that IRCC has already been moving toward narrower and policy-driven selection priorities.

Nihang Law Insight

For Ontario applicants, the practical lesson is not that every pathway is disappearing. It is that selection appears to be getting more targeted. That makes timing, profile accuracy, work-experience coding, and category fit more important than they were when broader draw types were more active.

How Could This Affect Ontario Applicants and Employers?

For Ontario applicants, the biggest concern isn’t necessarily an immediate cancellation of current options, but uncertainty around future entry criteria. That’s why it is important to prepare for transition risk without freezing your present strategy. For employers, the immediate challenge is planning permanent residence pathways for workers whose timelines may run into a transition period.

Why Ontario is Especially Impacted

Ontario remains the most common destination province for Express Entry principal applicants. This means that any federal high-skilled redesign is likely to matter here more than almost anywhere else in Canada.

In 2024, Ontario was again the top intended destination among principal applicants. IRCC continues to emphasize that Express Entry supports provinces by bringing in skilled workers.

Action Plans by Candidate Type

Situation	Current official position	What may change	Practical move now
Candidate relying on CEC	CEC currently exists and remains an active Express Entry program.	CEC is specifically named for repeal in the proposal.	Preserve Canadian work-experience evidence and keep your profile current.
Candidate relying on FSW	FSW currently exists and remains an active Express Entry program.	FSW is specifically named for repeal in the proposal.	Do not assume foreign-work pathways are closed today.
Candidate relying on FST	FST currently exists and remains an active Express Entry program.	FST is specifically named for repeal in the proposal.	Check trade-specific proof requirements now, not later.
Express Entry PNP candidate	Express Entry-aligned PNP currently depends on eligibility under one of the three Express Entry programs.	IRCC will likely need structural adjustments if those three classes are repealed.	Review both provincial and federal eligibility together.
Ontario employer supporting worker PR	Current federal and Express Entry-based strategies still apply today.	Future eligibility may be streamlined, narrowed, broadened, or reorganized.	Plan with contingencies and document status, NOC, and language timing.

Current program structures and PNP linkages reflect existing Express Entry rules, while proposed changes reflect the April 2026 forward-plan notice. Not every pathway is disappearing today, but the underlying entry architecture could potentially change.

Nihang Law Insight

A common mistake is waiting for “clarity” while a language result, work permit, or qualifying work history window quietly moves against you. Immigration strategy usually works best when you prepare under the law that exists now, while building flexibility for what may come next.

What Legal Points Matter Most?

The most important legal distinction is between ministerial selection tools and the underlying regulatory classes. While category-based selection already exists in the Act, this new proposal targets the actual Regulations that define the CEC, FSW, and FST.

Because it proposes creating a completely new class and repealing the current ones, applicants must watch for the actual regulatory text, where eligibility details, transition rules, and any grandfathering mechanics would become clearer.

How Category-Based Selection Works Today

IRCC’s report to Parliament explains that current category-based selection operates under sections 10.3 and 10.5 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Section 10.5 requires annual reporting to Parliament and public consultation with provinces, territories, employers, workers, settlement providers, researchers, and practitioners before establishing categories.

The Scope of the Proposed Changes

The current proposal is fundamentally different. It does not just change categories or round types. Instead, it proposes deep regulatory amendments to create a new federal high-skilled class and repeal the three current classes.

Because the proposal represents a structural change to the regulations rather than a simple policy tweak, monitoring the actual drafting of the law is the most important step for understanding how the transition will be managed.

Legal Perspective

The forward regulatory plan does not yet indicate the replacement class’s detailed eligibility criteria. Therefore, claims saying that the future class will definitely be easier, harder, more Canadian-experience-focused, or more occupation-driven are still speculation unless and until official word from IRCC is released.

What Should You Do Now if You Are In or Near the Express Entry Pool?

Most applicants should continue acting under the current rules while preparing for change. That usually means keeping your profile valid, tightening your evidence, and avoid timing mistakes that could hurt either the current or future pathway.

Manage Your Profile and Eligibility

Audit your current eligibility:

Confirm whether you qualify under the CEC, FSW, or FST today. Use the program requirements that are currently published, not assumptions about a future replacement class.

Create or update your profile promptly:

A current and accurate profile keeps you available for general, program-specific, and category-based rounds while the existing system remains live.

Protect your timing documents:

Track your language tests, ECAs, passports, work permit validity, and profile expiry.

Warning: If your profile expires, it is removed from the system, and you must create a new one.

Evaluate Your Strategic Options

Review Ontario-linked options:

If you may also pursue an Ontario nomination, remember that Express Entry-aligned PNP pathways currently sit on top of federal Express Entry eligibility.

Check category-based fit:

In 2026, IRCC’s categories include a specific list of target occupations. Evaluate if you fit into any of the following categories and your occupation matches the NOCs eligible under each category:

French proficiency
Health and social services
STEM
Trades
Education
Transport
Physicians with Canadian work experience
Senior managers with Canadian work experience
Researchers with Canadian work experience
Skilled military recruits

Prepare Documents and Monitor Updates

Be invitation-ready:

If an ITA comes, the filing window is short. Gather the following documents before you receive an invitation:

Police certificates
Employment proof
Reference letters
Funds evidence (where needed)
Civil-status documents

Be on the lookout for regulatory releases:

The forward-plan page states that consultation is planned for Spring 2026, and further information will be posted on IRCC’s consultations and engagement page.

Nihang Law Insight

The best preparation is not chasing every rumour or speculation. It is building a file that is strong under the present rules and adaptable if the replacement class later changes the entry route.

What Mistakes Should Applicants Avoid?

The main errors are treating a proposal as if it were already law, or doing nothing while waiting for perfect certainty.

Assuming Express Entry has already been abolished.
Delaying profile creation even though the current programs still operate.
Ignoring profile expiry and ITA filing deadlines.
Forgetting that category-based rounds still require eligibility under an existing Express Entry program.
Looking only at federal criteria and not at Ontario or other provincial nomination rules.
Making major decisions based on headlines without reading the official IRCC page.
Failing to preserve proof of work history, language, and admissibility while rules are still in flux.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Express Entry ending?

Not based on the official materials available now. The current proposal speaks about replacing the underlying federal high-skilled classes, not about ending Express Entry as the application management system itself. IRCC still describes Express Entry as its flagship system and continues to hold invitation rounds under it.

Are CEC, FSW, and FST already repealed?

No. IRCC has proposed repealing them through future regulatory amendments, but the current official Express Entry pages still list them as the three programs managed through Express Entry today.

Should I wait to create my Express Entry profile?

Usually no. If you qualify now, waiting may only expose you to lost time, expiring documents, or missed draws. Unless your facts need repair, most applicants should prepare under the current rules while monitoring new developments.

Will Ontario PNP still work if the federal classes are replaced?

Ontario PNP may continue, but the federal mechanics may need adjustment. Today, Express Entry-aligned PNP eligibility depends on eligibility under one of the three current Express Entry programs. If those programs are replaced, IRCC would likely need corresponding structural changes. That is an inference, not yet confirmed policy.

What if I already received an ITA?

Treat your ITA as live and time-sensitive. IRCC’s current process gives invited candidates 60 days to submit the permanent residence application. A future regulatory proposal does not erase a current filing deadline.

What if my Express Entry profile expires?

You generally need to create a new profile. If no invitation arrives within 12 months, the profile expires and is removed from the system. IRCC says you can still create a new one afterward.

Could category-based draws continue under a new federal high-skilled class?

Possibly, yes. Category-based selection is rooted in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, while the current proposal targets the regulatory classes. That suggests category tools could continue, but the details will depend on the final regulatory design.

Does this proposal help people outside Canada or mostly people already here?

It is too early to say with confidence. Today’s system still includes FSW for many candidates with foreign work experience, CEC for Canadian experience, and category-based selection for targeted priorities. The replacement class has not yet been published in detail.

Could CRS points also change?

Possibly. In addition to proposing a new federal high-skilled immigration class, IRCC has publicly signalled broader Express Entry reforms, including possible points for job offers and Canadian work experience in high-wage occupations, and consideration of how to reward candidates certified to work in regulated occupations.

Some immigration lawyers and immigration news outlets have also reported that IRCC discussed more detailed CRS ideas during stakeholder consultations in April 2026. However, IRCC has not yet published a full new CRS scoring model in official draft regulations or updated Ministerial Instructions.

For now, applicants should treat detailed item-by-item claims about future CRS changes as consultation-stage possibilities, not confirmed rules, and should continue planning under the CRS rules currently in force.

Key Takeaways

IRCC has made a serious proposal to create a new federal high-skilled class and repeal the CEC, FSW, and FST. However, as of April 2026, this proposal is still at the forward-plan and consultation stage, which means the current Express Entry structure is still operating.

For Ontario applicants, the best approach is to work with the law that exists now, protect your timing, and stay ready for transition if draft regulations are released.

How Nihang Law Can Help

Nihang Law can help you turn uncertainty into a practical plan. We can help you evaluate your situation if you are unsure whether to:

Enter the pool immediately
Rely on a category-based strategy
Preserve a CEC timeline
Coordinate Express Entry with Ontario nomination options

The goal is to protect your best available pathway while the rules evolve. That’s why it’s important to remain vigilant about potential policy changes while maintaining flexibility to ensure your options are not limited.

Important Legal Reminder: Immigration law changes quickly. Before acting on a time-sensitive Express Entry or PNP strategy, get legal advice based on your exact facts and dates.