Category-based selection
Trade occupations draws
6 rounds on record, 10,350 invitations issued. At least six months of continuous experience in an eligible trade.
Most recent round
477CRS cutoff
3,000 invitations on 2 April 2026, round #408.
- Lowest ever
- 388
- 3 August 2023
- Typical gap
- 196 days
- Rounds held
- 6
Cutoff history
The last 6 trade occupations rounds as a table
| Round | Date | CRS cutoff | Invitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| #261 | 3 August 2023 | 388 | 1,500 |
| #276 | 19 December 2023 | 425 | 1,000 |
| #300 | 4 July 2024 | 436 | 1,800 |
| #321 | 23 October 2024 | 433 | 1,800 |
| #368 | 18 September 2025 | 505 | 1,250 |
| #408 | 2 April 2026 | 477 | 3,000 |
Who qualifies
At least six months of continuous experience in an eligible trade.
Occupations in this category
- · Carpenters and cabinetmakers
- · Electricians (including industrial and power system)
- · Plumbers, steamfitters and pipefitters
- · Welders and machining operators
- · Heavy-duty equipment mechanics
- · Machinists and tool and die makers
- · Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics
- · Contractors and supervisors in the trades
- · Concrete finishers, roofers and glaziers
- · Experience within the last three years, in Canada or abroad.
- · A Canadian certificate of qualification is not required for the category, but is worth CRS points separately.
Common questions
- Who qualifies for trade occupations draws?
- At least six months of continuous experience in an eligible trade.
- What was the lowest trade occupations cutoff?
- CRS 388, in the round on 3 August 2023, which issued 1,500 invitations.
- How often does IRCC hold trade occupations draws?
- Over the last 6 trade occupations rounds, IRCC has held one every 196 days on average. The gap has ranged from 111 to 330 days.
Alert me about trade occupations rounds
We check every new round of invitations and email you the same day one lands.
Note: IRCC reviews its categories periodically and has revised, added and dropped them. Nothing here predicts which categories will be drawn from next.
Source: Express Entry rounds of invitations; IRCC — Category-based selection. Data current as of 7 August 2026.