October 1, 2026 Express Entry Trades Draw: 3,500 ITAs at CRS 476

IRCC has posted a category-based Express Entry round for trades. On its rounds of invitations page, opened on October 1, 2026, the latest block is Trades Occupations, 2026-Version 3, dated October 1, 2026 at 12:47:55 UTC. The department issued 3,500 invitations. The Comprehensive Ranking System score of the lowest-ranked candidate invited was 476. Rank needed was 3,500 or above.

The same figures appear as invitation 447 on the ministerial instructions list. The tie-breaking rule is May 28, 2026 at 16:55:23 UTC. If more than one candidate sat at 476, only those who submitted their Express Entry profile on or before that timestamp were invited.

This is a category round, not a new program. You still need to be eligible for one of the three programs managed through Express Entry. The last trades round on that same list was April 2, 2026, round 408, also labelled Trades Occupations, 2026-Version 3. That round issued 3,000 invitations at 477. Today's cutoff is one point lower, and the invitation count is 500 higher.

Draw results at a glance

Official IRCC figures for this round:

Compare that with the previous trades round already on IRCC's list:

Do not treat 476 as a standing target. The next trades round can move either way.

Who this round is for

IRCC's category-based selection page, page details June 22, 2026, lists trade occupations as a current category. You need at least 12 months of full-time work experience, or an equal amount of part-time experience, in a single occupation on the official table, accumulated within the past 3 years. The experience does not need to be continuous. It can be in Canada or abroad. It does not have to be your primary occupation. You must also meet the instructions for that round.

The occupation list is on that page. Do not guess a NOC from a job title. Federal Skilled Trades program rules are separate from this category round.

The rounds page also shows a CRS score distribution of candidates in the pool as of September 27, 2026. That snapshot is not the invitation list.

If you received an ITA

IRCC's apply for permanent residence page states that an invitation is valid for 60 days only. Start the application as soon as the invitation appears.

1. Sign in to your IRCC account and start the permanent residence application immediately.
2. Confirm the invited NOC is on the trades table, and that the 12 months fall inside the past 3 years.
3. Confirm language tests, work letters, and any Educational Credential Assessment still match the invited profile.
4. Book police certificates and a medical exam with a panel physician early.
5. Recalculate your CRS if anything has changed. If the recalculated score is below 476, decline the invitation.

An ITA is not an approval. Category selection does not replace medical or criminality screening.

If you were not invited

Check three things against the official instructions, not against a tracker:

• Is your occupation on the current trades table, with at least 12 months in that single occupation in the past 3 years?
• Is your CRS at or above 476?
• Was the profile submitted on or before May 28, 2026 at 16:55:23 UTC if you sat exactly at 476?

If you sit just below 476, stay in the pool. Higher language scores can raise CRS and can open French-language category rounds. A provincial nomination adds 600 CRS points. Keep the profile accurate. An expired language test or a job-title mismatch can take you out of a later round.

The September 29 CEC round is in our CEC draw post. The September 28 PNP round is in our PNP draw post.

For a review of your CRS score, trades-category eligibility, or an application after an ITA, contact JSR Immigration & Legals through our consultation page or the work permit service page.

This article is general information current to October 1, 2026, and is not legal or immigration advice. Confirm the live round on Canada.ca before you act.