Canada has invited 150 candidates with work experience in transport occupations to apply for permanent residence in an Express Entry round held on October 28, 2026. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score required was 477.
This was the 453rd Express Entry round overall and the 65th of 2026. It is only the second Transport occupations round this year, following the August 7 Transport draw, which invited 300 candidates at a cut-off of 470. It also completed a run of three rounds in three days, after the October 26 Provincial Nominee Program round (792 invitations at 761) and the October 27 French-language round (5,000 invitations at 407).
Full Details of the October 28 Transport Occupations Draw
| Draw detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Round type | Transport occupations (category-based selection) |
| Round number | 453 |
| Date and time | October 28, 2026 at 10:34:14 UTC |
| Number of invitations issued | 150 |
| CRS score of lowest-ranked candidate invited | 477 |
| Tie-breaking rule | June 4, 2026 at 21:48:22 UTC |
Tie-Breaking Rule
The tie-breaking rule means that eligible candidates with a CRS score of 477 who submitted their Express Entry profile before 21:48:22 UTC on June 4, 2026 received an invitation. Candidates with the same score who entered the pool after that moment did not.
How the 477 Cut-Off Compares
| Date | Invitations | CRS cut-off |
|---|---|---|
| October 28, 2026 | 150 | 477 |
| August 7, 2026 | 300 | 470 |
| March 13, 2024 | 975 | 430 |
| December 20, 2023 | 670 | 435 |
| September 20, 2023 | 1,000 | 435 |
At 477, this is the highest cut-off of any Transport round since the category was first used in 2023 — seven points above August’s 470 — and, at 150 invitations, the smallest Transport round so far. With so few invitations available in a category limited to four occupations, only candidates near the top of the eligible group were reached. The cut-off is now close to those of other recent rounds: the October 1 Trades occupations round cleared at 476, and the October 15 Canadian Experience Class round at 519.
Who Qualifies for Transport Occupations Draws
To be eligible for a Transport category round, you must have accumulated at least 12 months of full-time work experience (or the part-time equivalent) within the past three years in a single occupation from the list below. The experience does not need to be continuous, and it can have been gained in Canada or abroad. You must also already be eligible for one of the three programs managed through Express Entry — the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class or the Federal Skilled Trades Program — and hold a valid profile in the pool.
| Occupation | 2021 NOC code | 2021 TEER category |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors | 72404 | 2 |
| Air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors | 72600 | 2 |
| Aircraft instrument, electrical and avionics mechanics, technicians and inspectors | 22313 | 2 |
| Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics, and mechanical repairers | 72410 | 2 |
This list differs from the one used for Transport rounds in 2023 and 2024. Full eligibility details are published on the Government of Canada’s category-based selection page.
Express Entry in 2026 So Far
The October 28 round brings the 2026 running total to 149,409 invitations across 65 rounds:
| Draw type | ITAs issued in 2026 |
|---|---|
| French-language proficiency | 60,500 |
| Canadian Experience Class | 57,750 |
| Healthcare and social services occupations | 11,500 |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 10,814 |
| Trades occupations | 6,500 |
| Senior managers with Canadian work experience | 1,000 |
| Physicians with Canadian work experience | 891 |
| Transport occupations | 450 |
| Skilled military recruits | 4 |
| Total | 149,409 |
As of October 25, 2026, there were 228,724 candidates in the Express Entry pool. Of those, 16,330 had a CRS score between 471 and 480 — the band in which this round’s cut-off fell. IRCC does not publish how many candidates in the pool meet the Transport category criteria.
Full details of each round are published on the Government of Canada’s rounds of invitations page. A full history of this year’s rounds is kept on our Express Entry draws 2026 page.
If you have at least 12 months of experience in one of the four eligible transport occupations, use our free CRS score calculator to work out your Comprehensive Ranking System score, see how you compare with the 477 cut-off, and identify which factors — language test results, education or Canadian work experience — would move you closest to an invitation.