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Live from IRCC New for 2026

Skilled Military Express Entry Draws 2026 - Live CRS Cut-Offs

The latest Skilled Military draw was held on Jul 23, 2026. IRCC invited 4 candidates at a CRS cut-off of 368.

Last updated: September 20, 2026 IRCC Express Entry rounds of invitations (skilled military recruits category)

1 Total draws
1 Draws in 2026
368 Average CRS cut-off
59 Days since last draw
Skilled Military Recruits Express Entry draws for foreign military members recruited by the Canadian Armed Forces

Skilled-military-recruit draws are a 2026 category aimed at foreign military members who have already been recruited by the Canadian Armed Forces. Unlike the occupation categories, a job offer from the Canadian Forces Recruiting Group is required.

You cannot put yourself in this group by matching a NOC code on paper. You have to be serving in a recognized foreign military, have a qualifying CAF offer, and already be eligible for one of the three federal programs.

Since these rounds began, IRCC has held 1 skilled-military-recruit draws, issuing 4 invitations in total.

All Skilled Military draw results

Draw #DateCategoryCRS Cut-offInvitations
Draw #430 Jul 23, 2026 Skilled Military Recruits, 2026-Version 1 368 4

Showing 1–1 of 1 draws

When is the next Skilled Military draw?

IRCC has not published a schedule for these rounds.

There is not enough draw history in this category yet to describe a pattern. New rounds are copied from IRCC on a schedule after they are published.

Skilled Military draw history by year

Rounds held, invitations issued, and the range of CRS cut-offs within each year.

YearDrawsInvitationsLowest CRSHighest CRSAverage CRS
202614368368368

What changed for Skilled Military draws

Introduced in February 2026 to support Canadian Armed Forces recruiting, and unlike every occupation category it turns on a job offer rather than a NOC. It also carries requirements no other category has: ten years of continuous service in a recognised foreign military and a two-year post-secondary credential. The pool that leaves is small by design, and the rounds reflect that.

IRCC category labelIn useRoundsInvitationsCRS range
Skilled Military Recruits, 2026-Version 1 Jul 202614 368
Every version IRCC has run this round under, read from its published rounds of invitations.

Is a Skilled Military draw your route?

  • You are serving in a recognised foreign military and have been recruited by the Canadian Armed Forces.
  • You hold an offer from the Canadian Forces Recruiting Group.
  • Not you: a veteran without a current CAF offer. The offer is the qualification here, not the service history.
  • Worth knowing: this is the only category where a job offer is a hard requirement.

Who qualifies for Skilled Military draws?

IRCC added this category in February 2026 to support Canadian Armed Forces recruiting. The pool is small by design: entry needs a Canadian Armed Forces offer, ten years of continuous service in a recognised foreign military, and a two-year post-secondary credential.

  • Be a foreign national currently serving in a recognized foreign military, with at least 10 years of continuous service.
  • Have work experience and training that match the lead statement and main duties of one of the three Canadian Armed Forces occupations listed below.
  • Hold an offer of arranged employment from the Canadian Forces Recruiting Group for continuous full-time work in Canada lasting at least 3 years, in one of those occupations.
  • Have at least a two-year post-secondary credential. Foreign credentials need an Educational Credential Assessment.
  • An Express Entry profile in the pool, and eligibility for at least one of the three federal programs.
  • A CRS score at or above the cut-off published for that specific round.

The CAF job offer is mandatory for this category. It still does not add CRS points. Those were removed on 25 March 2025. Start with the Canadian Forces Recruiting Group, not with an Express Entry profile on its own.

The 3 occupations eligible for Skilled Military draws

IRCC lists three Canadian Armed Forces occupations. Matching a code is not enough without the CAF offer and the ten-year service requirement.

NOC 2021Occupation
40042Commissioned officers of the Canadian Armed Forces
42102Specialized members of the Canadian Armed Forces
43204Operations members of the Canadian Armed Forces

Not sure which code describes your job? Try the NOC Finder. Occupation list published by IRCC - Express Entry category-based selection.

How to be considered in a Skilled Military draw

  1. Talk to the Canadian Forces Recruiting Group first

    This category requires a job offer from the Canadian Forces Recruiting Group for at least three years of full-time work in Canada. An Express Entry profile on its own does not put you in the group.

  2. Confirm you meet the service and education bars

    You need to be serving in a recognized foreign military with at least 10 years of continuous service, plus a two-year post-secondary credential (with an ECA if it was earned abroad).

  3. Match one of the three CAF occupations

    Your training and duties have to align with NOC 40042, 42102 or 43204: commissioned officers, specialised members, or operations members of the Canadian Armed Forces.

  4. Be eligible for a federal program and enter the pool

    You still need to qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class or the Federal Skilled Trades Program. The CAF offer does not add CRS points.

Skilled Military Express Entry Draws - Frequently Asked Questions

Skilled-military-recruit draws are a 2026 category aimed at foreign military members who have already been recruited by the Canadian Armed Forces. Unlike the occupation categories, a job offer from the Canadian Forces Recruiting Group is required.
IRCC does not publish a schedule for its rounds of invitations. Timing follows policy priorities and how many candidates in the pool already qualify, so gaps between rounds vary.
There is no fixed pass mark: the cut-off is simply the score of the lowest-ranked candidate invited in that round. Historically this group has ranged from 368 to 368 CRS, averaging about 368, and the most recent round came in at 368. Treat the recent rounds in the table as your guide rather than the all-time low. If more than one person had that lowest score, IRCC ranked them by the date and time they submitted their Express Entry profile.
IRCC does not announce rounds in advance, and there is not enough draw history in this category yet to describe a pattern. New rounds are copied from IRCC on a schedule after they are published.
4 invitations across 1 rounds on record, including 4 so far in 2026. Those totals are recalculated every time this page loads.
No. You need an offer from the Canadian Forces Recruiting Group for continuous full-time work in Canada lasting at least three years, in NOC 40042, 42102 or 43204. You also need to be serving in a recognized foreign military with at least 10 years of continuous service, and a two-year post-secondary credential. Start with the recruiting group, not with an Express Entry profile on its own.
No. This is the only Express Entry category where a job offer is a hard requirement: specifically an offer from the Canadian Forces Recruiting Group. Foreign military service on its own does not put you in the category.
No. IRCC removed arranged-employment points from the CRS on 25 March 2025. The offer is what makes you eligible for this category; it does not raise your score once you are in it.
Draw figures are copied from IRCC's published rounds. They were last updated from that feed on Sep 20, 2026. Nothing on these tables is entered by hand. The figures are IRCC's own published rounds of invitations, the same record behind our full Express Entry draw history. This is not an official IRCC tool. Always confirm your own eligibility and score in your Express Entry profile, or with a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) or immigration lawyer.

Official IRCC sources

Eligibility rules on this page were last checked against IRCC on September 15, 2026. Draw figures come from IRCC's published rounds and are not part of that review. This is not an official IRCC page.

Draw figures were last updated from IRCC on Sep 20, 2026.

Every Express Entry draw type we track

IRCC runs several different kinds of round. Each one below has its own cut-off history, its own rhythm, and its own rules about who is even in the running.