The Canadian government has announced five new Express Entry draw categories for 2026, targeting skilled workers from Nigeria and other countries as part of efforts to address labour shortages.
Canada’s immigration minister, Lena Metlege Diab, made the announcement in Ottawa on Wednesday, outlining the country’s strategy to attract top global talent.
“Today, we are introducing new categories designed to meet and support Canada’s evolving needs and reflect our government’s determination to attract the best talent to Canada,” Diab said.
Details published on Canada’s official immigration platform showed that the new Express Entry categories for 2026 will prioritise professionals with Canadian work experience.
They include medical doctors, researchers and senior managers who have previously worked in Canada.
The new categories also target transport workers and skilled military recruits with job offers from the Canadian Armed Forces.
The move is aimed at strengthening key sectors of the Canadian economy while filling workforce gaps.
The announcement signals Canada’s continued push to attract qualified professionals from across the world, including Nigeria, as it seeks to support economic growth and innovation through immigration.
In other news, earlier, Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s border tsar, announced that the controversial immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota will end.
Speaking to reporters Thursday, Homan said Trump approved his request to wrap up the operation. He plans to remain in Minnesota a bit longer to supervise the withdrawal and make sure everything goes smoothly.
Homan described Operation Metro Surge as a major success, saying it led to the detention of many undocumented immigrants who had committed violent crimes and were now facing deportation. However, the operation triggered protests across the country after immigration officers killed two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
Top Minnesota and federal officials testified at a Capitol Hill hearing on Trump’s immigration policies shortly after Homan made his announcement.
Homan said Minnesota officials have managed to “greatly reduce the number of targets” for immigration enforcement, calling the entire operation a “great success.”
Authorities arrested over 4,000 undocumented immigrants during the surge, Homan said, including men convicted of rape and other serious sexual offences.
Homan stressed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has always operated in Minnesota and will continue to do so even after the surge ends.
He credited the surge’s success to unprecedented cooperation between federal agents and local law enforcement.
Local officials stepped up their response to protesters whom Homan described as public safety threats. In contrast, local jails became more willing to inform ICE when they planned to release individuals the agency was tracking.
