Canada has issued 97,101 Express Entry invitations in 2026
Canada has run 38 Express Entry rounds between 5 January and 10 July 2026, issuing 97,101 invitations to apply for permanent residence. Recent draws: 5,000 invitations to French-language candidates (CRS 420) on 9 July, 2,000 Canadian Experience Class invitations (CRS 517) on 7 July, and a 534-invitation Provincial Nominee Program round (CRS 708) on 6 July. Category-based draws for healthcare, trades, French speakers and senior managers continue to dominate, keeping general cut-offs volatile.
Australia invites 10,000 in its biggest subclass 189 round of the year
Australia's Department of Home Affairs issued 10,000 invitations in a single Subclass 189 (Skilled Independent) SkillSelect round on 4 June 2026 - the largest of the 2025-26 program year. Cut-offs varied sharply by occupation: trades such as carpenters, electricians and bricklayers were invited from as low as 65 points, while some medical specialists needed 100. Around 16,946 Subclass 189 invitations have been issued across three rounds this program year.
UK Skilled Worker salary floor climbs to £41,700
The UK Skilled Worker visa now requires a general salary of at least £41,700 a year, or the going rate for the occupation, whichever is higher - with a reduced £33,400 floor for some new entrants and shortage roles. From 8 April 2026 the Home Office also checks that pay is met across individual pay periods, not just as a headline annual figure, tightening compliance for sponsors. Health and care roles keep their own, lower thresholds.
New Zealand overhauls its Skilled Migrant Category from August
New Zealand's Skilled Migrant Category still needs 160 points to enter the Expression of Interest pool, with selections drawn by points. From 24 August 2026, two new pathways - Skilled Work Experience, and Trades and Technicians - come into effect, alongside changes to the median-wage rules; the immigration median wage rose to NZD $35.00 an hour on 9 March 2026. The changes aim to widen residence routes for skilled workers already in the country.
US tightens H-1B and international student visas for 2026-27
USCIS has again reached the FY2026 H-1B cap of 65,000 places plus 20,000 master's-cap places. For FY2027 a new weighted selection favouring higher-paid roles takes effect from 27 February 2026, and a proposed Department of Labor rule would raise required prevailing wages by 21 to 33 percent. Separately, a proposed rule would replace international students' open-ended duration of status with fixed admission periods, making extensions harder for longer programs. EB-1 and EB-2 dates have also retrogressed for applicants from India.