Canara Bank has opened applications for 3,500 Graduate Apprentice positions across India, giving recent graduates an opportunity to gain one year of practical banking experience under the Apprentices Act, 1961. The Canara Bank Recruitment application window opened on October 1 and will remain active until October 17, 2026. Candidates must first register on the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme, or NATS, portal and ensure that their profile is 100% complete before submitting the bank’s online application.

Selected candidates will undergo 12 months of training and receive a monthly stipend of ₹16,650. The recruitment covers multiple States and Union Territories, with Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu among those offering the largest number of training seats.

Canara Bank Recruitment 2026: Eligibility, Stipend and Application Details

The latest Canara Bank Recruitment drive is open to candidates who hold a graduate degree in any discipline from a university recognised by the Government of India or an equivalent qualification recognised by the Central Government. There is also a date restriction on graduation.

Applicants must have completed their degree not earlier than January 1, 2023 and not later than September 1, 2026. The age requirement is 20 to 28 years as of September 1, 2026. That means candidates must have been born between September 2, 1998 and September 1, 2006, both dates inclusive. Age relaxation applies to reserved categories according to government rules.

Canara Bank Apprentice Apply Online: Important Dates

Candidates planning to complete the Canara Bank Apprentice Apply Online process should keep the following dates in mind:

The application should be completed well before the closing date to avoid last-minute problems with registration, fee payment or document uploads.

How to Apply for Canara Bank Apprentice Posts

The Canara Bank Apprentice Apply Online process involves two stages. First, candidates must register through the NATS portal and complete their profile.

Only candidates with a fully completed apprenticeship profile are eligible to proceed with the bank application.

After completing NATS registration:

1. Visit the official Canara Bank website.
2. Open the Recruitment or Careers section.
3. Select the Graduate Apprentice recruitment link.
4. Complete new registration if required.
5. Enter the NATS enrolment details.
6. Select the State for which you want to apply.
7. Upload the required photograph, signature and documents.
8. Pay the application fee if applicable.
9. Submit the application.
10. Download the submitted form and payment receipt.

Candidates can apply for training seats in only one State and should carefully check the local-language requirement before selecting it.

How Many Vacancies Are Available?

Canara Bank has announced 3,500 apprenticeship training seats. The category-wise distribution reported from the notification is:

The seats are spread across States and Union Territories.

Karnataka has the highest number at 581, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 409 and Tamil Nadu with 391. Other major allocations include Andhra Pradesh with 247, Kerala with 240, Maharashtra with 205, West Bengal with 150, Telangana with 134 and Bihar with 122 seats.

What Is the Educational Qualification?

A graduation degree in any discipline is mandatory. Candidates can therefore apply regardless of whether they studied commerce, science, arts, engineering or another recognised undergraduate programme, provided the degree meets the bank’s eligibility conditions. However, the selection merit is not based directly on graduation marks. Candidates must also meet the prescribed Class 12 or diploma marks requirement.

General, OBC and EWS applicants should have at least 60% in Class 12 or diploma, while SC, ST and PwD candidates require a minimum of 55%. The notification does not permit marks to be rounded upward to satisfy the cutoff.

How Will Candidates Be Selected?

There is an important distinction between this apprenticeship process and many regular bank recruitment drives. Selection is based on a State-wise merit list prepared from Class 12 or diploma marks.

Candidates with higher eligible percentages will rank above those with lower scores. In the event of a tie, the older candidate receives preference. Shortlisted applicants will then be required to complete:

• Document verification
• Local-language testing, where applicable
• Medical fitness requirements

This means candidates should not confuse the apprenticeship with recruitment processes involving a separate written banking examination.

Local Language Requirement Is Important

Applicants must know the local language of the State for which they apply. The language requirement becomes especially important during document verification. Candidates who cannot establish that they studied the relevant local language at the required school level may need to appear for a language test.

Failing the language requirement can affect final selection even if the candidate appears high enough on the merit list. Applicants should therefore check the State-wise language requirement before submitting the form.

Canara Bank Apprenticeship Stipend: ₹16,650 Per Month

Candidates selected under the Canara Bank apprenticeship programme will receive a total stipend of ₹16,650 per month during the 12-month training period.

Of this amount:

• ₹10,500 will be paid by Canara Bank
• ₹6,150 will be credited as the government share through DBT, subject to applicable guidelines

The stipend can be adjusted for loss of pay where applicable. At the end of the Canara Bank apprenticeship, eligible apprentices will receive a joint NATS certification documenting completion of the programme.

Is the Apprenticeship a Permanent Canara Bank Job?

No. This is an apprenticeship engagement under the Apprentices Act, not a direct appointment to a permanent clerical, probationary officer or specialist officer post.

The training period lasts 12 months. Completion of the programme gives candidates structured workplace exposure and certification, but applicants should not assume that an apprenticeship automatically guarantees permanent employment with the bank. That distinction is important when comparing apprenticeship notifications with standard public-sector bank recruitment.

Who Is Not Eligible?

Some candidates with previous training or employment experience may not qualify. According to the recruitment conditions reported by NDTV, candidates are not eligible if they:

• Have already completed apprenticeship training
• Are currently undergoing apprenticeship training
• Have one year or more of job experience after completing graduation

Candidates should therefore verify their own work and apprenticeship history before applying.

Providing information that does not match supporting documents can result in disqualification later during verification.

Application Fee

The application fee is ₹500 for candidates who are required to pay. SC, ST and PwD applicants are exempt from the fee. Online payment options include:

• Debit card
• Credit card
• Internet banking
• IMPS
• Mobile wallets and other supported payment modes

Applicants should save both the payment confirmation and submitted application after completing the process.

Why This Recruitment May Interest Recent Graduates

The programme is particularly relevant for candidates who graduated recently and want practical exposure to banking operations. During a one-year apprenticeship, candidates can gain familiarity with branch processes, customer interactions, financial services and administrative workflows. The scale of the recruitment also makes the opportunity significant.

With 3,500 seats distributed nationwide, the programme is substantially larger than many individual apprentice drives and provides opportunities across multiple States rather than concentrating placements in one region. For candidates considering a future career in banking, the experience may also provide useful exposure before applying separately for permanent bank recruitment examinations.

Apply Before October 17

The Canara Bank Recruitment application window is relatively short, running from October 1 to October 17. Candidates should first complete their NATS profile, verify graduation and age eligibility, check the local-language condition for their chosen State and prepare the required certificates before starting the final bank application.

The Canara Bank Apprentice Apply Online process should not be left until the closing day because an incomplete NATS profile, payment issue or document-upload problem could delay submission. For successful candidates, the Canara Bank apprenticeship offers one year of practical training, a ₹16,650 monthly stipend and NATS certification after completion.

Applicants should rely on the official Canara Bank recruitment portal and the NATS website for final instructions, merit-list notices and document-verification updates.