Highlights
- IRCC targeted 500 healthcare workers with a minimum CRS of 476
- Invited candidates required 6 months or more work experience in Canada or abroad.
- 35 different healthcare occupations are eligible to qualify for Canada PR under June 28 draw.
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held its first-ever category-based Express Entry draw on June 28, targeting 500 healthcare workers to apply for permanent residency.
Eligible foreign workers must have ranked among the first 500 profiles and have at least six months of work experience in Canada or abroad in one of 35 eligible healthcare occupations. The minimum qualifying score based on the CRS (comprehensive ranking system) was 476
June 28 marks the 252nd Express Entry since 2015 and the sixteenth overall.
Canada considered older registered profiles in the federal pool, keeping the tie-breaker cut-off date of November 12, 2022. The tie-break rule is beneficial in cases where two or more candidates end up with the same CRS score.
Eligible Healthcare Occupations for Express Entry Draws
IRCC had earlier included six new categories for newly targeted Express Entry draws. Healthcare occupations make up the largest number of eligible occupations, 35 in total:
- Audiologists and speech-language pathologists
- Chiropractors
- Dentists
- Dieticians and nutritionists
- Education counselors
- General practitioners and family physicians
- Instructors of persons with disabilities
- Kinesiologists and other professional occupations in therapy and assessment
- Licensed practical nurses
- Massage therapists
- Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations
- Medical laboratory technologists
- Medical radiation technologists
- Medical sonographers
- Nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates
- Nurse practitioners
- Nursing coordinators and supervisors
- Occupational therapists
- Optometrists
- Other assisting occupations in support of health services
- Other practitioners of natural healing
- Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating
- Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment
- Paramedical occupations
- Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
- Physician assistants, midwives, and allied health professionals
- Physiotherapists
- Psychologists
- Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
- Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists, and cardiopulmonary technologists
- Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine
- Specialists in surgery
- Therapists in counseling and related specialized therapies
- Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists
- Veterinarians
IRCC can target category-based Express Entry draws from 6 categories:
- healthcare
- science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions
- trades, such as carpenters, plumbers, and contractors
- transport
- agriculture and agri-food
- strong French language proficiency
Canada Faces Shortage of Healthcare Workers
The move comes as Canada is facing a shortage of healthcare workers. The country’s aging population and growing economy are putting a strain on the healthcare system, and the government is looking to attract more skilled workers to help fill the gap.
To be eligible for the category-based draw, healthcare workers must have a valid Express Entry profile and meet the minimum requirements for the occupation they are applying for. They must also have a language proficiency score of at least CLB 7 in English or French.
Those who hope to receive an ITA in the targeted draws must first enter the Express Entry pool. IRCC will continue to hold all program draws and program-specific draws as needed.
If you are a healthcare worker who is interested in immigrating to Canada, you can learn more about your eligibility and best chances by contacting a consultant.
Contact a licensed immigration consultant like CanApprove to determine your best chances of qualifying based on your academic profile and work experience.
Claim your free consultation from us to explore immigration programs under Express Entry and boost your CRS scores.