Top Canadian employers hiring for jobs qualifying for category-based draws under Express Entry
Canada’s top employers hire for a range of positions across several industries and sectors, many of which are eligible for category-based selection through Canada’s Express Entry system.
If you have six months full-time, continuous work experience in an eligible occupation, you can qualify for a category-based draw under Express Entry.
See your eligibility for all Express Entry streams
Qualifying for a category-based draw increases your chance of receiving an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residence (PR) through the Express Entry system.
This article covers which of Canada’s top 100 employers, according to Forbes, are currently hiring for jobs that qualify for category-based draws.
If you’re currently seeking a job in Canada on an open work permit and intend to pursue PR through Express Entry, you may wish to prioritize roles that allow you to build category-based selection eligible work experience.
This article is meant to provide a basic overview of which positions correspond to eligible National Occupation Classification (NOC) roles included in the Express Entry categories. It is not an exhaustive list. Roles hired by companies are also subject to change based on the company’s changing needs and operations.
To determine whether a role or job posting corresponds to an eligible NOC, closely compare the roles and duties of the posting with the corresponding NOC role. For more information on selecting the correct NOC for a job, refer to our dedicated article on the topic.
Note: Organizations in the public sector are required by law to prioritize Canadian citizens and permanent residents when hiring for positions. This requirement can increase the barriers to entry for foreign nationals seeking employment within the public sector. Organizations in the public sector are denoted as such in the title of their section.
CompanyRankingIndustryCategory-based draw eligible jobs
Google1Technology• Cybersecurity specialists (NOC 21220)
Microsoft2Technology• Cybersecurity specialists (NOC 21220)
• Electrical and electronics engineers (NOC 21310)
• Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians (NOC 22310)
The Hershey Company5Food Manufacturing• Industrial electricians (NOC 72201)
Parks Canada12Government / Environmental• Carpenters (NOC 72310)
• Electricians (except industrial and power system) (NOC 72200)
• Painters and decorators (except interior decorators) (NOC 73112)
• Water well drillers (NOC 72501)
• Welders and related machine operators (NOC 72106)
Fisheries and Oceans Canada13Government• Civil engineers (NOC 21300)
• Cooks (NOC 63200)
• Mechanical engineers (NOC 21301)
BC Hydro18Utilities / Energy• Civil engineers (NOC 21300)
• Civil engineering technologists and technicians (NOC 22300)
• Electrical and electronics engineers (NOC 21310)
Opentext24Software / Information Management• Cybersecurity specialists (NOC 21220)
Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario31Healthcare• Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates (NOC 33102)
• Nurse practitioners (NOC 31302)
• Nursing coordinators and supervisors (NOC 31300)
• Pharmacists (NOC 31120)
• Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants (NOC 33103)
• Pharmacy technicians (NOC 31303)
• Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies (NOC 41301)
The Co-operators33Financial Services / Insurance• Insurance agents and brokers (NOC 63100)
Workers Compensation Board of Alberta34Government / Insurance / Healthcare• Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals (NOC 31303)
• Physiotherapists (NOC 31202)
Tesla39Automotive / Technology• Electrical and electronics engineers (NOC 21310)
• Mechanical engineers (NOC 21301)
• Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians (NOC 22301)
Fortis45Utilities / Energy• Industrial and manufacturing engineers (NOC 21321)
• Industrial electricians (NOC 72201)
• Mechanical engineers (NOC 21301)
Agnico Eagle47Mining• Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics (NOC 72400)
• Heavy-duty equipment mechanics (NOC 72401)
Recent cut-off scores for Express Entry categories covered in this article
Category CRS cut-off score of most recent draw
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) 491
Healthcare and social services occupations 504
Trade occupations 433
Canada’s Top Employers
Google was ranked by Forbes as Canada’s top employer in 2025. The company has two main offices in Canada, located in Toronto and Montreal, with possibilities for remote work as well.
Google hires several positions that could correspond to Cybersecurity specialists (NOC code 21220).
The company averaged a 4.3/5-star review by employees on review sites Glassdoor and Indeed, with a 3.4/5 difficulty reported for interviewing. Close to half of the individuals who received an interview applied online.
Microsoft
Microsoft was ranked Canada’s second-best employer by Forbes. The company has multiple offices across Canada, including in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Ottawa. Multiple roles also feature remote work options.
The company hires for multiple jobs that could correspond to three occupations included in Express Entry’s STEM category:
NOC TitleNOC Code
Cybersecurity specialists21220
Electrical and electronics engineers21310
Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians22310
Microsoft averaged a 4.1/5-star review by employees on review sites Glassdoor and Indeed, with a 3.1/5 difficulty reported for interviewing. 40% of individuals who received an interview applied online.
The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company was ranked Canada’s fifth-best employer, with offices located in Ontario and Quebec.
The company hires for one role that could correspond to an occupation included in Express Entry’s Trades category: Industrial electricians (NOC code 72201).
The Hershey Company averaged a 3.7/5-star review by employees on review sites Glassdoor and Indeed, with a 3.0/5 difficulty reported for interviewing. More than half of the individuals who received an interview applied online.
Parks Canada (Public Sector)
Parks Canada is an official government employer and was ranked 12th in Forbes’ rankings. The organization has offices across Canada.
Parks Canada hires for several occupations that could be eligible for Express Entry’s Trades category:
NOC TitleNOC Code
Carpenters72310
Electricians (except industrial and power system)72200
Painters and decorators (except interior decorators)73112
Water well drillers72501
Welders and related machine operators72106
Parks Canada averaged a 4.2/5-star review by employees on review sites Glassdoor and Indeed, with a 3.2/5 difficulty reported for interviewing. 86% of individuals who received an interview applied online.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Public Sector)
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (FOC) is another official government employer and was ranked 13th on Forbes’ list.
FOC has offices and hires for positions all around Canada.
In particular, FOC hires for several roles that could correspond to occupations in Express Entry’s Trades and STEM categories:
NOC TitleNOC Code
Civil engineers21300
Cooks63200
Mechanical engineers21301
FOC averaged a 4.1/5-star review by employees on review sites Glassdoor and Indeed, with a 3.0/5 difficulty reported for interviewing. 71% of individuals who received an interview applied online.
British Columbia (BC) Hydro (Public Sector)
BC Hydro is a provincial crown corporation and was ranked Canada’s 18th best employer on Forbes’ list. The company is based in British Columbia and is the primary provider of electricity to the province.
BC Hydro hires for several engineering positions that may correspond to occupations included in Express Entry’s STEM category:
NOC TitleNOC Code
Civil engineers21300
Civil engineering technologists and technicians22300
Electrical and electronics engineers21310
The company averaged a 4.3/5-star review by employees on review sites Glassdoor and Indeed, with a 3.0/5 difficulty reported for interviewing. Half of the individuals who received an interview applied online, with the other half having applied through employee referrals.
OpenText
OpenText is a software company that develops and sells information management software. The company was ranked the 24th best employer in Forbes’ rankings.
OpenText is based in Waterloo, Ontario, and as of 2022, is Canada’s fourth-largest software company. The company is heavily involved with data protection and, as such, hires for multiple roles that can fit into the “Cybersecurity specialists” (NOC 21220) job title, included in Express Entry’s STEM category.
The company averaged a 3.5/5-star review by employees on review sites Glassdoor and Indeed, with a 3.4/5 difficulty reported for interviewing. Noted strengths among employees included employment benefits, work-life balance, and company culture.
Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)
CHEO is a leading children’s hospital in Ontario and was ranked Canada’s 31st best employer according to Forbes’ rankings. Due to the nature of the hospital’s work, it hires for multiple roles that are a part of Express Entry’s Healthcare and social services category:
NOC TitleNOC Code
Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates33102
Nurse practitioners31302
Nursing coordinators and supervisors31300
Pharmacists31120
Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants33103
Pharmacy technicians31303
Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies41301
The hospital averaged a 4.1/5-star review by employees on review sites Glassdoor and Indeed, with a 2.8/5 difficulty reported for interviewing. 60% of individuals who received an interview applied online.
The Co-operators
The Co-operators is a financial services company that offers multi-line insurance and investment products. The company was ranked 33rd on Forbes’ list of top employers and has offices all around Canada, with its main headquarters located in Guelph, Ontario.
Due to the company’s involvement in selling and promoting insurance products, it hires for a number of roles that fit into the “Insurance agents and brokers” occupation (NOC Code 63100), in Express Entry’s STEM category.
The company averaged a 3.8/5-star review by employees on review sites Glassdoor and Indeed, with a 3.4/5 difficulty reported for interviewing. Noted strengths among employees included work-life balance, pay and benefits, and company culture.
The Workers’ Compensation Board of Alberta (WCBA) (Public Sector)
WCBA is a company created by the Alberta provincial government to administer the Workers’ Compensation Act for the province’s workers.
The company was ranked 34th in Forbes’ rankings and works to compensate workers for lost income, provide disability and liability coverage, and coordinate workers’ healthcare.
Due to their involvement in the healthcare aspects of workers’ compensation, the company hires for two roles that are included in Express Entry’s Healthcare and Social Services category:
NOC TitleNOC Code
Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals31303
Physiotherapists31202
The organization averaged a 3.6/5-star review by employees on review sites Glassdoor and Indeed. Noted strengths among employees included work-life balance, pay and benefits, working with management, and company culture.
Tesla
The popular electric vehicle manufacturer was ranked 39th on Forbes’ rankings and has smaller offices located in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia (with its main headquarters in Austin, Texas).
The company regularly hires workers to service and maintain its line-up of vehicles, and as such, employs three roles that are included in Express Entry’s STEM category:
NOC TitleNOC Code
Electrical and electronics engineers21310
Mechanical engineers21301
Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians22301
Tesla averaged a 3.3/5-star review by employees on review sites Glassdoor and Indeed. Noted strengths among employees included pay and benefits, and company culture.
Fortis
Fortis is an electric and gas utilities company that is based in Newfoundland and Labrador, with offices across Canada and the United States. The company was ranked 45th in Forbes rankings, and hires for multiple roles across its engineering and operations departments.
Fortis hires for multiple roles that fit occupations in Express Entry’s STEM and Trades category:
NOC TitleNOC Code
Industrial and manufacturing engineers21321
Industrial electricians22301
Mechanical engineers21301
The company averaged a 4.0/5-star review by employees on review sites Glassdoor and Indeed, with a 2.5/5 difficulty reported for interviewing. Half of the individuals who received an interview applied online, with the other half split between campus recruiting and employee referrals.
Agnico Eagle
Agnico Eagle is a mining company based in Ontario, with mining and extraction operations in Quebec and Nunavut as well.
The company was ranked 47th in Forbes’ rankings, and regularly hires for roles that could be included in Express Entry’s Trades category, including:
NOC TitleNOC Code
Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics72400
Heavy-duty equipment mechanics72401
Priority categories for 2025
IRCC’s website currently retains the following Express Entry categories:
French-language proficiency.
Healthcare and Social services occupations.
Agriculture and agri-food occupations.
Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) occupations.
Trades occupations.
Education occupations.
Although all these categories remain in place, the department has announced that the priority categories for Express Entry in 2025 are as follows:
French-language proficiency.
Healthcare and Social services occupations.
Trades occupations.
Education occupations.
These priority categories will receive focus for ITAs through category-based draws in the Express Entry system in 2025.
Eligibility for category-based draws
To receive an invitation through a category-based selection round of invitations under the Express Entry system, you must meet both:
Specific eligibility criteria for the category; and
General Express Entry requirements.
Requirement for occupational category eligibility
For a category-based draw, candidates must meet all of the following conditions:
6 months of continuous work experience in a single eligible NOC code;
This experience can be full-time (for 6 continuous months) or an equivalent amount of part-time work; and
The work experience must have been acquired within the past 3 years before you submitted your Express Entry profile.
Work experience does not need to have been in Canada. Eligible work experience can have been gained anywhere in the world.
General Express Entry Requirements
You must:
Meet the minimum criteria for Express Entry, which includes being eligible under one of the three federal immigration programs:
Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP);
Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP); or
Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
In addition, you must satisfy all the requirements outlined in the instructions for the specific draw. These can be found on IRCC’s Ministerial Instructions page.
When a category-based round is held:
Candidates in the pool are filtered by those who meet the category requirements, and are then ranked amongst themselves (based on Express Entry’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)).
Candidates who have a CRS score at or above the cut-off score for that draw, and who have created an Express Entry candidate profile before the time listed in the tie-breaking rule, are invited to apply for PR.
Eligibility for Express Entry
General eligibility criteria for each of Express Entry’s programs are given in the table below:
Eligibility CriteriaCanadian Experience Class (CEC)Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
Work Experience1 year of Canadian work experience within the past 3 years.1 year of continuous paid work experience in the last 10 years.2 years of full-time work experience in a skilled trade within the past 5 years.
Job Offer or CertificationNot requiredNot requiredMust have either:
• A valid job offer from 1 or 2 Canadian employers; OR
• A certificate of qualification in the skilled trade.
Language Requirements• TEER 0 or 1: Minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in all abilities.
• TEER 2 or 3: Minimum CLB 5 in all abilities.
Minimum CLB 7 in English or French in all four abilities (reading, writing, listening, speaking).• Minimum CLB 5 in speaking and listening;
• Minimum CLB 4 in reading and writing.
Education RequirementsNot requiredMust have either:
• A Canadian educational credential (certificate, diploma, or degree); OR
• A foreign credential with a valid Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).
Not required
Selection FactorsNot applicable.Must score at least 67 points out of 100 on the FSWP selection gridNot applicable.
Settlement FundsNot requiredRequired unless currently authorized to work in Canada and have a valid job offer.Required unless currently authorized to work in Canada and have a valid job offer.
One year of work must be a minimum of 1,560 hours (up to 30 hours/week). This work experience may have been gained working full-time or the equivalent number of hours part-time.
A certificate of qualification demonstrates that the holder is authorized to work in a skilled trade in Canada, confirming they have met certification requirements for the appropriate regulatory body.
For more information on eligibility requirements under Express Entry, visit our dedicated webpage.
