Canada holds first-ever category-based Express Entry draw for healthcare workers
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IRCC has invited 500 healthcare workers under the new Express Entry category-based selection draws. Candidates required a minimum comprehensive ranking system (CRS) score of 476.
This is the very first category-based selection draw since the six new categories were announced on May 31. A second round, inviting 1,500 workers to apply, will take place on July 5.
A draw inviting eligible candidates from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions is also expected to occur in the same week.
Express Entry for skilled newcomers – Entrée express pour les nouveaux arrivants
The Honorable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, will be joined by the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, to announce measures to address labour needs in the health care sector.
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Healthcare occupations and category-based selection
On May 31, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that it had finalized new category-based selection for Express Entry.
Among the six new categories, healthcare occupations make up the largest number of eligible occupations, 35 in total:
Audiologists and speech language pathologists
Chiropractors
Dentists
Dieticians and nutritionists
Education counsellors
General practitioners and family physicians
Instructors of persons with disabilities
Kinesiologists and other professional occupation 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 counselling and related specialized therapies
Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists
Veterinarians
Other categories include:
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions
trades, such as carpenters, plumbers and contractors
transportation
agriculture and agri-food
strong French language proficiency
Healthcare worker shortage in Canada
Healthcare is one of the sectors experiencing a critical shortage of workers. This is in part because Canada has one of the lowest birth rates globally and an aging population. For example, it is estimated that nine million Canadians will reach retirement age, 65, within the next seven years.
An older population will create more demand on the healthcare system. Canada needs immigrants to make up for the shortfall of younger Canadians and fill these critical positions.
Recent job vacancy data from Statistics Canada shows that there were 144,500 vacant positions within the healthcare and social assistance sector as of March 2023, or 17.7% of all unfilled positions.
Several provinces and territories already hold draws for healthcare professionals through targeted streams of the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). For example, Alberta recently launched a Designated Healthcare Pathway, under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program, British Columbia invites healthcare professionals in nearly every BC PNP draw and Ontario recently invited 318 foreign workers in a healthcare occupation.
Category-based selection draws were anticipated to begin this year due to changes made to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in June 2022. The changes mean that Canada’s immigration minister may now select economic immigrants based on key attributes if they will support Canada’s economic priorities or promote French-speaking immigration to communities outside of Quebec.
The categories were chosen following discussions with provincial and territorial governments as well as other stakeholders who were able to help IRCC understand where the biggest labour force gaps exist.
Eligible candidates under the occupation-specific categories require at least 6 months of continuous work experience in one of the listed occupations, obtained within the past three years. This experience can be gained either in Canada or abroad.
