IRCC Issues 4000 ITAs in Category-Based Draw for Healthcare & Social Service Workers with CRS Score 475

By Vicky
In a major move to address ongoing shortages in Canada’s essential services workforce, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 4,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence in the latest Express Entry Draw 357, held on July 22, 2025. This draw targeted candidates with eligible healthcare and social services work experience.This marks the largest healthcare-focused Express Entry draw in 2025, and the second-largest healthcare round in Express Entry history. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score cut-off for this draw was 475, with a tie-breaking rule applied to profiles submitted before March 13, 2025, at 13:08:29 UTC.

Key Highlights of Express Entry Draw 357:

  • Date of Draw: July 22, 2025
  • Draw Type: Category-based for Healthcare & Social Services occupations
  • Number of ITAs issued: 4,000
  • Minimum CRS Score: 475
  • Tie-breaking Date: March 13, 2025, at 13:08:29 UTC

While earlier healthcare draws in 2025 invited just 500 candidates each, July’s draw significantly raises the bar, suggesting that Canada is urgently scaling up recruitment in vital sectors like healthcare and social services. This month’s draw also continues an unexpected streak: healthcare-specific draws were held in May, June, and now July, signaling an accelerated immigration effort in this field.

Historically, IRCC has conducted one or two large healthcare draws per year. For example, in July 2024, the department invited 3,750 candidates in a similar round. But this year’s frequency and volume is noteworthy — and we’re proud that some of our clients were among those invited in the latest Express Entry Draw.

The 475 CRS cut-off is the lowest for any healthcare draw in 2025 and significantly lower than earlier thresholds (which exceeded 500). Still, the current score remains much higher than what we’ve seen in previous years. For instance, a July 2024 healthcare draw with a similar number of ITAs had a cut-off of just 445. This suggests the Express Entry pool is getting more competitive than ever, even for category-based rounds.

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