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Highlights
1. IRCC conducted its 19th category-based Express Entry draw on February 14.
2. Registered foreign nationals ranked among the first 3,500 profiles in the newly created Healthcare occupations (2023-1) category were considered to apply for Canada PR.
3. Invited candidates required six months or more work experience within the past 3 years, in one among 35 healthcare occupations in Canada or abroad.
4. The qualifying score was at a record low of 422.
5. Immigrants make up 25% of the Canadian healthcare workforce.
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held its fourth category-based Express Entry draw targeting healthcare professionals.
3,500 healthcare professionals received invitations to apply for permanent residency (PR). The minimum qualifying score based on the CRS (comprehensive ranking system) was lowered by nine points from the previous draw to 422.
In case of a tie between candidates with the same CRS score, Canada preferred new profiles who registered in the federal pool on or before January 30, 2024, at 02:39:54 UTC.
The February 14 draw also marks the 284th draw since the inception of the Express Entry system in 2015.
Eligible Occupations to Qualify Under Category-Based Draws
All the invited profiles in this round of invitations had prior work experience in any one of the following 35 healthcare occupations:
1. Audiologists and speech-language pathologists
2. Chiropractors
3. Dentists
4. Dieticians and nutritionists
5. Education counselors
6. General practitioners and family physicians
7. Instructors of persons with disabilities
8. Kinesiologists and other professional occupations in therapy and assessment
9. Licensed practical nurses
10. Massage therapists
11. Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations
12. Medical laboratory technologists
13. Medical radiation technologists
14. Medical sonographers
15. Nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates
16. Nurse practitioners
17. Nursing coordinators and supervisors
18. Occupational therapists
19. Optometrists
20. Other assisting occupations in support of health services
21. Other practitioners of natural healing
22. Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating
23. Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment
24. Paramedical occupations
25. Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
26. Physician assistants, midwives, and allied health professionals
27. Physiotherapists
28. Psychologists
29. Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
30. Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists, and cardiopulmonary technologists
31. Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine
32. Specialists in surgery
33. Therapists in counseling and related specialized therapies
34. Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists
35. Veterinarians
Invitations to apply to the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Canadian Experience Class, and Federal Skilled Trades Program may be issued through this round of invitations.
IRCC had previously held targeted Express Entry draws for the following categories:
1. Healthcare
2. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) professions
3. Skilled Trades, such as Carpenters, Plumbers, and Contractors
4. Transport
5. Agriculture and Agri-food
6. Strong French language proficiency
Simplify Express Entry Registration with CanApprove
Immigrants in Canada make up 23% of registered nurses, 36% of registered physicians, and 54% of dental technologists. 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 professional who is interested in immigrating to Canada, you can contact a licensed immigration consultant like CanApprove to learn more about your eligibility and boost your chances of qualifying.
