Canada Invites 3,500 Healthcare Workers in Latest Express Entry Draw
Canada continues to prioritize healthcare and social service professionals in its immigration strategy, with a new category-based Express Entry draw held on November 14, 2025. This draw issued 3,500 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to qualified candidates under the healthcare and social services category, setting the minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score at 462, 10 points lower than the previous draw on October 15.
This drop in the CRS cut-off underscores Canada’s ongoing demand for healthcare talent and its commitment to fast-tracking permanent residency for those who serve in essential care roles.
A Continued Focus on Healthcare Immigration
Since introducing category-based draws, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has made it clear that addressing labour shortages in key sectors—including healthcare—remains a top national priority.
In 2025 alone, Canada has already conducted:
- 6 draws targeting healthcare and social services professionals
- 21 draws under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
- 12 Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draws
- And additional targeted draws for French speakers, educators, and trade workers
So far this year, Canada has issued 85,732 ITAs, with healthcare professionals representing one of the largest and most consistent target groups.
Who Qualifies Under Healthcare and Social Services Draws?
The latest draw includes a wide range of occupations, spanning from doctors and nurses to social workers and allied health professionals.
Some of the key eligible roles include:
- Registered nurses and psychiatric nurses (31301)
- Nurse practitioners (31302)
- Physicians and specialists (31100–31102)
- Medical technologists and technicians (32120–32124)
- Pharmacists and pharmacy assistants (31120, 33103)
- Physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and psychologists (31202–31200)
- Social workers and community service workers (41300, 42201)
This inclusive list reflects Canada’s recognition of both clinical and community-based healthcare professionals as vital to the country’s well-being and resilience.
Why This Matters for Foreign Healthcare Workers
For healthcare professionals abroad, this is a pivotal moment.
Category-based Express Entry draws give qualified candidates a direct pathway to permanent residency, even without a job offer, provided they meet eligibility requirements in their respective occupations.
With lower CRS scores and more frequent healthcare-focused draws, the opportunity to immigrate to Canada as a healthcare worker is stronger than it has been in years.
How Healthcare Professionals Can Take Advantage
Healthcare and social service professionals looking to immigrate to Canada can follow several pathways:
- Apply through the Express Entry system.
If your occupation falls under the eligible list, create an Express Entry profile and indicate your healthcare-related NOC code. - Boost your CRS score.
Candidates with a valid job offer, strong English or French skills, or additional education credentials may significantly improve their ranking. - Explore Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs).
Provinces such as Ontario, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia regularly nominate healthcare workers for permanent residency to address regional shortages. - Work with a licensed immigration consultant.
Professional guidance ensures your documents, credentials, and timelines are in order—maximizing your chances of receiving an ITA in upcoming draws.
Canada’s Message to Healthcare Workers: You’re Needed Here
As Canada’s population continues to age and the demand for skilled healthcare professionals grows, the government is taking proactive steps to welcome qualified talent from around the world.
Whether you’re a nurse, doctor, therapist, or social worker, there has rarely been a better time to explore your Canadian immigration options.
EV Immigration can help you assess your eligibility, prepare your Express Entry profile, and guide you through every step of your permanent residency application.
Take the first step today.
Find out if you qualify for Canada’s healthcare-focused Express Entry draw through a free initial assessment.
Your future in Canada’s growing healthcare community may be closer than you think.
