Canada’s first-ever category-based Express Entry draw invited 500 candidates from the Healthcare category with minimum CRS scores of 476 points.
The maiden category-based Express Entry selection follows the May 31 announcement by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to focus on six selection categories. IRCC will hold the second round to invite 1,500 candidates under the new category-based Express Entry draws on July 5, 2023. There will be a category-based draw to issue Invitations to Apply for permanent residency to candidates from the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) category.
The healthcare category has the largest share of occupations among the six occupation categories for the new category-based draw. The healthcare category represents 35 occupations from all 82 occupations across all six categories, including STEM, trades, transportation, agriculture and agri-food, and strong French language skills.
Canada must address the severe shortage of healthcare workers because of the growing number of retirees. According to some estimates, over nine million Canadian workers will reach 65 years within the next seven years. The aging Canadian population will cause severe stress on its healthcare system, underling the need to bring new immigrants from the healthcare category. As of March 23, there were 144,500 job vacancies in Canada’s healthcare sector. Several provinces, such as British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario, hold special PNP draws to invite healthcare professionals. To be eligible for selection through the healthcare category, a candidate must prove at least six months of continuous skilled work experience in the relevant healthcare occupation within the past three years.
