What You Need to Know About Eligibility
On February 27, 2025, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) introduced significant changes, including the creation of a new “Education” category and modifications to several existing categories. Canada’s immigration system is constantly evolving.
Among the most noteworthy changes is the expansion of the healthcare category to include social services occupations, giving professionals like pharmacists, social workers, and dental hygienists a better chance to secure Canadian Permanent Residence through Express Entry.
What Does the Update Mean for Healthcare and Social Services Professionals?
The revised healthcare and social services category includes a wide range of occupations, providing more professionals with the opportunity to qualify for category-based draws. These draws allow candidates with relevant work experience to be invited to apply for PR with a lower CRS.
This is particularly beneficial for those in the healthcare and social service sectors, as many occupations in these fields are in high demand across Canada. Canada classifies occupations using the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system, which groups jobs based on their duties and responsibilities.
Which Occupations Are Now Eligible?
Under the updated healthcare and social services category, several new occupations have been added, while others have been augmented. The table below outlines the occupations now eligible for Express Entry under this category:
| Job Title | NOC Code |
| Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians | 32104 |
| Audiologists and speech language pathologists | 31112 |
| Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists | 32123 |
| Chiropractors | 31201 |
| Dental hygienists and dental therapists | 32111 |
| Dentists | 31110 |
| Dieticians and nutritionists | 31121 |
| General practitioners and family physicians | 31102 |
| Licensed practical nurses | 32101 |
| Massage therapists | 32201 |
| Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations | 33101 |
| Medical laboratory technologists | 32120 |
| Medical radiation technologists | 32121 |
| Medical sonographers | 32122 |
| Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates | 33102 |
| Nurse practitioners | 31302 |
| Nursing co-ordinators and supervisors | 31300 |
| Occupational therapists | 31203 |
| Optometrists | 31111 |
| Other medical technologists and technicians | 32129 |
| Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating | 31209 |
| Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment | 32109 |
| Paramedical occupations | 32102 |
| Pharmacists | 31120 |
| Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants | 33103 |
| Pharmacy technicians | 32124 |
| Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals | 31303 |
| Physiotherapists | 31202 |
| Psychologists | 31200 |
| Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 31301 |
| Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists | 32103 |
| Social and community service workers | 42201 |
| Social workers | 41300 |
| Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine | 31100 |
| Specialists in surgery | 31101 |
| Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies | 41301 |
| Veterinarians | 31103 |
How Do You Know If You Qualify?
To determine if your work experience qualifies for the healthcare and social services category, you need to meet specific eligibility criteria. First, candidates must have at least six months of full-time, continuous work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work) in a single occupation that qualifies under this category within the last three years.
To verify your eligibility, follow these steps:
- Step 1: Visit the NOC Website: Start by identifying the NOC code and job title that corresponds to your work experience. You can use the NOC “Filter Items” search bar to find relevant job titles.
- Step 2: Check the Main Duties: Verify that your experience aligns with the lead statement and main duties of the NOC description. Make sure you have performed a substantial number of the duties listed.
- Step 3: Confirm Eligibility: Visit the Express Entry category-based selection page to check if your NOC code is listed under the healthcare and social service occupations category. If it is, you may be eligible for category-based selection.
Calculate Your CRS Points
Newly Eligible Occupations and Examples
Some of the newly eligible occupations and their example job titles include:
| NOC Occupation title | Example job titles |
| Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians | Laboratory animal technician Registered veterinary technician (RVT) Veterinarian assistant Veterinary technologist |
| Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists | Cardiac stress technologist Cardiology supervisor Electrocardiographic (ECG) technologist Electrocardiography technologist Electroencephalograph (EEG) technologist Electromyography (EMG) technologist Electroneurodiagnostic (END) technologist Electroneurophysiology (ENP) technologist |
| Dental hygienists and dental therapists | Dental nurse |
| Other medical technologists and technicians | Dietary technician Food and nutrition technician – dietetics Ocularist Ocularist technician Orthotic technician Orthotist Prosthetic technician Prosthetist |
| Pharmacists | Pharmacy technician supervisor |
| Pharmacy technicians | Aboriginal outreach worker Addictions worker Child and youth worker Community development worker Community service worker Crisis intervention worker Developmental service worker Drop-in centre worker Family service worker Group home worker Income maintenance officer – social services Life skills instructor Mental health worker Rehabilitation worker – social services Social services worker Veteran services officer Welfare and compensation officer Women’s shelter supervisor Youth worker |
| Social workers | Coordinator of social work Medical social worker Psychiatric social worker Social work supervisor |
For social service professionals, roles such as social worker, addictions worker, and youth worker are now included, broadening the scope for those working in these critical fields.
How Category-Based Draws Increase Your Chances of PR?
Category-based draws can significantly improve a candidate’s chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian PR. Unlike general Express Entry draws, category-based draws invite candidates who meet specific category criteria, making these draws less competitive.
In 2024, the CRS cut-off for healthcare occupations ranged between 422 and 463, which is much lower than the general CRS cut-off range of 524 to 549. For example, if your CRS score is below the threshold for a general draw, but you qualify under this category then you may receive an ITA.
Understanding Express Entry
Express Entry is Canada’s primary system for managing immigration applications under three federal programs: the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program.
Candidates must create an Express Entry profile and are ranked based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which takes into account factors such as age, education, work experience, and language proficiency.
Conclusion
The recent expansion of Express Entry’s healthcare and social services category offers significant opportunities for skilled professionals in these fields. With more occupations eligible for category-based draws, candidates with work experience in these areas now have a better chance of receiving an Invitation to Apply for PR. If you work in one of the eligible occupations, check your eligibility today and take a step closer to making Canada your new home.
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Source: canada.ca
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