Canada announces major changes to Express Entry categories

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced the 2025 Express Entry categories on February 27, 2025.

The department introduced big changes to category-based draws, introducing a new category, and removing another.

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The new category announced in 2025 is Education. There are five occupations listed under this new category.  

Meanwhile, Transport is no longer listed under the category-based draws.  

IRCC has also added a number of social services occupations to the healthcare category.  

The current Express Entry categories listed on IRCC’s website are: 

• French-language proficiency; 

• Healthcare and Social service occupations; 

• Agriculture and agri-food occupations; 

• Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) occupations; 

• Trades occupations; and 

• Education occupations.  

While IRCC still retains all the above categories, the department announced that the 2025 Express Entry priority categories are: 

• French-language proficiency; 

• Healthcare and Social service occupations; 

• Trades occupations; and 

• Education occupations. 

These categories will be prioritized for invitations to apply (ITA) through category-based draws within the Express Entry system.  

These aren’t the only changes that have been made to the category-based selection. 

What other changes have been made to Express Entry categories? 

All previously included Express Entry categories that remain after today's change have seen major changes to eligible occupations.  

Existing categories have seen several occupations that have been added, and a number removed, as shown below: 

Category name	Number of occupations added	Number of occupations removed
Healthcare and Social Services occupations	8	6
Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) occupations	6	19
Trade occupations	19	4
Agriculture and Agri-food occupations	0	2

Healthcare and social services

The following occupations have been added to the Healthcare and social services category:

Job Title	NOC Code	TEER Level
Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians	32104	2
Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists	32123	2
Dental hygienists and dental therapists	32111	2
Other medical technologists and technicians	32129	2
Pharmacists	31120	1
Pharmacy technicians	32124	2
Social and community service workers	42201	2
Social workers	41300	1

The following occupations have been removed from the Healthcare and social services category:

Job Title	NOC Code	TEER Level
Educational counsellors	41320	1
Instructors of persons with disabilities	42203	2
Kinesiologists and other professional occupations in therapy and assessment	31204	1
Other assisting occupations in support of health services	33109	3
Other practitioners of natural healing	32209	2
Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists	32200	2

STEM

The following occupations have been added to the STEM category:

Job Title	NOC Code	TEER Level
Civil engineering technologists and technicians	22300	2
Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians	22310	2
Geological Engineers	21331	1
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians	22301	2
Mechanical Engineers	21301	1
Insurance agents and brokers	63100	3

The following occupations have been removed from the STEM category:

Job Title	NOC Code	TEER Level
Architects	21200	1
Business systems specialists	21221	1
Computer and information systems managers	20012	0
Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)	21311	1
Computer systems developers and programmers	21230	1
Data scientists	21211	1
Database analysts and data administrators	21223	1
Engineering managers	20010	0
Information systems specialists	21222	1
Land surveyors	21203	1
Landscape Architects	21201	1
Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries	21210	1
Metallurgical and materials engineers	21322	1
Natural and applied science policy researchers, consultants, and program officers	41400	1
Software developers and programmers	21232	1
Software engineers and designers	21231	1
Urban and land use planners	21202	1
Web designers	21233	1
Web developers and programmers	21234	1

Trade

The following occupations have been added to the Trade category:

Job Title	NOC Code	TEER Level
Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services	82021	2
Floor covering installers	73113	3
Painters and decorators (except interior decorators)	73112	3
Roofers and shinglers	73110	3
Concrete finishers	73100	3
Other technical trades and related occupations	72999	2
Water well drillers	72501	2
Electrical mechanics	72422	2
Heavy-duty equipment mechanics	72401	2
Bricklayers	72320	2
Cabinetmakers	72311	2
Gas fitters	72302	2
Industrial electricians	72201	2
Sheet metal workers	72102	2
Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors	72100	2
Home building and renovation managers	70011	0
Construction managers	70010	0
Cooks	63200	3
Construction estimators	22303	2

The following occupations have been removed from the Trade category:

Job Title	NOC Code	TEER Level
Residential and commercial installers and servicers	73200	3
Elevator constructors and mechanics	72406	2
Machine fitters	72405	2
Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers	72014	2

Agriculture and agri-food

The following occupations have been removed from the Agriculture and agri-food category:

Job Title	NOC Code	TEER Level
Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance and horticulture services	82031	2
Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors	82030	2

Which occupations have been added to the new Education category?

The following occupations have been added to IRCC's new Education category:

Job Title	NOC Code	TEER Level
Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants	43100	3
Instructors of persons with disabilities	42203	2
Early childhood educators and assistants	42202	2
Elementary school and kindergarten teachers	41221	1
Secondary school teachers	41220	1

How are Express Entry categories determined? 

Express Entry categories are determined by IRCC, with consideration to Canada’s economic and demographic goals.  

Most occupation-based categories follow labour market demand and are included in the Express Entry system due to Canada’s need to increase the numbers of workers in critical areas. These occupations are usually ones in which workers in Canada are not available, and that require immigration to fill key labour gaps.  

The French-language proficiency category on the other hand follows Canada’s commitment to bilingualism and promoting the French language outside of Quebec (as outlined in Canada’s Official Languages Act). Due to the importance of immigration in this venture, IRCC is responsible with facilitating the entry and settlement of francophone newcomers to Canada.
 

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