Do you qualify for Express Entry’s updated Healthcare and Social Services category?

Pharmacists, social workers, and dental hygienists can now qualify for category-based draws, giving these professionals a better chance to get Canadian permanent residence (PR) through Express Entry.

On 27 February, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) made major changes to Express Entry categories.

Check your eligibility for category-based draws

In addition to creating a new category (Education) and removing another (Transport), IRCC also made many changes to the occupations listed under the existing categories.

This includes the healthcare category, which was augmented to include social service occupations as well.

This article will cover:

• What occupations qualify under the updated Healthcare and Social Service Category;
• How to determine whether your work experience makes you eligible for these categories;
• All the newly eligible occupations in the healthcare and social service category, with example job titles; and
• How Express Entry categories can increase someone’s chances of receiving Canadian PR.

What occupations fall under the Healthcare and Social Service Category?

Canada classifies occupations using the National Occupation Classification (NOC) system, which classifies jobs based on the roles and responsibilities of each occupation.

The below table breaks down all the occupations under the augmented healthcare and social services category; we have bolded the occupations which were added to this category in 2025.

How to determine whether your work experience makes you eligible for these categories?

To be eligible for the healthcare and social services category, you need to have accumulated at least six months of full-time, continuous work experience (or an equal amount of part-time experience) in a single category-eligible occupation within the last three years.

Here’s how you can find out if your work experience meets the requirements of the eligible NOCs.

Step 1: Visit the Government of Canada’s NOC page to find out which NOC code and occupation title corresponds best to your work experience.

You can try finding your occupation’s NOC code by scrolling down and typing your job title or other keywords into “Filter items” search bar.

If you don’t find a relevant NOC using the first titles or keywords, try variations or alternatives. For example, instead of “editor”, try “journalist.”

Take note of the TEER number and NOC code which corresponds closely to your profession.

Step 2: Verify it against the Employment and Social Development Canada. (ESDC) webpage by clicking on “Search by NOC Code” tab.

Here you can input the NOC code you believe aligns with your work experience and view the “main duties” section.

Check if your work experience aligns with the actions described in the lead statement. You must have also performed a substantial number of the main duties, including all essential duties, of the occupation as set out in the NOC description.

Step 3: Visit the Express Entry category-based selection page.

Under “find out who’s eligible for each category”, select the “healthcare and social service occupations”.

Check if your occupation and the corresponding NOC code are listed. If it is, your occupation is most likely eligible for the healthcare and social services category.

Check your eligibility for all category-based draws

All the newly eligible occupations within the healthcare and social service category with some example (alternate) job titles:

How can Express Entry categories increase someone’s chances of receiving Canadian PR?

If you qualify for a category-based draw, you’re more likely to receive an invitation to apply for PR through Express Entry, for you can be invited in a category-based draw with a significantly lower CRS score than for a general or CEC draw.

In a category-based draw, IRCC only invites candidates who meet the category criteria, making these much less competitive than other draws.

For example, in 2024, the CRS cut-off for general draws ranged between 524 and 549.

However, in the same year, the CRS cut-off for the healthcare occupations ranged between 422 and 463.

This means that candidates whose CRS scores are not high enough for general or program-specific draws may still have a higher chance of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) if they work in an occupation that Canada has identified as in demand.

How does Express Entry Work?

Under Canada’s Express Entry system, foreign nationals cannot apply for PR directly—they must first receive an invitation to apply (ITA), in addition to being eligible for one of the three federal immigration programs managed by Express Entry:

• The Canadian Experience Class;
• The Federal Skilled Worker Program; and
• The Federal Skilled Trades Program.

Everyone needs to meet the minimum eligibility criteria for at least one of these programs to submit an Express Entry profile.

Candidates are ranked using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which assigns points based on factors like age, education, work experience, and language proficiency.

Express Entry draws take place routinely and candidates with the highest CRS scores who meet eligibility criteria are invited to apply for PR.

After receiving an ITA, a candidate has 60 days to respond with a complete PR application.

These draws can be:

• General;
• Provincial Nominee Program;
• Program specific draws; or
• Category-specific draws.

Category-based draws focus on individuals with specific work experience or language skills that align with Canada’s economic priorities.

This year, IRCC has announced six Express Entry categories:

• Healthcare and social services occupations;
• Education occupations;
• Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) occupations;
• Trade occupations;
• Agriculture and agri-food occupations; and
• French-language proficiency.

Check your eligibility for all category-based draws