Express Entry category-based draws have started to be held by the IRCC. Many foreign nationals have been applying for express entry through the usual pathways known to them, but this new significant change has left many in question and wondering about their express entry process and chance to live and work in Canada as permanent residents.
In this article, we will discuss the top 5 things to know about category based express entry selection.
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What are the different types of Express Entry Draws?
Currently, there are three types of EE draws that IRCC holds:
- All Program Draws: This type of ee draw includes programs like Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Workers (FSW), Federal Skilled Trades (FST) and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Candidates are ranked against each other through the CRS Score. If many people have the same score and the maximum number of candidates has been reached, the date you submitted your Express Entry profile is used as the cut-off.
- Program Specific Draws: This type of ee draw targets a specific express entry program, i.e FSW, FST, CEC or PNP. Considering the past draws, the draws have been predominantly PNP draws. With the exception of a random FSW draw in February 2023, the last program-specific Express Entry draw that wasn’t PNP was a CEC draw in September 2023.
- Category Based Draws: This is the recently added type of Express Entry Draw, which focuses on inviting candidates in specific occupations. Below we have a detailed explanation of this category based express entry draw.
What Is Category-Based Express Entry Draw?
Category-Based Express Entry Draw is a system introduced by the Canadian government that aims to prioritize certain candidates from the Express Entry pool based on their training, work experience in specific sectors and language abilities. The Category Based Express Entry Draws came into effect in the summer of 2023, with the first one taking place on June 28, 2023. These draws are expected to allow Canada to select candidates who would meet the most in-demand job vacancies and be a part of improving the country’s economic growth.
Category based express entry draws are also referred to as Targeted Express Entry Draws and Category-Specific Draws.
Categories chosen for Express Entry Category Based Selection in 2023
The specific categories to be used for category-based draws are chosen by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) each year. The following are the six (6) chosen categories for targeted draws or category specific draws in 2023:
- Healthcare occupations
- Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations
- Trade occupations
- Agriculture and agri-food occupations
- Transport occupations
- French-language proficiency
Latest Healthcare occupations Express Entry Draws
Latest STEM Occupations Express Entry Draws
Latest Trade occupations Express Entry Draws
Latest Agriculture occupations Express Entry Draws
Latest Transport occupations Express Entry Draws
Latest French-language Express Entry Draws
Who is eligible for Category Based Express Entry Draw
You must meet all the requirements listed by IRCC for that draw in order to be eligible for an invitation through a category-based draw. The IRCC will rank applicants in the pool who satisfy the category requirements when it conducts these drawings, and the top applicants will then be invited to apply for permanent residency. For the 2023 specific categories, the eligibility includes:
To be eligible for category-based selection under Express Entry, a candidate must meet all of the following criteria:
- Have a valid Express Entry profile.
- Fulfill all the category-based instructions issued by IRCC when that category-based round of invitations is announced.
- Meet all the Express Entry requirements, and be eligible for at least one of the three Express Entry programs—Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades Program, or Canadian Experience Class
Do i have a higher chance to immigrate to Canada through Category-based Draws?
Yes, candidates in the express entry pool have a higher chance to move to Canada through category-based draws because the minimum CRS score in the selected categories can probably be lower than in all-program daws.
Targeted Express Entry Eligibility by Category
| Category | Eligibility Requirement |
|---|---|
| Health Occupations | Have at least 6 months of continuous work experience in Canada or abroad, acquired within the past 3 years, in one of the 35 targeted NOC codes. |
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Occupations | Have at least 6 months of continuous work experience in Canada or abroad, acquired within the past 3 years, in one of the 24 targeted NOC codes. |
| Trade Occupations | Have at least 6 months of continuous work experience in Canada or abroad, acquired within the past 3 years, in one of the 10 targeted NOC codes. |
| Agriculture and Agri-food Occupations | Have at least 6 months of continuous work experience in Canada or abroad, acquired within the past 3 years, in one of the 3 targeted NOC codes. |
| Transport Occupations | Have at least 6 months of continuous work experience in Canada or abroad, acquired within the past 3 years, in one of the 10 targeted NOC codes. |
| French-language Proficiency | Must have a French-language test result that shows a minimum score of 7 in all 4 language abilities on the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens. |
Specific NOC codes are listed on the Canadian government’s dedicated page.
Will CRS Score still be factor for Category Based Draws?
Applicant’s Comprehensive Ranking System score (CRS) will still count, and be an important factor for Express Entry draws. Category-based rounds of invitations will invite the top-ranking candidates in the pool who are eligible for the category being targeted for that round.
This will give candidates a better chance as their CRS score will only be ranked with those in that selected category rather than the entire Express Entry pool.
List of Occupations Eligible for Category-Based Draws
| CATEGORY | OCCUPATION TITLE | NOC NUMBER |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture and Agri-food Occupations | Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors | 82030 |
| Agriculture and Agri-food Occupations | Butchers - retail and wholesale | 63201 |
| Agriculture and Agri-food Occupations | Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance and horticulture services | 82031 |
| Healthcare occupations | Audiologists and speech-language pathologists | 31112 |
| Healthcare occupations | Chiropractors | 31201 |
| Healthcare occupations | Dentists | 31110 |
| Healthcare occupations | Dietitians and nutritionists | 31121 |
| Healthcare occupations | Educational counsellors | 41320 |
| Healthcare occupations | General practitioners and family physicians | 31102 |
| Healthcare occupations | Instructors of persons with disabilities | 42203 |
| Healthcare occupations | Kinesiologists and other professional occupations in therapy and assessment | 31204 |
| Healthcare occupations | Licensed practical nurses | 32101 |
| Healthcare occupations | Massage therapists | 32201 |
| Healthcare occupations | Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations | 33101 |
| Healthcare occupations | Medical laboratory technologists | 32120 |
| Healthcare occupations | Medical radiation technologists | 32121 |
| Healthcare occupations | Medical sonographers | 32122 |
| Healthcare occupations | Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates | 33102 |
| Healthcare occupations | Nursing coordinators and supervisors | 31300 |
| Healthcare occupations | Nurse practitioners | 31302 |
| Healthcare occupations | Occupational therapists | 31203 |
| Healthcare Occupations | Optometrists | 31111 |
| Healthcare Occupations | Other assisting occupations in support of health services | 33109 |
| Healthcare Occupations | Other practitioners of natural healing | 32209 |
| Healthcare Occupations | Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating | 31209 |
| Healthcare Occupations | Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment | 32109 |
| Healthcare Occupations | Paramedical occupations | 32102 |
| Healthcare Occupations | Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants | 33103 |
| Healthcare Occupations | Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals | 31303 |
| Healthcare Occupations | Physiotherapists | 31202 |
| Healthcare Occupations | Psychologists | 31200 |
| Healthcare Occupations | Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 31301 |
| Healthcare Occupations | Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists | 32103 |
| Healthcare Occupations | Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine | 31100 |
| Healthcare Occupations | Specialists in surgery | 31101 |
| Healthcare Occupations | Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies | 41301 |
| Healthcare Occupations | Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists | 32200 |
| Healthcare Occupations | Veterinarians | 31103 |
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Architects | 21200 |
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Architecture and science managers | 20011 |
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Business systems specialists | 21221 |
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Civil engineers | 21300 |
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Computer and information systems managers | 20012 |
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers) | 21311 |
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Computer systems developers and programmers | 21230 |
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Cybersecurity specialists | 21220 |
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Data scientists | 21211 |
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Database analysts and data administrators | 21223 |
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Electrical and electronics engineers | 21310 |
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Engineering managers | 20010 |
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Industrial and manufacturing engineers | 21321 |
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Land surveyors | 21203 |
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Landscape architects | 21201 |
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries | 21210 |
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Metallurgical and materials engineers | 21322 |
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Natural and applied science policy researchers, consultants and program officers | 41400 |
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Software developers and programmers | 21232 |
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Software engineers and designers | 21231 |
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Web designers | 21233 |
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Web developers and programmers | 21234 |
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Urban and land use planners | 21202 |
| Trade Occupations | Carpenters | 72310 |
| Trade Occupations | Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics | 72400 |
| Trade Occupations | Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers | 72014 |
| Trade Occupations | Electricians (except industrial and power system) | 72200 |
| Trade Occupations | Elevator constructors and mechanics | 72406 |
| Trade Occupations | Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics | 72402 |
| Trade Occupations | Machine fitters | 72405 |
| Trade Occupations | Plumbers | 72300 |
| Trade Occupations | Residential and commercial installers and servicers | 73200 |
| Trade Occupations | Welders and related machine operators | 72106 |
| Transport Occupations | Aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors | 93200 |
| Transport Occupations | Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors | 72404 |
| Transport Occupations | Air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors | 72601 |
| Transport Occupations | Air traffic controllers and related occupations | 72600 |
| Transport Occupations | Deck officers, water transport | 72602 |
| Transport Occupations | Engineer officers, water transport | 72603 |
| Transport Occupations | Managers in transportation | 70020 |
| Transport Occupations | Railway carmen/women | 72403 |
| Transport Occupations | Railway traffic controllers and marine traffic regulators | 72604 |
| Transport Occupations | Transport truck drivers | 73300 |
