The IRCC, on May 31, declared new selection categories for the candidates of Express Entry.

The first-ever Express Entry category-based draw for healthcare workers was held by IRCC recently. Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada also stated that the department would welcome more healthcare workers to the country over the coming week. Additionally, IRCC intends to hold the first-ever category-based draws targeting STEM occupations in the upcoming week.

The new categories mostly depend on the occupation or work experience of the candidate in a specific, in-demand field. According to the IRCC, the new selection categories were chosen based on labor market reports and discussions, estimations, and feedback from different stakeholders around the country.

IRCC utilized this data in order to decide the six new categories for the candidates of Express Entry in the future draws this year. These new categories are intended to help Canada achieve economic goals and to encourage francophone immigration outside Quebec.

The following are the new categories for Express Entry:

  • Healthcare occupations
  • Trade occupations
  • Transport occupations
  • French-language proficiency
  • Agriculture and agri-food occupations
  • Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) occupations

All these are in-demand categories and are vital to strengthening the labor market and Canada’s economy. However, among all the categories, two new selection categories stand out and make up the majority of eligible occupations.

Healthcare Occupations Leading In-Demand

The population of Canada is aging, and the country’s birth rate is among the lowest worldwide. By 2030, it is anticipated that around nine million Canadians will turn 65. This implies that in the upcoming years, the demand for healthcare occupations will grow, and fewer people will be there to fill the vacancies in the labor force caused due to a large number of retirements.

By selecting candidates with work experience in the healthcare sector, the expected pressure on Canada’s already strained healthcare sector may decrease.

According to Statistics Canada’s recent job vacancy data, as of March 2023, there were around 144,500 vacant positions within the healthcare and social assistance sector. This is 17.7% of the total vacant positions.

Notably, for the new category-based draws, almost half of the eligible jobs fall within the healthcare category. This includes a wide range of occupations stated below:

  • Audiologists and speech-language pathologists
  • Chiropractors
  • Dentists
  • Dieticians and nutritionists
  • Education counselors
  • General practitioners and family physicians
  • Instructors of persons with disabilities
  • Kinesiologists & professional occupations in therapy and assessment
  • Licensed practical nurses
  • Massage therapists
  • Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations
  • Medical laboratory technologists
  • Medical radiation technologists
  • Medical sonographers
  • Nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates
  • Nurse practitioners
  • Nursing coordinators and supervisors
  • Occupational therapists
  • Optometrists
  • Other practitioners of natural healing
  • Other assisting occupations in support of healthcare services
  • Other technical occupations in therapy & assessment
  • Other professional occupations in health diagnosing & treating
  • Paramedical occupations
  • Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
  • Physician assistants, midwives, and allied health professionals
  • Physiotherapists
  • Psychologists
  • Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
  • Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists, and cardiopulmonary technologists
  • Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine
  • Specialists in surgery
  • Therapists in counseling and related specialized therapies
  • Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists
  • Veterinarians

In-demand STEM Occupations

In Canada, besides healthcare jobs, STEM professions, i.e., Occupations in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, are also increasing in demand.

According to the Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada report, in 2021, the revenue in the Information, Communications, and Technology industry reached $242 billion.

In addition, with 1,032 AI and machine learning companies, Canada is a hub for Artificial Intelligence. According to the Invest in Canada report, Canada ranks fourth for its worldwide competitiveness in AI implementation, innovation, and investment.

Furthermore, as per last November’s Statistics Canada report, the high rate of retirement and quickly developing technology and automation in everyday life and business is leading to a skills gap in the labor force in Canada. The report also mentions that Canadian employers are hiring less qualified candidates due to the skills gap, which can delay business growth.

Most of the eligible occupations in the STEM category offer attractive starting salaries. According to Statistics Canada’a April 2023 report, the median starting salary for international students with an undergraduate degree (as of 2019) in any STEM occupation was $52,000.

The following are the 23 eligible STEM occupations for the new category-based draws:

  • Architects
  • Architecture and science managers
  • Business systems specialists
  • Civil Engineers
  • Computer and information systems managers
  • Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)
  • Computer systems developers and programmers
  • Cybersecurity specialists
  • Data scientists
  • Database analysts and data administrators
  • Electrical and electronics engineers
  • Engineering managers
  • Industrial and manufacturing engineers
  • Information systems specialists
  • Land surveyors
  • Landscape Architects
  • Mathematicians, statisticians, and actuaries
  • Metallurgical and materials engineers
  • Natural and applied science policy researchers, program officers, and consultants
  • Software developers and programmers
  • Software engineers and designers
  • Urban and land use planners
  • Web designers
  • Web developers and programmers

Eligibility requirements for the new selection categories

In order to be eligible for any of the new selection categories, candidates must have the required work experience in the eligible occupation of at least six months within the past three years in Canada or abroad and ensure that they are eligible for the Express Entry Program. This means that to be eligible for new categories having work experience alone is not enough. Candidates are still required to be eligible for Express Entry.

Express Entry or EE is an application management system that controls three programs:

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

These programs have their own eligibility requirements for work experience, education, and language that candidates must satisfy in order to enter the Express Entry pool. According to the IRCC, the candidates for the new selection category draws will still be ranked using the Comprehensive Ranking System. Candidates with high CRS scores are most probably to obtain an ITA for Canadian permanent residency.