Maple News reports that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is making healthcare and social services professionals a key priority within the Express Entry system in 2025. As part of this effort, 5,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence have already been issued this year under this targeted category.
This move aligns with Canada’s broader strategy to fill critical labour shortages in the healthcare and social assistance sectors. The recent category-based draw had a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off score of 475, indicating the level of competitiveness for prospective candidates.
According to IRCC’s selection criteria, candidates who work in occupations such as nursing, social work, caregiving, and mental health services may have a significant advantage when applying through the Express Entry system. High language proficiency, advanced education, and relevant work experience continue to play a crucial role in candidate selection.
To provide applicants with a clearer understanding of what kinds of profiles are succeeding in these draws, IRCC shared an example of a theoretical candidate who would have met the cut-off score: Kasun Perera, a 28-year-old from Sri Lanka. Kasun holds a bachelor’s degree in social work and a master’s degree in psychology. He has three years of experience as a social worker in Sri Lanka, and scored Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 10 in all components of the English exam. Despite having no Canadian work or education experience, Kasun’s profile earned him a CRS score high enough to qualify for the most recent draw.
By prioritizing such key occupations, IRCC is showing its commitment to strengthening Canada’s workforce in areas of urgent need. This approach also provides greater predictability and transparency for skilled professionals who want to immigrate under Express Entry.
Maple News will continue to monitor upcoming draws and provide updates on eligibility trends as Canada progresses in its category-based immigration strategy for 2025.
For healthcare and social services workers considering immigration to Canada, now may be an especially promising time to assess their eligibility and begin the application process.