IRCC declared the new Express Entry category-based selections on May 31. In addition, IRCC held its first-ever Express Entry category-based draw inviting healthcare workers. It says that it will invite more healthcare professionals over the upcoming week.
Moreover, IRCC plans to hold its first round of Express Entry category-based selections for STEM professionals next week.
The categories hugely depend on an applicant’s profession/ work experience in a particular, in-demand field. In addition, IRCC asserts that the new categories were chosen based on labor market data, like projections & stakeholders’ inputs across the nation.
The department/ division used this information to choose six new categories/ classifications for Express Entry candidates in this year’s upcoming draws. The new categories are meant to support the economic goals of Canada & promoting francophone immigrants outside the province of Quebec.
The new categories are as follows:
- Healthcare professions
- STEM professions
- Trade
- Transport
- Agriculture/ Agri-Food
- French-language proficiency
All these categories/ classifications are in-demand & essential to keeping Canada’s labor force & economy strong. However, two selection categories stand out for the number of eligible professions.
Healthcare Occupations Are In-Demand
Canada has an aging population & the birthrate is also low. Over nine million Canadians are expected to reach 65 years of age by 2030. This implies that in the coming years, there will be an increased demand for the healthcare system & very few individuals will be able to fill in the gap in the labor force.
Thus, holding category-based draws for selecting applicants with proven work experience in the healthcare profession might reduce the pressure being presently induced on the healthcare system.
Recent job vacancy data from Statistics Canada reveals that there were almost 144,500 vacant positions in the social assistance & healthcare sector as of March 2023.
Moreover, nearly half of the eligible professions for the Express Entry category-based selections fall within the healthcare category. Here is the list of occupations:
- Chiropractors
- Dentists
- Dieticians and nutritionists
- Audiologists and speech-language pathologists
- Education counselors
- General practitioners and family physicians
- Instructors of persons with disabilities
- Medical laboratory technologists
- Kinesiologists & other professional occupations in therapy & assessment
- Licensed practical nurses
- Massage therapists
- Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations
- 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
- Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
- Other professional occupations in health diagnosing & treating
- Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment
- Paramedical occupations
- Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists
- Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
- Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals
- Psychologists
- Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists
- Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine
- Specialists in surgery
- Therapists in counseling and related specialized therapies
- Physiotherapists
- Veterinarians
STEM Occupations
Professions in Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics are also growing in demand in Canada. A report given by Innovation, Science, & Economic Development Canada showed that the revenues of information, communications, & technology industries had reached $242 billion (approx.) in 2021.
Moreover, Canada is the hub for AI, with 1,032 machine learning & AI companies. In addition, a report offered by Statistics Canada revealed that the high retirement rate & rapidly evolving automation & technology used in business & routine life contributes to the skill gap in the Canadian labor force. It further states that this is causing some employers to hire less qualified applicants, thus slowing the growth of the business.
Many of the professions eligible under the STEM category have competitive salaries. Another report by Statistics Canada (April) shows that the median starting income for foreign students in STEM professions with an undergraduate degree was $52,000.
Well, there are 23 STEM professions listed as eligible for Express Entry category-based selection draws.
- Architecture and science managers
- Business systems specialists
- Civil Engineers
- Architects
- Computer and information systems managers
- Web developers and programmers
- Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)
- Computer systems developers and programmers
- Cybersecurity specialists
- Data scientists
- Electrical and electronics engineers
- Engineering managers
- Database analysts and data administrators
- Industrial and manufacturing engineers
- Land surveyors
- Landscape Architects
- Mathematicians, statisticians, and actuaries
- Information systems specialists
- Metallurgical and materials engineers
- Software developers and programmers
- Urban and land use planners
- Software engineers and designers
- Web designers
Eligibility For New Categories
If an applicant has the relevant work experience for one of these categories, which is at least six months of continuous work experience in an eligible profession in Canada or abroad, they must ensure they are eligible for an Express Entry program. Having relevant work experience is not enough to be eligible.
Being an application management system, Express Entry oversees FSWP, CEC, & FSTP. These programs have their own work experience, language, & education criteria that should be met in order to enter the Express Entry application pool.
IRCC asserts that it will still rank applicants using CRS in the new selection. Those with higher scores are still likely to obtain an ITA for PR.