Canada Targets Healthcare Workers in New Express Entry Draw

Canada Holds 4th Express Entry Draw This Week

First of all, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held another Express Entry draw on February 20, 2026.

In this draw, 4,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) were issued.

As a result, Canada invited a total of 10,670 candidates in just one week (across four different draws).

This shows that Canada is moving very fast to meet its immigration goals.

Draw Focus: Healthcare and Social Services Workers

This latest draw mainly targeted 37 healthcare and social services occupations.

To qualify, candidates needed:

• A minimum CRS score of 467
• At least 1 year of full-time work experience (or equivalent part-time) in one of the listed occupations

Therefore, this draw was clearly focused on solving labor shortages in the healthcare sector.

Express Entry Draw #398 – Quick Details

• Draw Number: #398
• Date: February 20, 2026
• Category: Healthcare and Social Services (2026 Version 3)
• Invitations Issued: 4,000
• Minimum CRS Score: 467
• Tie-breaking rule: December 09, 2025 at 18:22:06 UTC

What Is the Tie-Breaking Rule?

Sometimes, many candidates have the same CRS score.

In this case, several candidates had exactly 467 points. So, IRCC used a tie-breaking rule.

This means:

• Only candidates who submitted their Express Entry profile before December 09, 2025 at 18:22:06 UTC received an ITA.
• However, candidates who submitted after this date were not invited.
• Still, they remain in the pool for future draws.

10,670 ITAs Issued in Just One Week

Between February 16–20, 2026, Canada held four different draws:

• Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
• Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
• Physicians (Canadian Experience)
• Healthcare & Social Services

Because of this, 10,670 candidates were invited in just five days, making it one of the busiest weeks in recent Express Entry history.

Clearly, Canada is aggressively working to fill job shortages and meet 2026 immigration targets.

Who Was Eligible for Today’s Healthcare Draw?

To receive an ITA, candidates needed more than just 467 CRS points.

They must have:

• At least 12 months of full-time work experience
• Experience gained within the last 3 years
• Experience in one single eligible healthcare occupation
• Work experience can be from Canada or abroad
• The experience does not need to be continuous

Reports of Invitations Sent to Ineligible Candidates

However, there are reports that some candidates with only 6 months of experience received ITAs.

This may be due to system or communication errors.

But officially, IRCC clearly stated that candidates must have at least 1 year of experience.

Therefore, if someone received an ITA but has less than 12 months of eligible work experience, they should decline the ITA.

Otherwise, their permanent residence application may be refused later.

List of 37 Eligible Occupations

The draw included occupations under:

• TEER 1 (Professional jobs) – such as doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, social workers, psychologists, etc.
• TEER 2 (Technical jobs) – such as licensed practical nurses, medical technologists, dental hygienists, respiratory therapists, etc.
• TEER 3 (Support jobs) – such as nurse aides, lab assistants, pharmacy assistants, etc.

So, a wide range of healthcare and social services workers were included.

What Happens After Receiving an ITA?

Now, candidates who received an ITA must act quickly.

They have 60 days to submit their complete Permanent Residence application through their IRCC online account.

The required documents include:

• Proof of work experience
• Language test results
• Educational credential assessment
• Police certificates
• Medical exam results
• Proof of funds

If they fail to submit within 60 days, the ITA will expire.

Important for Healthcare Professionals

In addition, healthcare workers should start checking provincial licensing requirements.

This is important because licensing rules are different in each Canadian province and for each profession.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this week shows that Canada is strongly focusing on healthcare workers and is increasing the number of invitations.

With 10,670 ITAs issued in just five days, Canada is clearly working hard to meet its immigration targets while solving labor shortages in key sectors.

Get in touch with SPS Global

Receive advice on any of your questions regarding Immigration Get in touch with us, experienced immigration consultants from SPS Global. For additional information, contact support@spscanada.com (Canada) or support.amd@spscanada.com (Ahmedabad), or by phone at (1) 905-362-9393 (Canada) or +919586226232 (Ahmedabad).