Opportunities for Healthcare and Social Service Workers to Get Canadian PR
Exciting Changes to Express Entry Categories
On February 27, 2025, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) updated the Express Entry system and opened new opportunities for skilled workers. Pharmacists, social workers, and dental hygienists now have a stronger chance of securing Canadian permanent residence (PR) through category-based draws. IRCC also added a new Education category and removed the Transport category, creating clearer and more focused pathways for applicants.
How the Healthcare and Social Service Category Has Expanded
IRCC expanded the healthcare category to include social service occupations. As a result, more professionals—such as social workers and related roles—can now qualify for PR. IRCC also refined the list of eligible occupations under each category.
This article explains:
- Which occupations now qualify under the updated category
- How to check if your work experience meets the criteria
- Newly eligible jobs with examples
- How these updates improve your chances of receiving PR
Eligible Occupations in the Updated Healthcare and Social Service Category
Canada uses the National Occupation Classification (NOC) to group jobs. The updated category now includes a wider range of healthcare and social service roles. This gives more workers a pathway to apply under Express Entry.
Table
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Why Category-Based Draws Increase Your PR Chances
If you qualify for a category-based draw, you face less competition than in general draws. In 2024, general draws required CRS scores between 524 and 549. Healthcare draws ranged from 422 to 463.
This difference means many healthcare and social service professionals can receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) with a lower CRS score.
How Express Entry Works
You cannot apply for PR directly. You must first create an Express Entry profile and meet the requirements for one of the three federal programs:
- Canadian Experience Class
- Federal Skilled Worker Program
- Federal Skilled Trades Program
IRCC ranks candidates using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The CRS score depends on your age, education, work experience, and language ability. When IRCC conducts a draw, the highest-ranking eligible candidates receive an ITA. After receiving the ITA, you have 60 days to submit your complete PR application.
Types of Express Entry Draws
Express Entry draws fall into four groups:
- General draws
- Provincial Nominee Program draws
- Program-specific draws
- Category-based draws
Category-based draws focus on candidates with skills that match Canada’s labour needs.
How to Check if Your Work Experience Qualifies
You must have at least six months of full-time, continuous work experience (or equivalent part-time) in a qualifying occupation within the last three years. To confirm eligibility:
- Visit the NOC page and find your occupation.
- Review the main duties and match them with your experience.
- Check the Express Entry category-based selection page to see if your occupation appears under the healthcare and social services category.
How Category-Based Draws Improve Your Chances
These draws reduce competition and lower the CRS cut-off for targeted occupations. If you work in healthcare, social services, or another in-demand field, you now have a stronger chance of receiving an ITA—even with a modest CRS score.
Conclusion
Recent Express Entry updates offer a major advantage for skilled professionals, especially in healthcare and social services. With more targeted draws and broader eligibility, pharmacists, social workers, dental hygienists, and many others now have a clearer path to Canadian PR. If you work in one of these fields, these changes may significantly increase your chances of settling in Canada.
