Express Entry Category-based draws 2025
By: Amir Radaii
March 5, 2025
Canada’s Express Entry system is one of the most popular pathways for skilled workers seeking permanent residency. However, rather than being a standalone immigration program, Express Entry serves as a selection system to identify the most qualified candidates for immigration.
The Express Entry system manages applications for permanent residency under the following programs:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
- Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
- Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
To better align the Express Entry system with Canada’s labor market needs and immigration objectives, the government introduced category-based selection draws in 2023. These draws allow candidates in specific groups to receive invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residency without competing against all other applicants in the pool.
What Are Category-Based Express Entry Draws?
In 2023, the Government of Canada introduced a new approach within the Express Entry system, selecting candidates who meet specific eligibility criteria under predefined categories. Those who qualify for these categories compete only with others in the same category, increasing their chances of receiving an ITA.
These specialized rounds of invitations are known as category-based draws. Below, we explore the categories currently recognized by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the eligibility criteria for each.
Categories for Category-Based Express Entry Draws
Initially, six categories were introduced in 2023, but as of the 2025 update, they have been streamlined into four key groups:
- French-Language Proficiency
- Healthcare and Social Services Occupations
- Skilled Trades Occupations
- Education Occupations
For candidates in the French-Language Proficiency category, a minimum French language level of CLB 7 in all four language skills is required.
For the remaining three occupational categories, candidates must have at least six months of full-time (or equivalent part-time) continuous work experience in an eligible job, either inside or outside Canada.
Eligible Occupations for Each Category
Healthcare and Social Services Occupations
| Job Title | NOC Code | TEER Level |
| Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians | 32104 | 2 |
| Audiologists and speech-language pathologists | 31112 | 1 |
| Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists | 32123 | 2 |
| Chiropractors | 31201 | 1 |
| Dental hygienists and dental therapists | 32111 | 2 |
| Dentists | 31110 | 1 |
| Dieticians and nutritionists | 31121 | 1 |
| General practitioners and family physicians | 31102 | 1 |
| Licensed practical nurses | 32101 | 2 |
| Massage therapists | 32201 | 2 |
| Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations | 33101 | 3 |
| Medical laboratory technologists | 32120 | 2 |
| Medical radiation technologists | 32121 | 2 |
| Medical sonographers | 32122 | 2 |
| Nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates | 33102 | 3 |
| Nurse practitioners | 31302 | 1 |
| Nursing coordinators and supervisors | 31300 | 1 |
| Occupational therapists | 31203 | 1 |
| Optometrists | 31111 | 1 |
| Other medical technologists and technicians | 32129 | 2 |
| Paramedical occupations | 32102 | 2 |
| Pharmacists | 31120 | 1 |
| Pharmacy technicians | 32124 | 2 |
| Physiotherapists | 31202 | 1 |
| Psychologists | 31200 | 1 |
| Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 31301 | 1 |
| Social workers | 41300 | 1 |
| Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine | 31100 | 1 |
| Specialists in surgery | 31101 | 1 |
| Veterinarians | 31103 | 1 |
SKILLED TRADES OCCUPATIONS
| Job Title
|
NOC Code | TEER Level |
| Bricklayers | 72320 | 2 |
| Cabinetmakers | 72311 | 2 |
| Carpenters | 72310 | 2 |
| Concrete finishers | 73100 | 3 |
| Construction estimators | 22303 | 2 |
| Construction managers | 70010 | 0 |
| Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics | 72400 | 2 |
| Cooks | 63200 | 3 |
| Electricians (except industrial and power system) | 72200 | 2 |
| Floor covering installers | 73113 | 3 |
| Gas fitters | 72302 | 2 |
| Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics | 72402 | 2 |
| Heavy-duty equipment mechanics | 72401 | 2 |
| Home building and renovation managers | 70011 | 0 |
| Industrial electricians | 72201 | 2 |
| Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors | 72100 | 2 |
| Painters and decorators (except interior decorators) | 73112 | 3 |
| Plumbers | 72300 | 2 |
| Roofers and shinglers | 73110 | 3 |
| Sheet metal workers | 72102 | 2 |
| Water well drillers | 72501 | 2 |
| Welders and related machine operators | 72106 | 2 |
EDUCATION OCCUPATIONS
| Job Title
|
NOC Code | TEER Level |
| Early childhood educators and assistants | 42202 | 2 |
| Elementary school and kindergarten teachers | 41221 | 1 |
| Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants | 43100 | 3 |
| Instructors of persons with disabilities | 42203 | 2 |
| Secondary school teachers | 41220 | 1 |
Eligibility Criteria for Category-Based Draws
To qualify for a category-based draw under Express Entry, candidates must meet the following criteria:
- Have a valid Express Entry profile
- Be eligible under at least one of the three federal programs (FSWP, FSTP, or CEC)
- Meet all IRCC requirements for the specific category draw
- Achieve a minimum CLB 7 in all four skills for the French-Language Proficiency category
- Have at least six months of continuous, full-time (or equivalent part-time) work experience in an eligible occupation for the other three categories
Conclusion
Category-based Express Entry draws are designed to address Canada’s labor market needs while making the immigration process more accessible for candidates in high-demand occupations. By aligning their profiles with these targeted categories, skilled workers can significantly improve their chances of obtaining permanent residency in Canada.
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