Today Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has conducted its third Express Entry draw of the week, issuing 3,600 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) in a category-based selection draw for 35 healthcare occupations.
To qualify, applicants needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 431.
Latest Express Entry Draw – October 26, 2023
- Round of Invitation #271
- Express Entry Program: Healthcare Occupations
- Number of invitations issued: 3,600
- Rank required to be invited to apply: 3,600 or above
- Date and time of round: October 26, 2023 at 13:28:39 UTC
- CRS score of lowest-ranked candidate invited: 431
- Tie-breaking rule: May 24, 2023 at 19:47:51 UTC
Tie-breaking rule: When multiple candidates have the same lowest score, the cut-off is determined by the date and time they submitted their Express Entry profiles.
Jump to:
Click here to see the list of Healthcare Occupations eligible for Express Entry Draws.
Earlier in the week, IRCC held two other draws. The first, on October 24, was exclusively for Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates. In this draw, 1,548 applicants with a minimum CRS score of 776 were invited.
The higher CRS requirement for PNP candidates is due to the additional 600 CRS points awarded to Express Entry candidates nominated by a province.
The second draw, on October 25, invited 300 candidates with French Language Proficiency. To be eligible, applicants needed a minimum CRS score of 486.
Click here to see the updated list of 101 professions that, as of September 8, 2023, are eligible to receive an additional 50 CRS points for a qualification certificate, as per the IRCC.
Eligible Occupations for Express Entry Healthcare Targeted Draws
The following is a list of 35 eligible healthcare occupations for Express Entry Healthcare targeted draws, along with their corresponding NOC codes:
| Occupation | NOC Code |
|---|---|
| Audiologists and speech language pathologists | 31112 |
| Chiropractors | 31201 |
| Dentists | 31110 |
| Dieticians and nutritionists | 31121 |
| Education counsellors | 41320 |
| General practitioners and family physicians | 31102 |
| Instructors of persons with disabilities | 42203 |
| Kinesiologists and other professional occupation in therapy and assessment | 31204 |
| Licensed practical nurses | 32101 |
| Massage therapists | 32201 |
| Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations | 33101 |
| Medical laboratory technologists | 32120 |
| Medical radiation technologists | 32121 |
| Medical sonographers | 32122 |
| Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates | 33102 |
| Nurse practitioners | 31302 |
| Nursing co-ordinators and supervisors | 31300 |
| Occupational therapists | 31203 |
| Optometrists | 31111 |
| Other assisting occupations in support of health services | 33109 |
| Other practitioners of natural healing | 32209 |
| Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating | 31209 |
| Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment | 32109 |
| Paramedical occupations | 32102 |
| Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants | 33103 |
| Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals | 31303 |
| Physiotherapists | 31202 |
| Psychologists | 31200 |
| Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 31301 |
| Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists | 32103 |
| Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine | 31100 |
| Specialists in surgery | 31101 |
| Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies | 41301 |
| Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists | 32200 |
| Veterinarians | 31103 |
CRS Score of Express Entry Draws 2023
All profiles are ranked using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which gives each candidate a score out of 1200 points. The higher the score, the better your ranking.
Express Entry Draws 2023
Upfront Medical Examination No Longer Required For Express Entry Applicants
Effective from October 1 of this year, Express Entry candidates are no longer required to undergo an upfront immigrant medical examination (IME) before submitting their permanent resident application to IRCC.
While a medical exam remains a necessity, candidates can now upload a blank document in the corresponding field of the Express Entry profile builder.
Detailed instructions regarding the medical examination will be provided by IRCC at a later stage. Individuals who have previously undertaken an IME for another IRCC application or are presently residing in Canada are exempt from undergoing a second IME.
Category Based Draws:
Canada has introduced category-based selections in the Express Entry system to prioritize candidates with specific skills, training, or language abilities.
Eligible categories include:
- Healthcare occupations
- Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations
- Trade occupations
- Transport occupations
- Agriculture and agri-food occupations
Applicants must have at least 6 months of work experience in a qualifying occupation within the last 3 years.
Processing Times
| Program | Processing Time | Change From Last Week |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian Experience Class (CEC) | 5 months | No Change |
| Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) | 6 months | No Change |
| Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) | (Not updated by IRCC since March 1 as there could be no application in processing for FSTP as of now) | No Change |
| Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) via Express Entry | 8 months | No Change |
