Exciting news for healthcare and social services professionals! Pharmacists, social workers, dental hygienists, and many others now have a better chance at Canadian permanent residence (PR) through Express Entry’s category-based selection draws.
On February 27, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) made major updates to Express Entry categories—including expanding the Healthcare & Social Services category to include new occupations.
If you work in healthcare or social services, this could be your fastest pathway to Canada.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
Canada uses the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system to determine eligibility. Below is the full list of eligible occupations, with newly added roles in bold:
| Job Title | NOC Code |
|---|---|
| Animal health technologists & veterinary technicians | 32104 |
| Audiologists & speech-language pathologists | 31112 |
| Cardiology technologists & electrophysiological diagnostic technologists | 32123 |
| Chiropractors | 31201 |
| Dental hygienists & dental therapists | 32111 |
| Dentists | 31110 |
| Dietitians & nutritionists | 31121 |
| General practitioners & family physicians | 31102 |
| Licensed practical nurses | 32101 |
| Massage therapists | 32201 |
| Medical laboratory assistants | 33101 |
| Medical laboratory technologists | 32120 |
| Medical radiation technologists | 32121 |
| Medical sonographers | 32122 |
| Nurse aides, orderlies & patient service associates | 33102 |
| Nurse practitioners | 31302 |
| Nursing coordinators & supervisors | 31300 |
| Occupational therapists | 31203 |
| Optometrists | 31111 |
| Other medical technologists & technicians | 32129 |
| Other professional health diagnosing & treating roles | 31209 |
| Other therapy & assessment technicians | 32109 |
| Paramedics | 32102 |
| Pharmacists | 31120 |
| Pharmacy assistants & technicians | 33103 / 32124 |
| Physician assistants, midwives & allied health professionals | 31303 |
| Physiotherapists | 31202 |
| Psychologists | 31200 |
| Registered nurses & psychiatric nurses | 31301 |
| Respiratory therapists & cardiopulmonary technologists | 32103 |
| Social & community service workers | 42201 |
| Social workers | 41300 |
| Specialists in clinical & laboratory medicine | 31100 |
| Specialists in surgery | 31101 |
| Therapists in counselling & related fields | 41301 |
| Veterinarians | 31103 |
Some of the newly eligible occupations include:
Dental hygienists (NOC 32111)
Pharmacists (NOC 31120)
Social workers (NOC 41300)
Social & community service workers (NOC 42201)
Animal health technologists (NOC 32104)
Example job titles for newly added roles:
Social workers - Medical social worker, psychiatric social worker
Social & community service workers - Youth worker, addictions counselor, crisis intervention worker
Cardiology technologists- ECG technologist, cardiac stress technologist
To be eligible for this category, you must have:
At least 6 months of full-time work experience (or equivalent part-time) in one of the listed NOCs within the last 3 years
Meet the requirements for one of the three Express Entry programs:
Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
1. Find your NOC code using Canada’s NOC search tool.
Type in your job title (e.g., "dental hygienist")
Check the lead statement & main duties to confirm it matches your experience.
2. Cross-check with IRCC’s Healthcare & Social Services category list here.
3. Calculate your CRS score—if you qualify, you could be invited in a category-based draw with a much lower score than general draws!
In 2024, the CRS cut-off for general Express Entry draws was 524-549, while Healthcare category draws had scores as low as 422-463!
If your CRS score is below 500, this could be your best shot at Canadian PR!
Update your Express Entry profile if you qualify for this category.
Boost your CRS score by:
Retaking language tests (IELTS/CELPIP or TEF for French)
Getting a Provincial Nomination (PNP) (+600 CRS points!)
Adding a spouse’s credentials or Canadian work experience
Stay ready—category-based draws can happen anytime!
Book a FREE consultation with our RCIC-certified experts to:
Call/WhatsApp: +1 416-857-0100
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If you work in healthcare or social services, now is the time to act! With lower CRS cut-offs and more invitations, this could be your easiest path to Canadian PR.
Check your eligibility today and get ready for the next draw!
CTIV Immigration | RCIC Sanjay Prasher (CICC #R514499)
Trusted by thousands of successful immigrants since 2010.
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