Express Entry Draw 345 – 500 Healthcare and Social Services Workers Invited To Apply For Permanent Residence in Canada

Key Takeaways for Express Entry Candidates

• Type of draw: Category-based draw targeting candidates with work experience in Healthcare and social services occupations
• Invitations issued: 500
• CRS score: 510
• Tie-breaking rule: July 21, 2024 at 04:31:17 UTC
• Prediction for the next draw: Provincial Nominee Draw on 12 May, 2025
• New to the excitement of Express Entry draws? Check out our guide to Express Entry.

Our Analysis of This Express Entry Draw

We saw the first Healthcare and social services occupations draw for 2025 — and the first round of invitations for healthcare workers since Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) updated the eligible occupations for this category earlier in 2025.

Interestingly, it was a relatively small draw with just 500 invitations being issued. As a result, the round had a high CRS cut-off of 510. This is the highest CRS cut off for a healthcare round ever, and it’s significantly higher than most of the previous rounds we’ve seen in this category. For reference, the previous healthcare round on November 20, 2024 invited 3,000 workers with a cut of 463 but even that was a relatively high CRS cut off. We saw scores as low as 422 in the healthcare draw round in February of 2024.

We’re also surprised by the relatively low number of invitations given the demand for healthcare workers and when comparing to the draws from 2024. By May 2024, we had already seen 3,500 healthcare workers invited to apply for permanent residence. A further 6,750 workers with healthcare experience were invited in the second half of 2024.

So, what does this mean for future rounds?

Well, we would hope to see another smaller draw inviting healthcare workers in the near term. But, IRCC’s published strategy for 2025 has not aligned with what we’re seeing in reality. We were expecting to see around 41,700 candidates be admitted through the healthcare, trades, education and french-language proficiency categories this year. Even if we remove the entire target for French (29,325), we would still expect to see 12,375 admissions. IRCC is tracking far below that target within its category-based draws (even when we account for the category-based draws later in 2024).

• Do you know what your CRS is? If not, use our online Express Entry CRS calculator to determine how many points you have.

What Is A Healthcare & Social Services Occupation Draw in Canadian Immigration?

To be eligible for an invitation through a category-based round, you must:

• Qualify for one of the three main immigration programs: Federal Skilled Worker (FSW), Federal Skilled Trades (FST), or Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
• Meet the minimum requirements for the round, including the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off and tiebreaker rules.

Additionally, you must have at least six months of full-time, continuous work experience (or an equivalent in part-time work experience) in one eligible occupation.

• Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians

• Audiologists and speech language pathologists

• Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists

• Chiropractors

• Dental hygienists and dental therapists

• Dentists

• Dieticians and nutritionists

• General practitioners and family physicians

• Licensed practical nurses

• Massage therapists

• Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations

• Medical laboratory technologists

• Medical radiation technologists

• Medical sonographers

• Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates

• Nurse practitioners

• Nursing co-ordinators and supervisors

• Occupational therapists

• Optometrists

• Other medical technologists and technicians

• Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating

• Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment

• Paramedical occupations

• Pharmacists

• Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants

• Pharmacy technicians

• Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals

• Physiotherapists

• Psychologists

• Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses

• Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists

• Social and community service workers

• Social workers

• Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine

• Specialists in surgery

• Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies

• Veterinarians.

If your work experience spans multiple occupations, you will need to accumulate six months in a single occupation to qualify.

Of course, healthcare workers in Canada may also be selected in Canadian Experience Class draws but selection in this category may come with a more competitive CRS cut-off.

For more information:

• Learn more about the latest Express Entry draws.
• Learn more about the state of the Express Entry pool.
• Learn when to expect the next Express Entry draw.
• Learn more about Express Entry healthcare draws.

For up-to-date information about Express Entry draws, consider creating a free Moving2Canada account and subscribing to our newsletter. We share news about the draws and our analysis as it happens, so you’ll never miss the latest results.