In the most recent express entry draw of 2023, which was released on July 6, 2023, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) sent invitations to apply to eligible candidates who were waiting in the express entry pool. 

It was the third draw in a line and was based on Category- based selection of candidates belonging to the healthcare occupations. With the latest express entry draw, IRCC acknowledged profiles with a minimum of 463 points in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).

It has also become the lowest CRS Cutoff of 2023

The healthcare sector draw was anticipated after the IRCC said last week that 1,500 healthcare employees would receive invites this week. This came after the first-ever category-based draw on June 28, in which ITAs were given out to 500 healthcare employees with a minimum CRS of 476.

Healthcare Occupations in National Occupational Classification

Immigrants make up 23% of licensed practical nurses, 36% of licensed physicians, and 54% of dental technologists in Canada. Canada depends on immigration to close critical labor market gaps. According to Statistics Canada\’s most recent data on job openings, the healthcare and social support sectors had 153,000 open positions in April 2023. The number of openings is at its highest level across all industries.

With 35 total qualifying vocations, healthcare occupations comprise the most of the six new categories in the category-based stream:

Received an ITA! What to do Next?

You will get an instructional manual along with the Invitation to Apply from the IRCC. 

The information you provided in your Express Entry profile must be supported by documentation. IRCC will determine if the details you provide in your application differ from those on your profile.

If it turns out that you misled or omitted crucial information, it might:

Reject your application, find you inadmissible, and prevent you for five years from submitting any further applications to enter Canada.

What are Category-Based Selection Draws?

On May 31, Canada\’s Minister of Immigration, Sean Fraser, declared that the new categories for the new category-based Express Entry draws had been completed.

Following a revision to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in June 2022, the announcement was anticipated. The modification gives Canada\’s minister of immigration the power to choose potential immigrants for economic reasons who possess crucial qualities that complement Canada\’s economic aims or the minister\’s duty to advance the French language outside of Quebec.

6 New Categories under the Category-Based Selection Program

Forecasts for the labor market and conversations with IRCC partners, stakeholders, and the provincial and territorial governments informed the selection of the 6 new categories.

Candidates must have completed at least six months of continuous employment in one of the following occupations within the previous three years in order to qualify under the occupation-specific categories. You can obtain this experience in Canada or abroad.

Healthcare Occupation is a Priority Stream, Why?

One of the industries with a severe labor shortage is healthcare. This is partly a result of Canada\’s population aging and one of the lowest birth rates in the world. For instance, nine million Canadians are anticipated to reach the age of retirement, 65, in the ensuing seven years.

According to recent Statistics Canada data on job openings, the healthcare and social support sector has 144,500 open positions as of March 2023, accounting for 17.7% of all open posts.

Through designated streams of the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), several provinces and territories already organize draws for healthcare professionals. For instance, British Columbia invites healthcare professionals in almost every BC PNP draw, Ontario recently invited 318 foreign workers in a healthcare occupation, and Alberta recently introduced a Designated Healthcare Pathway under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program.