Canada Express Entry Draw Category Changes For 2025: Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced the 2025 Express Entry categories on February 27, 2025.
The department introduced big changes to category-based draws, introducing a new category, and removing another.
Key Highlights of the 2025 Express Entry Changes
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- The Education category joins the lineup, focusing on teachers, educators, and support staff critical to Canada’s education system. New Category Introduced: Education Occupations
Transport Category Removed
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- The transport category, once a staple of category-based draws, has been discontinued, reflecting shifting labor market priorities.
- Eight new occupations were added, including pharmacists and social workers, while six less-relevant roles were dropped.
Expanded Healthcare and Social Services
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- Eight new occupations were added, including pharmacists and social workers, while six less-relevant roles were dropped.
Prioritized Categories for 2025
IRCC has outlined four priority categories for Invitations to Apply (ITAs)
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- French-language proficiency
- Healthcare and Social Service occupations
- Trades occupations
- Education occupations
Category-based selection Occupation Demand List
Canada uses category-based Express Entry draws to invite candidates whose profiles match with the country’s economic goals.
Categories chosen for 2025-26
Find out who’s eligible for each category: (required)
1. French-language proficiency
Who’s eligible for the French-language proficiency category
To be eligible, you must:
- have French-language test results that show a minimum score of 7 in all 4 language abilities on the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens
2. (37 NOC’s)
Who’s eligible for the healthcare and social services occupations category
To be eligible, you must:
- have accumulated, within the past 3 years, at least 6 months of full-time, continuous work experience (or an equal amount of part-time experience)
- in a single occupation listed in the table below
- in Canada or abroad
| 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 co-ordinators and supervisors | 31300 | 1 |
| Occupational therapists | 31203 | 1 |
| Optometrists | 31111 | 1 |
| Other medical technologists and technicians | 32129 | 2 |
| Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating | 31209 | 1 |
| Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment | 32109 | 2 |
| Paramedical occupations | 32102 | 2 |
| Pharmacists | 31120 | 1 |
| Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants | 33103 | 3 |
| Pharmacy technicians | 32124 | 2 |
| Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals | 31303 | 1 |
| Physiotherapists | 31202 | 1 |
| Psychologists | 31200 | 1 |
| Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 31301 | 1 |
| Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists | 32103 | 2 |
| Social and community service workers | 42201 | 2 |
| Social workers | 41300 | 1 |
| Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine | 31100 | 1 |
| Specialists in surgery | 31101 | 1 |
| Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies | 41301 | 1 |
| Veterinarians | 31103 | 1 |
3. Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations (11 NOC’s)
Who’s eligible for the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations category
To be eligible, you must:
- have accumulated, within the past 3 years, at least 6 months of full-time, continuous work experience (or an equal amount of part-time experience)
- in a single occupation listed in the table below
- in Canada or abroad
| Architecture and science managers | 20011 | 0 |
| Civil engineering technologists and technicians | 22300 | 2 |
| Civil Engineers | 21300 | 1 |
| Cybersecurity specialists | 21220 | 1 |
| Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians | 22310 | 2 |
| Electrical and electronics engineers | 21310 | 1 |
| Geological Engineers | 21331 | 1 |
| Industrial and manufacturing engineers | 21321 | 1 |
| Insurance agents and brokers | 63100 | 3 |
| Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 22301 | 2 |
| Mechanical Engineers | 21301 | 1 |
Full eligibility details will be available in the instructions for each round.
4. Trade occupations (25 NOC’s)
Who’s eligible for the trade occupations category
To be eligible, you must:
- have accumulated, within the past 3 years, at least 6 months of full-time, continuous work experience (or an equal amount of part-time experience)
- in a single occupation listed in the table below
- in Canada or abroad
| Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services | 82021 | 2 |
| Floor covering installers | 73113 | 3 |
| Painters and decorators (except interior decorators) | 73112 | 3 |
| Roofers and shinglers | 73110 | 3 |
| Concrete finishers | 73100 | 3 |
| Other technical trades and related occupations | 72999 | 2 |
| Water well drillers | 72501 | 2 |
| Electrical mechanics | 72422 | 2 |
| Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics | 72402 | 2 |
| Heavy-duty equipment mechanics | 72401 | 2 |
| Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics | 72400 | 2 |
| Bricklayers | 72320 | 2 |
| Cabinetmakers | 72311 | 2 |
| Carpenters | 72310 | 2 |
| Gas fitters | 72302 | 2 |
| Plumbers | 72300 | 2 |
| Industrial electricians | 72201 | 2 |
| Electricians (except industrial and power system) | 72200 | 2 |
| Welders and related machine operators | 72106 | 2 |
| Sheet metal workers | 72102 | 2 |
| Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors | 72100 | 2 |
| Home building and renovation managers | 70011 | 0 |
| Construction managers | 70010 | 0 |
| Cooks | 63200 | 3 |
| Construction estimators | 22303 | 2 |
Full eligibility details will be available in the instructions for each round.
5. Agriculture and agri-food occupations (1 NOC’s)
Who’s eligible for the agriculture and agri-food occupations category
To be eligible, you must:
- have accumulated, within the past 3 years, at least 6 months of full-time, continuous work experience (or an equal amount of part-time experience)
- in a single occupation listed in the table below
- in Canada or abroad
| Butchers – retail and wholesale | 63201 | 3 |
Full eligibility details will be available in the instructions for each round.
6. Education Occupations (5 NOC’s)
Who’s eligible for the education occupations category
To be eligible, you must:
- have accumulated, within the past 3 years, at least 6 months of full-time, continuous work experience (or an equal amount of part-time experience)
- in a single occupation listed in the table below
- in Canada or abroad
| Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants | 43100 | 3 |
| Instructors of persons with disabilities | 42203 | 2 |
| Early childhood educators and assistants | 42202 | 2 |
| Elementary school and kindergarten teachers | 41221 | 1 |
| Secondary school teachers | 41220 | 1 |
Full eligibility details will be available in the instructions for each round.
Need to Apply Canada Express Entry Category Based Selection?
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