On February 14, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held a category-specific draw targeting Express Entry candidates with backgrounds in healthcare occupations. This draw saw the issuance of 3,500 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to eligible candidates who achieved a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 422.
In the latest draw conducted on February 14, candidates witnessed the lowest minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score for healthcare draws since the inception of category-based draws in June 2023. This score, at 422, was nine points lower than the previous record set on October 26, 2023 (431). Moreover, it stands as the lowest CRS score for any Express Entry draw, whether standard or category-based, since December 21, 2023.
While IRCC issued the second-highest number of ITAs for healthcare draws during the February 14 draw, candidates who were not selected may be seeking ways to enhance their profiles for future opportunities. To aid in this endeavor, hypothetical Express Entry profiles will be used to demonstrate how various candidates could have boosted their CRS scores sufficiently to receive an ITA on February 14, 2024
Eligibility for healthcare category-based draws
Before creating an Express Entry profile and entering themselves into the Express Entry pool for IRCC’s category-based draws, candidates need to ensure they meet the relevant eligibility criteria.
To be eligible for a healthcare occupations category Express Entry draw, candidates are required to:
- Have accumulated, within the past three years, continuous work experience* that equates to a minimum of six months of full-time (or an equal amount of part-time work experience)
- Meet all of the requirements in the instructions for that round
*This work experience must all be in one of 35 occupations listed as eligible for healthcare occupation draws by IRCC. However, this experience may have been acquired in Canada or abroad.
Example profiles of successful ITA recipients
Note: The three fictional Express Entry candidates below all created profiles after applying for permanent residence through the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP). The FSWP is one of three programs managed by IRCC’s Express Entry application management system, which also oversees the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).
- Age: 40
- Highest Level of Completed Education: Master’s or Entry-to-Practice Professional Degree
- 2nd Post-Secondary Credential: Yes
- Study in Canada: No
- English Proficiency: 10 for all abilities
- French Proficiency: Three for all abilities
- Full-Time Skilled Work Experience Outside Canada within the last 10 years: Six years or more
- Full-Time Skilled Work Experience Inside Canada within the last 10 years: None
- Marriage/Common-Law Partnership: Yes
- Spouse’s Highest Level of Completed Education: Post-secondary credential of three or more years
- Spouse’s Study in Canada: No
- Spouse’s Full-Time Skilled Work Experience Inside Canada within the last 10 years: None
- Spouse’s English Proficiency: 10 for all abilities
- Spouse’s French Proficiency: Three for all abilities
- Sibling in Canada (Citizen or Permanent Resident, living in Canada, 18+ years old): No
- “Close Family Member” in Canada (Citizen or Permanent Resident, living in Canada, 18+ years old): No
- Trades Certificate of Qualification: No
- Provincial Nomination: No
- Skilled Job Offer from Canadian Employer: No
Result: With this profile, Michael’s CRS score was 427.
Claire from Belgium
Claire is a nutritionist – National Occupation Classification 2021 (NOC 2021) Code: 31121
- Age: 31
- Highest Level of Completed Education: Post-secondary credential of three or more years
- 2nd Post-Secondary Credential: Yes
- Study in Canada: No
- English Proficiency: Seven for writing/speaking; Six for reading; Nine for listening
- French Proficiency: 10 for all abilities
- Full-Time Skilled Work Experience Outside Canada within the last 10 years: Four years
- Full-Time Skilled Work Experience Inside Canada within the last 10 years: None
- Marriage/Common-Law Partnership: Yes
- Spouse’s Highest Level of Completed Education: Post-secondary credential of three or more years
- Spouse’s Study in Canada: No
- Spouse’s Full-Time Skilled Work Experience Inside Canada within the last 10 years: None
- Spouse’s English Proficiency: Four for all abilities
- Spouse’s French Proficiency: 10 for all abilities
- Sibling in Canada (Citizen or Permanent Resident, living in Canada, 18+ years old): No
- “Close Family Member” in Canada (Citizen or Permanent Resident, living in Canada, 18+ years old): No
- Trades Certificate of Qualification: No
- Provincial Nomination: No
- Skilled Job Offer from Canadian Employer: Yes
- Job Offer for Senior Managerial Position: No
- Full-Time Job Offer for Minimum One Year: Yes
- Job Offer Supported by Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA): No
- Currently Working in Canada on a Valid Work Permit for the Employer Offering Job: No
Result: This profile helped Claire earn a CRS score of 528.
Kady from the Philippines
Kady is a kinesiologist – National Occupation Classification 2021 (NOC 2021) Code: 31204
- Age: 24
- Highest Level of Completed Education: Two or more post secondary credentials with at least one being three-plus years
- Study in Canada: No
- English Proficiency: Eight for all abilities
- French Proficiency: Three for all abilities
- Full-Time Skilled Work Experience Outside Canada within the last 10 years: None
- Full-Time Skilled Work Experience Inside Canada within the last 10 years: None
- Marriage/Common-Law Partnership: No
- Sibling in Canada (Citizen or Permanent Resident, living in Canada, 18+ years old): Yes
- Trades Certificate of Qualification: No
- Provincial Nomination: Yes
- Skilled Job Offer from Canadian Employer: Yes
- Job Offer for Senior Managerial Position: No
- Full-Time Job Offer for Minimum One Year: Yes
- Job Offer Supported by LMIA: Yes
Result: With the above profile, Kady earned a CRS score of 955.
