Canada conducted a new Express Entry selection for healthcare workers and social workers

Competition is heating up: the passing score has increased compared to the previous round.

On December 11, a new category-based selection for Healthcare and Social Services Occupations took place in the Express Entry system. This time, 1,000 candidates received invitations to apply for permanent residence.

The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score was 476. For comparison, in the previous draw for this category on November 14, 2025, the cut-off score was lower at 462, and the number of invitations reached 3,500.

The increase in the cut-off score and decrease in the number of invitations show that competition in this category is growing, and Canada continues to select the strongest candidates to work in healthcare and social services.

Want to assess your chances in Express Entry? Use our CRS calculator to find out your score.

Despite the higher cut-off score, the current draw trends give hope to candidates who carefully complete their profiles and keep them up to date.

Who can participate in the Healthcare and Social Services category draw

To be included in a category-based selection, candidates must:

qualify for one of the Express Entry programs:
- Federal Skilled Worker for skilled professionals;
- Canadian Experience Class for those with Canadian work experience;
- Federal Skilled Trades for skilled trades workers.
have verified work experience in healthcare or social services according to NOC;
correctly indicate their work experience and NOC code in their Express Entry profile.

Correctly indicating your NOC occupation code helps the system classify candidates and include them in the right category for targeted draws.

Which occupations are included in the Healthcare and Social Services draw

This category includes occupations such as:

The minimum score of 476 with 1,000 invitations reflects growing competition among healthcare and social services professionals and shows that immigration authorities are carefully selecting candidates.

The Canadian passport ranked eighth in the world in terms of power and influence

candidates with French language proficiency at B2 level or higher;
professionals in education;
skilled trades workers;
STEM professionals;
agriculture and agri-food workers.

If you work in healthcare or social services, book an immigration consultation to learn about your options and choose the right path to obtain Canadian permanent residence status.

Source

#Express Entry for medical professionals

#Express Entry for social workers

#lowering of the passing score

#acute shortage of medical personnel

#targeted selection Healthcare and Social Services

#in-demand medical specialties

#social workers

#expansion of the list of professions

#change in Canada's immigration strategy

#immigration opportunities for healthcare workers

#priority categories of Express Entry