What are the majorities of occupations eligible for Express Entry Category Based selection? It’s a major question for candidates now!
The new category-based selection of Express Entry Canada was announced by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada on May 31.
On 28th June, IRCC held its first-ever category-based selection draw inviting healthcare workers. It also said that in coming weeks more healthcare workers will be invited. The first round of category-based selection for STEM holds till next week.
The categories heavily rely on a candidate’s profession or work history in a particular, in-demand field.
According to the IRCC, the new categories were chosen based on information about the labour market, including projections, and feedback from stakeholders across the nation.
This information was used by the department to choose six new categories for candidates for Express Entry in upcoming draws this year. The new classifications are intended to support Canada’s economic objectives or encourage the immigration of francophones from outside of the Quebec Skilled Worker Immigration Program.
The new categories for selection:
- Healthcare Profession
- STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) related occupation
- Trade and transportation occupations
- Occupations in agriculture and Agri-food
- Language proficiency in French.
All of these fields are thought to be in demand and crucial to maintaining Canada’s economy and labour force. However, in terms of the variety of professions that qualify, two selection categories stand out.
Healthcare Occupation in Demand
The birth rate in Canada is among the lowest in the world, and the country’s population is aging. By 2030, nine million Canadians are anticipated to be 65 or older.
As a result, there will be more people using the healthcare system and fewer people available to fill the gaps in the labour force caused by a large number of retirements in the upcoming years.
The already overburdened Canadian healthcare system may experience less incoming pressure if immigration candidates are chosen who have demonstrated experience in a healthcare occupation.
As of March 2023, there were 144,500 open positions in the healthcare and social assistance sector, making up 17.7% of all open positions, according to recent job vacancy data from Statistics Canada.
The healthcare category includes a variety of occupations, with nearly half of the eligible occupations for the new category-based draws falling within this category:
- Speech-language – pathologists and audiologists
- Chiropractors
- Dentists
- Nutritionists and dieticians
- Educational advisors
- Family doctors and general practitioners
- Instructors for disabled students
- Kinesiologists and other therapy and assessment-related professions
- Professional nurses
- Massage practitioners
- Assistants in medical laboratories and related technical professions
- Technicians in medical laboratories
- Radiation technologists in medicine
- Sonographers in medicine
- Nurse assistants, and patient service representatives
- Nursing professionals
- Nursing managers and coordinators
- Office-based therapists
- Optometrists
- Additional assisting professions supporting health services
- Others who practice natural medicine
- Other health-related professions that involve diagnosing and treating
- Technical careers in therapy and evaluation
- Professions in Para medicine
- Pharmacy assistants and technical pharmacy assistants
- Physiotherapists
- Psychologists
- Licensed mental health nurses as well as licensed practical nurses
- Clinical perfusionists, cardiopulmonary technologists, and respiratory therapists
- Midwives, physician assistants, and other allied health personnel
Occupations in STEM
In Canada, demand is rising for jobs in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. According to a report by Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada, the information, communications, and technology sector will generate $242 billion in revenue in 2021.
According to Invest in Canada, when it comes to investment, innovation, and implementation of AI, Canada comes in fourth place globally. Canada is also a hub for AI (artificial intelligence), home to 1,032 AI and machine learning businesses.
According to a report issued by Statistics Canada in November of last year, the high rate of retirement as well as rapidly advancing technology and automation used in daily life and business are causing a skills gap in the Canadian labour force.
It claims that this is leading some Canadian employers to select less qualified candidates, which could impede the expansion of their companies.
Numerous professions that fall under the STEM category have starting competitive salaries. According to a Statistics Canada report published in April of this year, the median starting salary for international students with an undergraduate degree working in a STEM field was $52,000 as of 2019.
23 STEM jobs are listed as being available in category-based selection draws.
- Architects Managers of science and architecture
- Experts in business systems
- Building engineers
- Managers of computer and information systems
- Engineers in computer science, excluding software developers and designers
- Programmers and developers of computer systems
- Cyber security professionals
- Database administrators, data scientists, and data scientists
- Engineers in electrical and electronics
- Engineering supervisors
- Engineers in industry and manufacturing
- Experts in information systems
- Land explorers
- Landscape designers
- Statisticians, actuaries, and mathematicians
- Engineers in materials science and metallurgy
- Researchers, advisors, and program managers in natural and applied science
- Developers and programmers of software
- Designers and software developers
- Web designers who plan for land use and habitation
- Programmers and web designers
Eligibility Criteria for New Categories
Candidates must still confirm that they are eligible for an Express Entry program even if they have the minimum amount of work experience necessary for one of these categories, which is at least six months of continuous work experience in an eligible occupation (within the last three years), whether in Canada or abroad. Being eligible requires more than just having the necessary work experience.
The Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program are all managed by the application management system known as Express Entry. For entry into the Express Entry application pool, applicants must meet the specific work experience, educational, and language requirements of each of these programs.
According to IRCC, it will continue to rank candidates using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) in the new selection category draws. The likelihood of receiving an invitation to apply for permanent residence is still highest for those with higher test scores.
Consult With Us, Oasis Visas will provide you further information about occupations eligible for Express Entry based selection.
