Express Entry will be changing in 2025

Express Entry is Canada’s most popular way of applying for Canadian permanent residence. IRCC announced on February 27, 2025, that they would be making changes to how applicants are selected from the Express Entry system. Express Entry draws are currently broken up into general draws, program-specific draws, and category-based draws. Express Entry category-based draws in 2024 targeted those who were proficient in french, or had qualifying work experience in healthcare, trades, agriculture, STEM, agriculture and transportation.

Express Entry Program-Specific draws

As part of the Express Entry updates for 2025, Immigration Minister Marc Miller stated that the focus of the Express Entry draws will be on those candidates with experience working in Canada who meet the criteria of the Canadian Experience Class.

Express Entry Category-Based draws

Express Entry category-based draws in 2025 will be targeting the following categories:

• strong French language skills, or
• work experience in the following fields:
  • health care and social services, such as family physicians, nurse practitioners, dentists, pharmacists, psychologists and chiropractors
  • trades, such as carpenters, plumbers and contractors
  • education, such as teachers, child care educators and instructors of persons with disabilities

Express Entry French Language Category-Based draws

To be eligible to be selected in an Express Entry French Language category-based draw applicants are required to meet the following criteria at the time of the Express Entry draw:

• have a valid Express Entry profile, and
• have french-language test results that show a minimum score of 7 in all 4 language abilities on the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (test results must be less than two years old).

Express Entry Education Occupations Category-Based draws

To be eligible to be selected in an Express Entry Education Occupation category-based draw applicants are required to meet the following criteria at the time of the Express Entry draw:

• have a valid Express Entry profile
• 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

To be eligible to be selected in an Express Entry Social Services Occupations category-based draw applicants are required to meet the following criteria at the time of the Express Entry draw:

• have a valid Express Entry profile
• 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

Occupation	2021 NOC code	2021 TEER category
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

 

Express Entry Trades Occupations Category-Based draws

To be eligible to be selected in an Express Entry Trades Occupations category-based draw applicants are required to meet the following criteria at the time of the Express Entry draw:

• have a valid Express Entry profile
• 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

Occupation	2021 NOC code	2021 TEER category
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

Express Entry Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Occupations Category-Based draws

To be eligible to be selected in an Express Entry Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Occupations category-based draw applicants are required to meet the following criteria at the time of the Express Entry draw:

• have a valid Express Entry profile
• 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

Occupation	2021 NOC code	2021 TEER category
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

Express Entry Agriculture and Agri-food Occupations Category-Based draws

To be eligible to be selected in an Express Entry Agriculture and Agri-food Occupations category-based draw applicants are required to meet the following criteria at the time of the Express Entry draw:

• have a valid Express Entry profile
• 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

Occupation	2021 NOC code	2021 TEER category
Butchers – retail and wholesale	63201	3

Express Entry Invitations to Apply

If you receive an Invitation to Apply through the Express Entry system, you need to ensure that you continue to meet the criteria of the draw you were selected in, at the time you submit your application for Permanent Residence to IRCC. This includes ensuring that your language test results are less than two years old at the time your application is submitted to IRCC.