Canada Conducts Second-Largest Healthcare Express Entry Draw of 2025, Issuing 2,500 Invitations
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has conducted another major round of invitations through the Express Entry system, continuing its trend of prioritizing healthcare and social service workers.
On August 19, 2025, IRCC issued 2,500 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) in the Healthcare and Social Services occupation category, making this the second-largest healthcare-focused draw of the year. To qualify, candidates needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 470 and must have created their Express Entry profile before April 23, 2025, at 8:08 p.m. UTC.
This draw comes right after a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw on August 18, and closely follows other category-based selections this month, including a French-language proficiency draw on August 8 and a Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw on August 7.
Since May 2025, IRCC has held one Healthcare and Social Services draw each month, marking a significant shift in immigration policy. Before May, no such category-based draws had taken place this year. This steady stream of healthcare-focused invitations demonstrates Canada’s urgent need for skilled healthcare and social service professionals to fill labour shortages nationwide.
So far in 2025, IRCC has issued 55,820 ITAs through the Express Entry system, distributed mainly across:
- 15 PNP draws
- 8 Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draws
- 4 French-language proficiency draws
- 4 Healthcare and Social Services draws
The steady expansion of category-based selections highlights Canada’s strategy to target critical labour shortages in healthcare, social services, education, and French-language communities.
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