Targeted-Based Express Entry Draws For Healthcare Occupations

Sanjay Yadav
[Published 15 Sep, 2023 | 05:02 PM]
About Author - 6 min read
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On May 31, Canada's Minister of Immigration Sean Fraser, announced the launch of category-based selection draws for Express Entry candidates. With the introduction of category-based draws, the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) aims to strategically address labor shortages across various key sectors in Canada.

Canada Express Entry draws in 2023 will now be focused on candidates who have a strong French language proficiency or work experience in the following fields:

• Healthcare occupations
• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) occupations
• Trade occupations
• Transport occupations
• Agriculture and Agri-Food occupations

The categories for Express Entry draws were chosen after considering labor market projections and consulting with various Partners, Stakeholders, Provincial, and Territorial governments. By involving a wide range of perspectives - IRCC hopes that the upcoming Express Entry draws align with the country's economic needs and priorities.

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Why Were Healthcare Occupations Chosen?

Canada relies a lot on immigration to fill healthcare jobs. In the last quarter of 2022, there were 143,695 job vacancies in the Healthcare and Social Assistance category - making it the sector with the highest number of job vacancies in Canada.

Interestingly, a quarter of all registered nurses and 36% of physicians in Canada were born outside of the country.  But here's the issue: foreign-trained medical professionals often have a tough time getting accreditation from Canadian authorities and approval to work in their field in Canada.

To address this, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is making some changes to make it easier for foreign-trained healthcare workers to immigrate to Canada, especially doctors who are already in Canada on a temporary visa.

Jobs For Healthcare Occupations Category: Complete List

Eligibility For Healthcare Occupations Category

To be eligible to apply under the Healthcare Occupations Category, you must:

• Meet the eligibility criteria of one of the Express Entry streams: Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, or Canadian Experience Class.
• Have at least 6 months of full-time, continuous work experience within the past 3 years in Canada or abroad, in a profession targeted for the Healthcare Occupations Category.
• Meet all of the requirements in the instructions for that round.

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How Does IRCC Choose and Report On Categories?

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) chooses categories based on:

• Labor market information and projections.
• Input received from partners, including provinces and territories, and stakeholders across the country.

Each year, they report to Parliament on:

• The categories chosen the previous year.
• Why and how they chose them.
• The instructions to establish a category.
• The number of invitations issued for each category.

They also:

• Include information about category-based selection in the Express Entry Year-End Report.
• Monitor and assess categories on a regular basis.

Since June 2022, the Government of Canada has been planning category-based selection draws. This change was made to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to allow the selection of immigrants based on specific attributes that align with Canada's economic priorities.

“Everywhere I go, I’ve heard loud and clear from employers across the country who are experiencing chronic labor shortages. These changes to the Express Entry system will ensure that they have the skilled workers they need to grow and succeed. We can also grow our economy and help businesses with labor shortages while also increasing the number of French-proficient candidates to help ensure the vitality of French-speaking communities. Put simply, Canada’s immigration system has never been more responsive to the country’s social or economic needs.” said Fraser.

The introduction of new categories aims to address the vacancies mentioned on the Canada Occupation In-demand List. Immigration in 2023 and beyond will continue to support the labor shortage in Canada and sustain the growth of the French language in French minority communities outside Quebec.

Read More:- STEM Occupations To Fast-Track Your Canada Immigration!