Having eligible work experience in one of the Express Entry’s targeted occupation categories improves the candidate’s probability of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence (PR). The Express Entry priority job categories can change from year to year. IRCC sets its immigration priorities at the beginning of each year and aligns category-based draws accordingly. Categories are set according to labour market data, future projections, and input from provinces, territories, and other stakeholders to meet economic and demographic goals in Canada. The in-demand occupations that increase PR chances in Canada currently included in Express Entry’s occupation-based categories are discussed below.
Category-based selections are Express Entry in-demand occupations draws, where IRCC targets candidates from a specific category who meet the particular criteria in the Express Entry pool. The category-based draws are held to meet economic and demographic needs in Canada. The categories are set on factors such as language proficiency, work experience in targeted occupations, and other priority factors. The invitations are sent after finding the eligible candidates, ranking them based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), and sending ITAs for the highest-ranking candidates.
This is a priority category under the Express Entry system, and in 2025, in total, 7 draws were held in the category with a CRS cut-off score that ranged from 462 to 510. The job roles prioritized due to the continuous labour shortages in the category across Canada include the following:
The STEM category focuses on engineering and tech roles such as
Even though the draws are less frequent than healthcare, when they are held, they offer excellent Canada PR through Express Entry possibilities.
The skilled trade category jobs at times have lower CRS cut-offs and targeted draws, and the category focuses on job roles involved in construction and industrial work:
The category for education was included in the Express Entry in 2025 and is gaining priority, including:
This category is for physicians who have at least 12 months of Canadian work experience, offering a more focused pathway to PR.
Compare your duties of your current role with the tasks listed in the NOC description of the specific NOC . Each occupation has a TEER level (Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities) level, which indicates the overall skill and responsibility level of the role.
How to compare your job to the NOC:
Visit the NOC official website and select NOC 2021 Version 1.0, and once you find your job title or the numeric NOC code, compare your job responsibilities to the main duties section listed for the specific NOC. The NOC selected will be correct if your responsibilities align with the listed duties and your occupation is not listed under the “exclusions” section. If they don’t match, then review another category occupation. Also ensure that your proof of experience has the listed responsibilities aligned with the selected NOC’s main duties.
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The occupation-based Express Entry category draw is a targeted draw where candidates in the Express Entry pool who have work experience in certain in-demand occupations are invited by IRCC for Canada PR through Express Entry.
As an eligible candidate, you will be ranked using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, and the top-ranked candidate will receive an invitation.
It is not always necessary to have a job offer, but you must have work experience in an eligible occupation and meet the eligibility of the program.
Most Occupation-based Express Entry category draw require you to have at least six months of experience in the past three years and for Physicians with Canadian work experience at least 12 months.
Not all category-based draws are conducted frequently; some, like healthcare, may have regular draws, while others may have few to none in a year.
No, you must also meet the minimum CRS score requirements for that draw, and you must be one of the highest-ranking candidates in that category.
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