Express Entry Healthcare and Social Services Category (2026)

Canada has long shortages of nurses, doctors, personal support workers, and other care staff. The healthcare and social services category is one of the category-based draws that IRCC uses to invite these workers through Express Entry. In a healthcare draw, only candidates who meet the category rules are invited, ranked by their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.

The category was kept for 2026, but the experience rule tightened from 6 months to 12 months. Physicians with Canadian experience now also have a separate physicians category.

IRCC publishes the full list of eligible National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes on its category-based selection page. Examples on the 2026 list include:

Check the official list for your exact code before you rely on it. Your duties, not your job title, decide your NOC code.

You are included in healthcare draws if you:

1. Have an active Express Entry profile and are eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Canadian Experience Class, or Federal Skilled Trades Program.
2. Have at least 12 months of full-time work experience, or an equal amount of part-time, in one listed occupation.
3. Gained that experience within the last 3 years, in Canada or abroad. It does not need to be continuous.

Some listed jobs, such as nurse aides (33102), are TEER 3. That still works for Express Entry: TEER 3 experience can qualify you for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (with CLB 7 in all abilities) or the Canadian Experience Class (with CLB 5 for TEER 2-3 jobs). Make sure you meet a program's language and experience rules first.

Not to be invited. The category looks at your experience, not your license. But most health jobs in Canada are regulated by provincial bodies, and you cannot work as a nurse, doctor, pharmacist, or similar professional until you are licensed in the province where you settle.

Common assessment routes include:

• Nurses: the National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS), followed by the provincial nursing regulator.
• Physicians: the Medical Council of Canada, followed by the provincial college of physicians and surgeons.
• Pharmacists: the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada, followed by the provincial regulator.

Start licensing early; it can take a long time. Some provinces offer faster routes for internationally trained health workers. Check the province hubs, such as Ontario, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia. Employers hiring health workers can see hiring healthcare workers from abroad.

IRCC chooses when to hold healthcare draws and how many invitations to issue. Healthcare has been one of the more frequently drawn categories since 2023, but frequency and cutoffs change. Each draw publishes its own CRS cutoff.

Follow results on our Express Entry draws tracker and estimate your score with the CRS calculator.

A healthcare invitation is a normal Invitation to Apply (ITA) with 60 days to submit. See from ITA to COPR. Because you were invited on the basis of your occupation, the officer will look closely at your healthcare experience. Prepare:

• Reference letters from each employer showing your job title, dates, hours per week, salary, and main duties. The duties should match the lead statement and most main duties of your NOC code.
• Proof of the job, such as contracts, pay slips, or tax records.
• Registration or license documents from your home country, if your job required them. They support your claim, even though a Canadian license is not required for the invitation.
• The usual documents: valid language results, an Educational Credential Assessment if needed, police certificates, a medical exam, and proof of funds if your program requires it.

If your experience does not really match a listed occupation, your application can be refused, and false claims are treated as misrepresentation with a 5-year ban. If you are unsure, talk to a lawyer or licensed consultant (RCIC) before accepting.

• Provincial nominations. Several provinces run health-focused streams. BC's Health Authority stream and Ontario's planned Priority Healthcare pathway are examples. A nomination adds 600 CRS points. See PNP, the BC PNP 2026 overhaul, and the Ontario PNP 2026 overhaul.
• Atlantic Immigration Program: for workers with a job offer from a designated employer in the Atlantic provinces.
• Rural Community Immigration Pilot: for workers with a job offer in a participating rural community.
• Physicians with Canadian experience can also use the physicians category.

Entering the Express Entry pool is free. After an invitation, you pay IRCC's fees.

As of September 2026 (fees rose on April 30, 2026), IRCC charges these fees for economic programs such as Express Entry and the PNP, in Canadian dollars:

Biometrics cost $85 per person, or $170 for a family applying together. Check the IRCC fee list before paying, because fees change. Budget as well for language tests, an Educational Credential Assessment if you studied abroad, police certificates, and medical exams.

IRCC aims to process most Express Entry applications in about 6 months after you submit a complete application. Real times vary. Check the IRCC processing times tool or our processing times page.

Your spouse or common-law partner and dependent children under 22 can be included in your application and become permanent residents with you. Each must pass medical and security checks.