Canada Invites 4,000 Healthcare Professionals in Latest Express Entry Targeted Draw
On July 22, Ottawa time, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) successfully conducted another high-profile targeted draw through its flagship immigration selection system, Express Entry.
This round issued a total of 4,000 Invitations to Apply (ITA) to candidates with professional backgrounds in healthcare and social services, marking a crucial step for them toward obtaining Canadian permanent resident status.
According to official information, candidates invited in this round had to meet the following two conditions:
- A Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of no less than 475;
- Must have created their Express Entry profile before March 13, 2025, at 1:08 p.m. Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). This "cut-off time" is the tie-breaking rule used by IRCC, meaning that among candidates with a CRS score of 475, only those who submitted their profile before this specific time and date received an invitation.
2025 Express Entry Draws: A Review and Trend Analysis
This draw was the fourth in July, continuing the month's trend of frequent invitations. Previously, IRCC held draws on July 21 (Provincial Nominee Program), July 8 (Canadian Experience Class), and July 7 (Provincial Nominee Program).
To date, IRCC has issued a cumulative total of 49,403 Invitations to Apply through the Express Entry system in 2025.
An overview of this year's draw trends reveals the following key characteristics:
- Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Dominance: With 13 draws, the PNP has been the most frequently invited category.
- Category-based Draws are the Norm: In addition to traditional PNP and Canadian Experience Class (CEC, 7 draws), targeted draws for specific skills and backgrounds have become increasingly important. These include draws for French-language proficiency (3), Healthcare (3), and Education (1).
- A Recent Pattern Has Emerged: Since June 10, IRCC appears to have established a relatively consistent pattern of holding alternating PNP and CEC draws every two weeks.
Implications for Applicants: Category-Based Draws as a Key Immigration Pathway
For many candidates with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score below 500, the Express Entry "category-based selection" mechanism provides a vital pathway to immigration.
To be eligible for such draws, an applicant must have at least six months of full-time, continuous work experience in one of the designated priority occupations. Notably, this work experience can be gained either inside or outside of Canada, which opens up opportunities for professionals worldwide.
Analysis suggests that many of Canada's top employers are actively recruiting talent for occupations that qualify for these category-based draws to fill gaps in the domestic labor market. For professionals in healthcare, education, technology, trades, and those with French-language skills who aspire to immigrate to Canada, thoroughly understanding the eligibility requirements for targeted draws and creating an effective Express Entry profile early on will be key to success.
Summary of Express Entry draws in 2025
- Provincial Nominee Program (PNP): 13 draws
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC): 7 draws
- French-language proficiency: 3 draws
- Healthcare and social services: 3 draws
- Education: 1 draw
| Date | Draw Type | Number of ITAs | Cut-off CRS score |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 22 | Healthcare and social services | 4,000 | 475 |
| July 21 | Provincial Nominee Program | 202 | 788 |
| July 8 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,000 | 518 |
| July 7 | Provincial Nominee Program | 356 | 750 |
| June 23 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,000 | 521 |
| June 26 | Provincial Nominee Program | 503 | 742 |
| June 12 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,000 | 529 |
| June 10 | Provincial Nominee Program | 125 | 784 |
| June 4 | Healthcare and social services | 500 | 504 |
| June 3 | Provincial Nominee Program | 277 | 726 |
| May 13 | Canadian Experience Class | 500 | 547 |
| May 12 | Provincial Nominee Program | 511 | 706 |
| May 2 | Healthcare and social services | 500 | 510 |
| May 1 | Education | 1,000 | 479 |
| April 28 | Provincial Nominee Program | 421 | 727 |
| April 14 | Provincial Nominee Program | 825 | 764 |
| March 21 | French language proficiency | 7,500 | 379 |
| March 17 | Provincial Nominee Program | 536 | 736 |
| March 6 | French language proficiency | 4,500 | 410 |
| March 3 | Provincial Nominee Program | 725 | 667 |
| February 19 | French language proficiency | 6,500 | 428 |
| February 17 | Provincial Nominee Program | 646 | 750 |
| February 5 | Canadian Experience Class | 4,000 | 521 |
| February 4 | Provincial Nominee Program | 455 | 802 |
| January 23 | Canadian Experience Class | 4,000 | 527 |
| January 8 | Canadian Experience Class | 1,350 | 542 |
| January 7 | Provincial Nominee Program | 471 | 793 |
Friendly reminder: There are many pathways to immigrate to Canada. We recommend first using UNA AI to generate an objective and neutral immigration plan, so you can gain an initial understanding of the possible immigration pathways and their requirements, and then choose to proceed with one-on-one consultations with a licensed Canadian immigration consultant partnered with UNA.
IRCC Wraps Up March with 2,250 Invitations in Canadian Experience Class Draw
On March 31, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) closed out the month with an Express Entry draw targeting Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates, issuing 2,250 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residence at a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 509. This marked the 19th Express Entry draw of 2026 and the sixth dedicated CEC round this year. With 55,830 ITAs issued across the first three months of the year — 30,250 of which went to CEC candidates alone — the federal government's strategy of prioritizing immigration applicants already living and working in Canada has come into sharp focus.
04/01/2026
Canada Issues Hundreds of Express Entry Invitations to Provincial Nominees
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued 356 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to candidates under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) in the 18th Express Entry draw of 2026. Candidates in this draw were required to have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 802 and to have created their Express Entry profile before 3:54 a.m. UTC on February 12, 2026. So far in 2026, IRCC has focused its draws primarily on candidates residing in Canada, especially those with provincial nominations and Canadian work experience. A total of 53,580 ITAs have been issued to date.
03/31/2026
Manitoba Invites More Skilled Workers on March 26, with Francophone Community Initiative Taking Centre Stage
The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) held a new selection round on March 26, 2026, issuing 14 Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs) under the Skilled Worker Stream to candidates in Manitoba and overseas. Those invited had declared in their Expression of Interest (EOI) profiles that they had been directly invited by the province through a strategic recruitment initiative. Among the various initiatives, the Francophone Community initiative accounted for the highest number of invitations, with eight LAAs issued. In addition, three invitees declared valid Express Entry profile numbers and job seeker validation codes.
03/30/2026
Canada’s Bill C-12 Comes into Force, Tightening Rules on Immigration Application Management, Asylum Eligibility, and Information Sharing
Canada’s federal government has officially enacted the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act (Bill C-12) after it received royal assent on March 26, 2026. According to publicly available information from the Canadian government and Parliament, the legislation introduces major changes in four core areas: asylum eligibility, asylum procedures, the immigration department’s information-sharing powers, and public-interest authority over visas, study permits, work permits, and related immigration applications. The new law also imposes stricter asylum eligibility rules and requires that related executive orders be reported to Parliament, while some of its long-term effects will be subject to future parliamentary review.
03/28/2026
Ontario issues over 1,100 provincial nomination invitations on March 25, targeting foreign workers, international graduates, and in-demand professionals
On March 25, 2026, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) held five targeted invitation rounds, issuing a total of 1,112 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to candidates currently in Canada who hold valid work or study permits and have qualifying job offers from eligible employers. The invitations covered the Foreign Worker, International Student, and In-Demand Skills categories under the Employer Job Offer streams, across the Greater Toronto Area, Southwestern Ontario, Central Ontario (excluding the GTA), Eastern Ontario, and Northern Ontario. At the same time, Ontario is moving ahead with a major restructuring of its provincial nomination system, with several existing categories expected to be repealed on May 30, 2026, when legislative changes come into force and new consolidated streams are introduced.
03/27/2026
Canada Expands Open Work Permit Eligibility for Spouses of Foreign Workers at Two B.C. Companies
Canada has further expanded work permit access for family members of foreign workers employed by selected companies. As of March 23, 2026, foreign workers employed in British Columbia by Lululemon Athletica or Microsoft Vancouver can support an open work permit application for their spouse or common-law partner, without the usual restrictions based on the principal applicant’s skill level, salary, or seniority. The new measure applies to applications received on or after that date and represents a targeted exemption for companies tied to significant investment projects, even as Canada continues tightening spousal open work permit rules more broadly.
03/25/2026
Canada Welcomed 393,750 New Permanent Residents in 2025, as Immigration Policy Entered a Phase of Slower and More Stable Growth
Canada welcomed 393,750 new permanent residents in 2025, down from 483,655 in 2024 and 471,820 in 2023, indicating that federal immigration policy has moved away from the high-growth post-pandemic phase toward a period more focused on sustainability and system capacity. Under the government’s existing plan, the 2025 total came very close to the annual target of 395,000. Looking ahead, Canada also plans to stabilize permanent resident targets at 380,000 per year from 2026 to 2028. At the same time, compared with the moderate reduction in permanent immigration, temporary resident numbers are set to decline more sharply, reflecting Ottawa’s attempt to strike a new balance among labour market needs, housing pressures, pressure on public services, and the pace of population growth.
03/24/2026
Alberta Holds Six Immigration Draws in Three Weeks, Targeting Rural, Healthcare, and Tech Candidates
Over the past three weeks, the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) announced results from six provincial immigration draws held between February 26 and March 16, 2026. A total of 1,447 invitations were issued across several streams and pathways, including the Alberta Opportunity Stream, Rural Renewal Stream, Alberta Express Entry Priority Sectors pathway for healthcare, the Accelerated Tech pathway, and the Dedicated Health Care Pathway outside Express Entry. The latest round of draws shows Alberta is continuing to prioritize rural labour shortages, healthcare staffing needs, and the attraction of technology talent in 2026. As of March 17, Alberta had received 6,403 nomination spaces for the year, of which 1,127 had already been used, leaving 5,276 spots remaining.
03/23/2026
Canada Changes How Super Visa Income Requirements for Parents and Grandparents Are Calculated, with New Rules Taking Effect on March 31
The Canadian federal government announced in Ottawa on March 20, 2026, that it will change how income requirements are calculated for the Parents and Grandparents Super Visa starting March 31, 2026. The new policy, to be implemented by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), is intended to make it easier for more families to qualify while ensuring that family members receive adequate financial support during their stay in Canada. Under the updated rules, a host’s income will no longer be assessed based only on the tax year immediately preceding the application. Instead, hosts may qualify by meeting the requirement in either of the two preceding tax years. In addition, if the host and co-signer have already met the required minimum percentage of income, the income of the visiting parent or grandparent may also be used to make up the remaining amount. IRCC said that all applications already in processing as of March 31, 2026, as well as those submitted on or after that date, will be assessed under the new criteria.
03/21/2026
Ontario Resumes Provincial Immigration Invitations for Master’s and PhD Graduates, with Over 1,100 Candidates Invited
On March 18, 2026, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) conducted its third round of invitations of the year and completed six targeted draws on the same day, issuing a total of 1,243 Invitations to Apply (ITAs). Among them, 1,107 ITAs were issued through the Master’s Graduate and PhD Graduate streams, marking the first invitations under these two streams since September 17, 2024. The draws mainly targeted international student graduates and foreign workers with Canadian work experience in specific National Occupational Classification (NOC) occupations. At the same time, Ontario also issued 136 ITAs through its Employer Job Offer streams. These invitations came as the province moves ahead with a major restructuring of its immigration system, with several current categories scheduled to be revoked on May 30, 2026, and replaced by a new framework.
03/20/2026
