Canada Targets Healthcare Professionals in New Category-based Express Entry Draw

Yesterday, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) extended a life-changing invitation to 1,000 healthcare and social services professionals in the first category-based Express Entry draw of December. These invitations—formally known as Invitations to Apply (ITAs)—mark a major step toward permanent residency for those dedicating their careers to caring for others.

The Details: What It Took to Be Invited

To secure an ITA in this highly-focused draw, candidates needed:

• A minimum CRS Score of 476: This was the competitive floor for entry in this category.
• A Race Against the Clock: Candidates with the lowest score (476) were sorted by the time they entered the Express Entry pool, meaning their profiles had to be created before 7:44 a.m. UTC on November 26, 2025.

This 6,000 ITAs issuance marks the single largest invitation round directed at CEC applicants since the summer of 2024 (specifically, July 16, 2024), effectively making it the most substantial draw for this category in more than 16 months.

Express Entry Draw Result – 11 Dec 2025

Date	EE Draw Category	No. of ITAs	Minimum CRS Score Requirement	Tie-breaking rule
Dec 11, 2025	Healthcare and social services occupations (Version 2)	1,000	476	November 26, 2025 at 07:44:30 UTC

Click here to see the complete list of Express Entry draws until date

The 2025 Scorecard: A Year of Targeted Immigration

With this latest draw, IRCC has now issued a staggering 102,599 ITAs through the Express Entry system in 2025. This year has been defined by targeted draws aimed at specific skill sets rather than general draws.

Draw Type	Number of Draws
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)	23
Canadian Experience Class (CEC)	14
French-language proficiency	8
Healthcare and social services	7
Education	2
Trade	1

While PNP draws have been the most frequent (23 draws), the highest volume of ITAs has gone to two key groups:

Draw Type	ITAs Issued to Date (2025)	Significance
French-language proficiency	42,000	A massive push to support Francophone communities outside of Quebec.
Canadian Experience Class (CEC)	30,850	Rewarding those who already have Canadian work experience.
Healthcare and social services	13,500	Reflecting the ongoing, critical demand in the care sector.

The consistent focus on categories like healthcare (now at 6 draws total) and Education shows IRCC's commitment to ensuring the immigration system directly supports the country’s most challenged sectors.

Would you like to explore the specific job titles that fall under the 'Healthcare and social services' category, or see the details of the recent CEC draw?

Also read-

Major CEC Express Entry Draw invites 6,000 candidates- Boosts 2025 ITA Tally Past 100,000

IRCC Conducts Largest PNP Express Entry Draw of 2025- Invites 1,123 Candidates

Express Entry Targets French Speakers with 6,000 Invitations at Highly Competitive CRS 408

Latest Express Entry Draw Targets Canadian Experience Class- 1,000 ITAs Issued

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