Express Entry – Category-Based Selections: Significant Changes
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced significant changes to the Express Entry Categories on February 27, 2025, aiming to better align Canada’s immigration system with evolving labour market needs.
Changes for 2025
The Category-Based Selections (also known as Targeted Draws) at a glance now:
The French-language proficiency category remained unchanged
The Healthcare category now includes social services occupations and various technologist and technician roles. 8 new occupations have been added, while 6 occupations have been removed.
The STEM category has been significantly reduced, from 24 occupations to just 11.
The Trades category has grown significantly with 19 new occupations added and only 4 occupations removed.
The Agriculture and Agri-food category now includes only 1 occupation.
The Transport category removed. Transportation occupations are no longer eligible.
New Education category added. A new category for education professionals has been created, with 5 in-demand occupations on the list.
Priority Categories for 2025
While IRCC maintains 6 categories, the department announced the priority categories:
French-language proficiency
Healthcare and social services
Trades
Education
These 4 categories will be prioritized for Invitation To Apply (ITA) for Permanent Residence (PR) through the Targeted Draws within the Express Entry system. You must meet the eligibility criteria for the Category-Based Selection and have the required CRS score for ITA.
Additionally to the Category-Based Selections, IRCC will be focusing on inviting candidates for Permanent Residence (PR) who have qualifying Work Experience in Canada (Canadian Experience Class).
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