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By Rebecca Major
Updated on July 10, 2024
Canada uses category-based Express Entry draws to invite candidates whose profiles match with the country's economic goals.
In category-based Express Entry draws, Canada invites candidates who are eligible for a specific category, which may relate to any of the following factors:
- official language ability
- work experience
- education
Category-based Express Entry rounds are held in addition to general and program-specific draws.
To secure your invitation, you need the right resources.
We expect 50,000 more invites to be issued this year. Use our resources to get one.
To be eligible for an invitation through a category-based Express Entry draw, you must meet all of the requirements in the instructions for that round.
When Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) holds a category-based round of invitations, it will rank candidates in the pool who meet the category requirements and invite the top candidates to apply for permanent residence.
IRCC will provide full eligibility details in the instructions for each round.
Keep in mind, you must first be eligible for an Express Entry-managed program in order to be invited in a category-based Express Entry draw. That means you must meet all eligibility criteria for the Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program, or Federal Skilled Trades Program.
How many Express Entry categories are there?
Canada may change the Express Entry categories as the labour market needs fluctuate. In 2024, there are six categories, one for language and five for occupation.
These are the Express Entry categories for this year. Click to learn more about the eligibility criteria for each:
French-language proficiency
To be eligible for the French-language proficiency category, you must:
- have French-language test results that show a minimum score of 7 in all 4 language abilities on the Niveaux de comp茅tence linguistique canadiens
- meet all of the requirements in the instructions for that round
Express Entry French Draw Table
Draw # | Date | CRS | Invitations |
---|---|---|---|
Draw #314 | Sep 13, 2024 | 446 | 1,000 |
Draw #305 | July 18, 2024 | 400 | 1,800 |
Draw #302 | July 8, 2024 | 420 | 3,200 |
Draw #291 | March 26, 2024 | 388 | 1,500 |
Draw #287 | Feb 29, 2024 | 336 | 2,500 |
Draw #282 | Feb 1, 2024 | 365 | 7,000 |
Draw #273 | Dec 7 | 470 | 1,000 |
Draw #270 | Oct 25 | 486 | 300 |
Draw #266 | Sept 27 | 472 | 500 |
Draw #260 | Aug 2 | 435 | 800 |
Draw #258 | July 12 | 375 | 3,800 |
Draw #256 | July 7, 2023 | 439 | 2,300 |
Healthcare occupations
In conjunction with the work experience requirements for your Express Entry-managed program, you must have accumulated at least 6 months within the past 3 years of continuous work experience (in Canada or abroad) in one of the following occupations:
Occupation | 2021 NOC code | 2021 TEER category |
---|---|---|
Audiologists and speech language pathologists | 31112 | 1 |
Chiropractors | 31201 | 1 |
Dentists | 31110 | 1 |
Dieticians and nutritionists | 31121 | 1 |
Education counsellors | 41320 | 1 |
General practitioners and family physicians | 31102 | 1 |
Instructors of persons with disabilities | 42203 | 2 |
Kinesiologists and other professional occupation in therapy and assessment | 31204 | 1 |
Licensed practical nurses | 32101 | 2 |
Massage therapists | 32201 | 2 |
Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations | 33101 | 3 |
Medical laboratory technologists | 32120 | 2 |
Medical radiation technologists | 32121 | 2 |
Medical sonographers | 32122 | 2 |
Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates | 33102 | 3 |
Nurse practitioners | 31302 | 1 |
Nursing co-ordinators and supervisors | 31300 | 1 |
Occupational therapists | 31203 | 1 |
Optometrists | 31111 | 1 |
Other assisting occupations in support of health services | 33109 | 3 |
Other practitioners of natural healing | 32209 | 2 |
Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating | 31209 | 1 |
Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment | 32109 | 2 |
Paramedical occupations | 32102 | 2 |
Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants | 33103 | 3 |
Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals | 31303 | 1 |
Physiotherapists | 31202 | 1 |
Psychologists | 31200 | 1 |
Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 31301 | 1 |
Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists | 32103 | 2 |
Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine | 31100 | 1 |
Specialists in surgery | 31101 | 1 |
Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies | 41301 | 1 |
Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists | 32200 | 2 |
Veterinarians | 31103 | 1 |
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations
In conjunction with the work experience requirements for your Express Entry-managed program, you must have accumulated at least 6 months within the past 3 years of continuous work experience (in Canada or abroad) in one of the following occupations:
Occupation | 2021 NOC code | TEER category |
---|---|---|
Architects | 21200 | 1 |
Architecture and science managers | 20011 | 0 |
Business systems specialists | 21221 | 1 |
Civil Engineers | 21300 | 1 |
Computer and information systems managers | 20012 | 0 |
Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers) | 21311 | 1 |
Computer systems developers and programmers | 21230 | 1 |
Cybersecurity specialists | 21220 | 1 |
Data scientists | 21211 | 1 |
Database analysts and data administrators | 21223 | 1 |
Electrical and electronics engineers | 21310 | 1 |
Engineering managers | 20010 | 0 |
Industrial and manufacturing engineers | 21321 | 1 |
Information systems specialists | 21222 | 1 |
Land surveyors | 21203 | 1 |
Landscape Architects | 21201 | 1 |
Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries | 21210 | 1 |
Metallurgical and materials engineers | 21322 | 1 |
Natural and applied science policy researchers, consultants and program officers | 41400 | 1 |
Software developers and programmers | 21232 | 1 |
Software engineers and designers | 21231 | 1 |
Urban and land use planners | 21202 | 1 |
Web designers | 21233 | 1 |
Web developers and programmers | 21234 | 1 |
Trade occupations
In conjunction with the work experience requirements for your Express Entry-managed program, you must have accumulated at least 6 months within the past 3 years of continuous work experience (in Canada or abroad) in one of the following occupations:
Occupation | 2021 NOC code | 2021 TEER category |
---|---|---|
Carpenters | 72310 | 2 |
Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics | 72400 | 2 |
Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers | 72014 | 2 |
Electricians (except industrial and power system) | 72200 | 2 |
Elevator constructors and mechanics | 72406 | 2 |
Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics | 72402 | 2 |
Machine fitters | 72405 | 2 |
Plumbers | 72300 | 2 |
Residential and commercial installers and servicers | 73200 | 3 |
Welders and related machine operators | 72106 | 2 |
Transport occupations
In conjunction with the work experience requirements for your Express Entry-managed program, you must have accumulated at least 6 months within the past 3 years of continuous work experience (in Canada or abroad) in one of the following occupations:
Occupation | 2021 NOC code | 2021 TEER category |
---|---|---|
Aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors | 93200 | 3 |
Transport truck drivers | 73300 | 3 |
Railway traffic controllers and marine traffic regulators | 72604 | 2 |
Engineer officers, water transport | 72603 | 2 |
Deck officers, water transport | 72602 | 2 |
Air traffic controllers and related occupations | 72601 | 2 |
Air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors | 72600 | 2 |
Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors | 72404 | 2 |
Railway carmen/women | 72403 | 2 |
Managers in transportation | 70020 | 0 |
Agriculture and agri-food occupations
In conjunction with the work experience requirements for your Express Entry-managed program, you must have accumulated at least 6 months within the past 3 years of continuous work experience (in Canada or abroad) in one of the following occupations:
Occupation | 2021 NOC code | 2021 TEER category |
---|---|---|
Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance and horticulture services | 82031 | 2 |
Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors | 82030 | 2 |
Butchers- retail and wholesale | 63201 | 3 |
110,000 people to come to Canada through Express Entry in 2024
We can help you be one of them. Sign up for our free newsletter to access all the information and resources you need for a successful Express Entry application.
How Canada chooses categories
IRCC chooses categories for targeted Express Entry draws based on the following factors:
- labour market information and projections
- input we received from our partners, including provinces and territories, and stakeholders across the country
Each year, IRCC reports to Parliament on the categories chosen for the previous year, including why and how they were chosen, the instructions to establish a category, and the number of invitations issued for each.
Canada will also include information about category-based Express Entry draws in the annual Express Entry Year-End Report.
In order to remain flexible to the labour market, IRCC will also monitor and assess categories on a regular basis.
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Category-based Express Entry Draw History
The following tables show the draw histories of category-based Express Entry draws.
French
Express Entry French Draw Table
Draw # | Date | CRS | Invitations |
---|---|---|---|
Draw #314 | Sep 13, 2024 | 446 | 1,000 |
Draw #305 | July 18, 2024 | 400 | 1,800 |
Draw #302 | July 8, 2024 | 420 | 3,200 |
Draw #291 | March 26, 2024 | 388 | 1,500 |
Draw #287 | Feb 29, 2024 | 336 | 2,500 |
Draw #282 | Feb 1, 2024 | 365 | 7,000 |
Draw #273 | Dec 7 | 470 | 1,000 |
Draw #270 | Oct 25 | 486 | 300 |
Draw #266 | Sept 27 | 472 | 500 |
Draw #260 | Aug 2 | 435 | 800 |
Draw #258 | July 12 | 375 | 3,800 |
Draw #256 | July 7, 2023 | 439 | 2,300 |
Healthcare
Express Entry Healthcare Draw Table
Draw # | Date | CRS | Invitations |
---|---|---|---|
Draw #301 | Jul 4 | 445 | 3,750 |
Draw #284 | Feb 14 | 422 | 3,500 |
Draw #271 | Oct 6 | 431 | 3,600 |
Draw #255 | July 6 | 463 | 1,500 |
Draw #258 | June 28, 2023 | 476 | 500 |
STEM
Express Entry STEM Draw Table
Draw # | Date | CRS | Invitations |
---|---|---|---|
Draw #293 | April 11, 2024 | 491 | 4,500 |
Draw #274 | Dec 8, 2023 | 481 | 5,900 |
Draw #254 | July 5, 2023 | 486 | 500 |
Trades
Express Entry Trades Draw Table
Draw # | Date | CRS | Invitations |
---|---|---|---|
Draw #300 | Jul 4, 2024 | 436 | 1,800 |
Draw #276 | Dec 19, 2023 | 425 | 1,000 |
Draw #261 | Aug 3, 2023 | 388 | 1,500 |
Transportation
Express Entry Transport Draw Table
Draw # | Date | CRS | Invitations |
---|---|---|---|
Draw #289 | March 13, 2024 | 430 | 975 |
Draw #277 | Dec 20, 2023 | 435 | 670 |
Draw #264 | Sept 20, 2023 | 435 | 1,000 |
Agriculture and Agrifood
Express Entry Agriculture Draw Table
Draw # | Date | CRS | Invitations |
---|---|---|---|
Draw #285 | Feb 16, 2024 | 437 | 150 |
Draw #278 | Dec 21, 2023 | 386 | 400 |
Draw #267 | Sept 28, 2023 | 354 | 600 |
Who is eligible to receive an ITA through a category- based draw?
Any applicant who has at least聽 6 months of work experience in the last 3 years in a targeted occupation or those who are able to demonstrate CLB level 7 in French can be selected though a category- based draw.
Is the CRS score still important in category- based draws?
Yes, the CRS score is still important, however it is not the only factor that is taken into consideration. The CRS cut off score is generally lower than that in all-program draws however the CRS score needed to be successful in category-based draws is still high. For this reason, applicants should try and improve their CRS score wherever possible.
What should applicants do if their occupation is not targeted?
Applicants with work experience in an occupation which is not currently being targeted should still enter the Express Entry pool if they are eligible. Provincial nominee programs are still using the Express Entry pool to source applicants and IRCC as still conducting all- program draws from the pool.
Will there still be all-program/ general draws?
Yes, IRCC have confirmed that they will still hold all-program/ general draws. In fact, since the introduction of category- based draws IRCC have almost held an equal number of all-program and category-based draws.
From an internal IRCC memo, it can be concluded that 21.5% of ITA’s issued in 2024 will be issued as part of all-program/ general draws.
How can you increase your chances of being selected in a category- based draw?
If an applicant has a targeted work experience of the required level of French,聽 in order to increase their chances of receiving an ITA, they should focus on increasing their CRS score. The CRS cut off for category-based draws is generally lower than all-program draws however is still very competitive.
Will the occupations targeted change?
Yes. It is likely that these categories will be reassessed in 2024 and may be update to reflect the country’s new labour needs.
How often will IRCC conduct category- based draws?
IRCC have not committed to a frequency of category-based draws. Historically, IRCC have conducted Express Entry draws every 2 weeks however since the introduction of category-based draws, Express Entry draws have been more sporadic and much less predictable.
Irrespective of their frequency, according to an internal IRCC memo, in 2024, priority will be given to the French proficiency category applicants who will receive 30% of ITAS, 25% will go to STEM occupations and 15% will go to Healthcare occupations. The remaining 30% will be divided between Trade occupations (5%), Transportation occupations (3%), Agricutural and Agri-food occupations (0.5%) and General draws (IRCC has not committed to a target for general draws the remaining 21.5% will likely go towards general draws).
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