On this page you will find
- Overview of Express Entry and healthcare draws
- Example healthcare candidate profiles with CRS breakdowns
- Analysis of 2025 Express Entry draws
- What recent CRS cut-offs mean for healthcare candidates
- FAQs on Express Entry and healthcare immigration
Express Entry and Healthcare
Express Entry manages permanent residence applications under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) and parts of the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
Category-based draws prioritise certain occupations, with healthcare consistently among the largest targeted groups. These draws have allowed doctors, nurses and technologists to succeed at CRS scores below those needed for general CEC draws.
Example Healthcare Candidate Profiles With CRS Scores
Profile 1: John – Doctor from the UK
- Age: 33 → ~90 points
- Education: Medical degree (master’s equivalent) → ~135 points
- First Language (English CLB 9+) → ~120 points
- Foreign Work Experience (7 years) → ~50 points
- Skill Transferability → ~75 points
- Total CRS: 470
Analysis: John would have been competitive in the July 22 healthcare draw (cut-off 475). Just a small boost (e.g. spouse points or French ability) could make him successful.
Profile 2: Maria – Nurse with Canadian Experience
- Age: 29 → ~100 points
- Education: Canadian bachelor’s → ~120 points
- English (CLB 9+) → ~120 points
- French (CLB 7) → ~25 points
- Canadian Work Experience (2 years) → ~80 points
- Skill Transferability → ~75 points
- Total CRS: 520
Analysis: Maria easily clears all 2025 healthcare draw thresholds (504 and 475). She would also qualify in many CEC draws (which ranged 518–547 this year).
Profile 3: Ahmed – Medical Laboratory Technologist
- Age: 35 → ~77 points
- Education: Bachelor’s degree → ~120 points
- English (CLB 9) → ~110 points
- Foreign Work Experience (10 years) → ~50 points
- Spouse adaptability → ~20 points
- Skill Transferability → ~75 points
- Total CRS: 452
Analysis: Ahmed is below general CEC cut-offs, but competitive in healthcare draws — especially the May 2 draw (510) and June 4 draw (504) where IRCC showed willingness to dip close to his level.
Profile 4: Sophie – Nursing Supervisor With Provincial Nomination
- Age: 41 → ~50 points
- Education: Bachelor’s → ~120 points
- French (CLB 9) → ~110 points
- Work Experience (15 years) → ~50 points
- Skill Transferability → ~50 points
- Base CRS: 380
- Provincial Nomination → +600
- Total CRS: 980
Analysis: Sophie is a guaranteed invite. Every PNP draw in 2025 has required 706+ CRS. With 980, she comfortably clears those levels.
Profile 5: Daniel – Paramedic in Rural Canada
- Age: 27 → ~110 points
- Education: Diploma → ~90 points
- English (CLB 9) → ~120 points
- Canadian Work Experience (1 year) → ~70 points
- Foreign Work Experience (2 years) → ~25 points
- Skill Transferability → ~50 points
- Total CRS: 465
Analysis: Daniel would be below CEC cut-offs, but close to healthcare thresholds. The July 22 healthcare draw at 475 is just above his score, meaning small boosts (extra work experience or higher spouse points) could tip him over the line.
2025 Express Entry Draw Trends
So far in 2025, there have been 31 draws across all categories:
- Healthcare and social services: 3 draws (May 2, June 4, July 22) with cut-offs between 475 and 510. These represent thousands of invitations for doctors, nurses, technologists and supervisors.
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC): Frequent draws with cut-offs 518–547. These were consistently higher than healthcare draws.
- French language proficiency: Large draws in March (as low as 379) and August (481), showing continued support for bilingual candidates.
- Provincial Nominee Program (PNP): Smaller draws with very high cut-offs (706–802) reflecting the 600-point boost from provincial nominations.
- Education occupations: A July 1,000-invitation draw with a cut-off of 479 showed education remains a secondary priority.
Key Takeaways for Healthcare Candidates
- Healthcare draws are more accessible than CEC draws: cut-offs have been 20–40 points lower.
- Candidates like John (470) or Daniel (465) may miss in general draws but stand a real chance in healthcare draws.
- Strong bilingual skills (Maria) or provincial nominations (Sophie) guarantee invitations regardless of category.
- IRCC is continuing to use targeted draws to meet workforce shortages, with healthcare clearly one of the most important sectors.
FAQ
How many healthcare draws have there been in 2025?
There have been three so far – May 2, June 4 and July 22 – with cut-offs of 510, 504 and 475 respectively. Together they issued over 5,500 invitations.
How do healthcare draws compare to CEC draws in 2025?
CEC draws required 518–547 CRS, higher than healthcare draws. This means healthcare workers with mid-400s CRS have better chances in targeted draws.
What is the lowest CRS seen in 2025?
The lowest CRS this year was 379 in a March French-language draw. For healthcare, the lowest was 475 in July.
How important are provincial nominations?
Very. PNP invitations always guarantee selection by adding 600 points, but cut-offs have been high (706–802) because of this boost.
Will healthcare remain a priority in 2025?
Yes. Draws so far confirm healthcare as a consistent category. With shortages across provinces, IRCC will likely continue to run regular healthcare draws.
