On this page you will find:
- How many healthcare workers Canada has invited through targeted Express Entry draws in 2026
- How healthcare and social-services draws differ from physician-specific draws
- Why physicians can receive invitations with much lower CRS scores
- How the Canadian Experience Class can provide another route for healthcare professionals
- How provincial nomination can improve a healthcare worker’s chances of permanent residence
- What Canada’s healthcare-focused Express Entry strategy means for candidates
Canada has made healthcare workers one of the clearest priorities of its Express Entry system in 2026, issuing more than 12,000 Invitations to Apply in rounds specifically targeting the sector.
But Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is no longer treating all healthcare professionals in the same way.
The federal government has held three large Healthcare and Social Services Occupations draws so far in 2026, issuing a combined 11,500 Invitations to Apply (ITAs).
At the same time, IRCC has introduced separate Express Entry rounds specifically for physicians with Canadian work experience. Three physician rounds have issued another 891 ITAs.
The result is an increasingly targeted Express Entry system in which different types of healthcare professionals can face dramatically different Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) requirements.
Physicians with Canadian work experience have received invitations with CRS scores as low as 169, while general healthcare and social-services candidates have required scores of between 467 and 475.
Health workers may also qualify through Canadian Experience Class (CEC) selection or a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), giving some candidates several potential routes to Canadian permanent residence.
The pattern shows how Canada is using immigration selection to respond directly to workforce needs rather than relying solely on candidates with the highest overall CRS scores.
Canada Has Issued 11,500 Healthcare And Social-Services ITAs
IRCC has conducted three Healthcare and Social Services Occupations rounds in 2026.
The first took place on February 20, when Canada issued 4,000 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of 467.
A second round on June 25 issued another 4,000 invitations. The minimum CRS score increased slightly to 475.
IRCC followed that with its largest recent healthcare round on September 4, issuing 3,500 invitations with a minimum CRS score of 475.
Together, those rounds have produced 11,500 ITAs.
| Date | Express Entry category | ITAs | Minimum CRS |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 20 | Healthcare and Social Services Occupations | 4,000 | 467 |
| June 25 | Healthcare and Social Services Occupations | 4,000 | 475 |
| September 4 | Healthcare and Social Services Occupations | 3,500 | 475 |
| Total | 11,500 |
The size and frequency of these rounds make healthcare and social services one of Canada’s major category-based Express Entry priorities in 2026.
Canada Is Also Holding Separate Express Entry Draws For Physicians
The most significant development is not simply the number of healthcare invitations.
Canada has also separated physicians with Canadian work experience from the wider healthcare category.
IRCC has held three physician-specific Express Entry rounds in 2026.
The first, on February 19, invited 391 candidates with a minimum CRS score of just 169.
On June 24, another 271 physicians received ITAs at a minimum CRS of 223.
The third round took place on September 3. IRCC issued 229 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of 198.
| Date | Express Entry category | ITAs | Minimum CRS |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 19 | Physicians with Canadian Work Experience | 391 | 169 |
| June 24 | Physicians with Canadian Work Experience | 271 | 223 |
| September 3 | Physicians with Canadian Work Experience | 229 | 198 |
| Total | 891 |
Combined with the broader healthcare and social-services rounds, Canada has issued 12,391 ITAs through Express Entry rounds specifically targeting healthcare workers so far in 2026.
Physician CRS Scores Are Exceptionally Low
The CRS scores required in physician rounds underline how targeted Canada’s Express Entry system has become.
A physician with Canadian work experience needed a CRS score of only 169 in the February round.
By comparison, the February healthcare and social-services round required 467 points.
The difference was similarly large in June. Physicians needed 223 points on June 24, while the healthcare and social-services round held the following day had a cut-off of 475.
In September, physicians needed 198 points compared with 475 for the broader healthcare category.
That means a candidate’s occupation and work experience can now be decisive factors in whether they receive an ITA.
A healthcare worker with a CRS score well below the threshold for a general healthcare draw could potentially qualify for a much lower threshold if they meet the requirements of a more narrowly targeted category such as the physician stream.
Healthcare Workers May Also Qualify Through The Canadian Experience Class
Targeted healthcare draws are not the only Express Entry option available to health workers.
Candidates who meet Canadian Experience Class requirements can potentially receive an invitation through a CEC round regardless of whether IRCC conducts a healthcare-specific draw.
Canada has continued to hold CEC rounds throughout 2026.
CEC CRS cut-offs have generally remained considerably higher than the scores seen in physician-specific selection.
This creates another distinction between healthcare candidates.
A health professional with qualifying Canadian skilled work experience could potentially be eligible for both the CEC and a healthcare-related category. A physician who meets the specific requirements could have an additional targeted route.
Candidates remain in the Express Entry pool and can be considered for any round for which they meet the requirements.
Provincial Nomination Offers Another Important Route
Canada’s provinces also use immigration programs to address shortages in their healthcare systems.
A healthcare professional who receives an Express Entry-linked provincial nomination gains 600 additional CRS points.
That increase will normally put the candidate in a strong position to receive an ITA in a subsequent PNP-specific Express Entry round.
Provincial programs can therefore provide an important alternative for healthcare professionals who do not have a high enough CRS score for federal selection.
The precise opportunities depend on the province, occupation and program requirements. Provinces can change their priorities according to local labour market needs.
Some provinces also operate immigration pathways or selection mechanisms designed to attract physicians and other health professionals to communities struggling to recruit workers.
Healthcare Workers Should Consider All Routes
The 2026 Express Entry pattern means healthcare professionals should not look at a single CRS cut-off and assume it determines their chances of Canadian permanent residence.
The federal system increasingly rewards specific combinations of occupation, Canadian work experience, language ability and other characteristics.
A healthcare professional could potentially qualify through:
- Healthcare and Social Services Occupations category-based selection
- Physician-specific Express Entry selection, where eligible
- The Canadian Experience Class
- An Express Entry-linked Provincial Nominee Program
- Other provincial immigration pathways for healthcare professionals
Eligibility for one route does not necessarily prevent a candidate from qualifying through another.
For candidates in the Express Entry pool, this makes it important to keep profiles accurate and up to date and to understand every program and category for which they could qualify.
Canada’s Express Entry System Is Becoming More Targeted
Healthcare selection illustrates a wider change taking place within Express Entry.
Canada originally designed the CRS to rank candidates according to factors such as age, education, language ability and work experience.
Those factors remain important, but category-based and occupation-specific selection gives the federal government greater ability to decide which candidates receive invitations.
Healthcare is one of the clearest examples in 2026.
A general healthcare candidate faced a minimum CRS of 475 in the two most recent category rounds. Physicians with Canadian work experience, meanwhile, received invitations with scores of 223 and 198 in corresponding rounds.
The difference is deliberate. Canada is creating separate selection thresholds for workers it considers particularly important to the labour market.
For healthcare professionals considering immigration to Canada, the key question is therefore no longer simply: “What is my CRS score?”
Candidates also need to ask which Express Entry categories and immigration programs they qualify for.
Healthcare Express Entry Draws In 2026
Taken together, the six healthcare-focused rounds held so far in 2026 show the scale of Canada’s focus on the sector.
| Selection type | Number of draws | ITAs issued | CRS range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare and Social Services Occupations | 3 | 11,500 | 467–475 |
| Physicians with Canadian Work Experience | 3 | 891 | 169–223 |
| Total | 6 | 12,391 |
The numbers also show that healthcare selection is no longer a single Express Entry pathway with one competitive threshold.
Canada is effectively operating different levels of selection within the sector, with particularly favourable CRS thresholds available to physicians who meet the requirements of the targeted rounds.
That makes understanding the correct immigration pathway increasingly important for healthcare professionals seeking permanent residence in Canada.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many healthcare workers has Canada invited through Express Entry in 2026?
Canada has issued 12,391 ITAs through six healthcare-focused Express Entry rounds so far in 2026. Three Healthcare and Social Services Occupations rounds issued 11,500 invitations, while three separate rounds for physicians with Canadian work experience issued another 891 invitations.
What is the lowest CRS score for a healthcare Express Entry draw in 2026?
The lowest healthcare-related CRS score in 2026 has been 169 in the February 19 round for physicians with Canadian work experience. General Healthcare and Social Services Occupations rounds have had much higher thresholds, ranging from 467 to 475.
Why are physician Express Entry CRS scores so low?
Physician-specific rounds consider a narrower group of Express Entry candidates who meet the requirements of that selection category. IRCC can therefore invite eligible physicians at a much lower CRS threshold than candidates competing in broader healthcare, CEC or other Express Entry rounds.
Can a healthcare worker qualify through the Canadian Experience Class?
Yes. A healthcare professional who meets Canadian Experience Class requirements can enter the Express Entry pool under the CEC. The candidate may potentially receive an invitation through a CEC round or a healthcare category-based round if they also meet the relevant occupational requirements.
Can provincial nomination help healthcare workers immigrate to Canada?
Yes. Provinces use their immigration programs to address regional labour shortages, including healthcare needs. An Express Entry candidate who receives a qualifying provincial nomination gains 600 additional CRS points, greatly increasing the likelihood of receiving an ITA in a subsequent PNP-specific Express Entry round.