Doctors can apply for the Express Entry program through the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) programs. To qualify for Express Entry as a doctor, your occupation must be listed in the "Skills Occupations list" of Canada. You must also have work experience in skill types A, B, or 0. The Canadian government also introduced a new pathway, category-based selection draws, through which skilled professionals with prior work experience in priority occupations can apply for PR. The Express Entry category-based draws is another way for doctors to apply for permanent residence in Canada. Around 7,250 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) have been issued to healthcare professionals via the healthcare occupation draws in 2024 so far.
*To know if you can migrate to Canada as a Doctor, also read…
How to migrate to Canada as a Doctor?
Express Entry Category-based rounds of invitations
Canada introduced category-based Express Entry draws in 2023 to invite skilled professionals in specific in-demand categories. Six categories were shortlisted by IRCC's then-Minister, Sean Fraser, in an effort to meet the country's economic goals. Candidates are invited to apply for Canada PR based on their ability to communicate in specific official languages, educational qualifications, and work experience in specific occupations. So far, 7,250 healthcare professionals have been invited via the Express Entry category-based draws in 2024.
*Want to check your eligibility to Canada? Try the FREE Y-Axis Canada points calculator and get an instant score!
Eligibility Criteria for Healthcare Occupations Category
To be eligible for the healthcare occupations category, you must fulfill the below criteria:
- Have a minimum of 6 months of full-time experience in the past 3 years
- The work experience must be acquired overseas or in any of the eligible healthcare occupations in Canada
- Meet the invitation-round specific requirements
- Fulfill the eligibility requirements for Express Entry programs, such as the FSWP and the CEC
*To know if you Nurses can apply for Express Entry, also read…
Can Nurses Apply for Canada Express Entry?
List of eligible healthcare occupations for the Express Entry Program
The table below has the list of healthcare occupations that are eligible for the Express Entry category-based draws. You can apply for healthcare jobs in Canada in any of the occupations listed below:
|
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 |
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