Major Adjustment to Canada’s Express Entry STEM Occupations: 6 New Jobs Added, 19 Removed
Structural and Strategic Shifts in STEM Occupation Categories
In response to evolving labor market needs, IRCC reevaluated the STEM occupation list in early 2025. The revision is not merely a reduction in occupation count but a significant redirection of policy priorities—from IT and data-centric fields to those focused on engineering applications, manufacturing technologies, and infrastructure. Only 11 occupations now remain in the prioritized STEM category, presenting new criteria for those pursuing permanent residency through skilled immigration.
Updated STEM Occupation List (2025 Edition)
| Occupation | NOC Code |
|---|---|
| Architecture and science managers | 20011 |
| Civil engineering technologists and technicians | 22300 (New) |
| Civil Engineers | 21300 |
| Cybersecurity specialists | 21220 |
| Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians | 22310 (New) |
| Electrical and electronics engineers | 21310 |
| Geological Engineers | 21331 (New) |
| Industrial and manufacturing engineers | 21321 |
| Insurance agents and brokers | 63100 (New) |
| Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 22301 (New) |
| Mechanical Engineers | 21301 (New) |
Note: Applicants must use the Canadian government’s NOC system to match their actual job duties—not job titles—to the appropriate NOC codes.
How to Determine If You Qualify Under the STEM Category
Step 1: Verify Your Work Experience
You must have at least 6 months of full-time, continuous, relevant work experience (or equivalent part-time) in the past 3 years, and meet the criteria of at least one of the following Express Entry programs:
- Canadian Experience Class
- Federal Skilled Worker Program
- Federal Skilled Trades Program.
Step 2: Match the NOC Code
Visit the official Canadian NOC database, input keywords related to your job, and find the occupation whose duties align most closely with your actual role.
Step 3: Check If It’s on the STEM List
If the corresponding NOC code is on the 11 STEM-priority list, you may be eligible for a dedicated STEM draw in Express Entry.
Newly Added STEM Occupations & Example Job Titles
Below are the newly added occupations in 2025 with sample job titles to help you align your experience:
- Civil engineering technologists and technicians: Bridge design technician; Building materials technician; Construction specifications writer; Construction technologist; Foundation technologist; Highway technician; Municipal engineering assistant; Soil technologist - civil engineering; Structural design technologist; Structural investigator
- Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians: Communications technologist; Electricity distribution network technologist; Electronics design technologist; Electronics engineering technician; Electronics engineering technologist; Electronics manufacturing technician; Electronics manufacturing technologist; Lighting technologist; Metering technologist; Microwave maintenance technician; Production support technician - electronics manufacturing
- Geological Engineers: Geophysical engineer; Hydrogeological engineer - engineering
- Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians: Aeronautical technologist; Heating designer; Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) technologist; Machine designer; Marine engineering technologist; Mechanical technologist; Mould designer; Thermal station technician; Tool and die designer; Tool designer
- Mechanical Engineers: Acoustics engineer; Automotive engineer; Design engineer - mechanical; Energy conservation engineer; Fluid mechanics engineer; Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) engineer; Mechanical maintenance engineer; Nuclear engineer; Piping engineer; Power generation engineer; Refrigeration engineer; Robotics engineer; Thermal design engineer; Tool engineer
- Insurance agents and brokers: Insurance sales representative; Insurance sales supervisor
List of 19 STEM Occupations Removed
The following occupations are no longer part of the STEM category:
| Occupation | NOC Code |
|---|---|
| Architects | 21200 |
| Business systems specialists | 21221 |
| Computer and information systems managers | 20012 |
| Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers) | 21311 |
| Computer systems developers and programmers | 21230 |
| Data scientists | 21211 |
| Database analysts and data administrators | 21223 |
| Engineering managers | 20010 |
| Information systems specialists | 21222 |
| Land surveyors | 21203 |
| Landscape Architects | 21201 |
| Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries | 21210 |
| Metallurgical and materials engineers | 21322 |
| Natural and applied science policy researchers, consultants, and program officers | 41400 |
| Software developers and programmers | 21232 |
| Software engineers and designers | 21231 |
| Urban and land use planners | 21202 |
| Web designers | 21233 |
| Web developers and programmers | 21234 |
Why Is the STEM Category So Important?
STEM-targeted draws under Express Entry offer a competitive advantage in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). In 2024, general draws had minimum CRS cutoffs between 524 and 549, while STEM draws required only 491 points. A total of 4,500 applicants were invited through STEM-specific rounds, meaning even those with a CRS below 500 had a real shot—provided they worked in a qualifying occupation.
Conclusion
As Canada’s skilled immigration system continues to evolve, the Express Entry STEM category is becoming more aligned with real industry demands. For professionals in engineering, manufacturing, or mechanics, now is a crucial time to seize new opportunities. Staying informed of updated occupation lists, planning your path strategically, and accurately matching your experience to NOC codes are key steps toward achieving permanent residency in Canada.
Canada holds second monthly CEC draw, CRS score drops to lowest level since July
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted another Express Entry draw on November 26, 2025, inviting 1,000 Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates to apply for permanent residence. This round set a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 531—the lowest CEC cut-off since July—and ended a five-draw streak where the CRS threshold was locked at 533 or 534. To date, IRCC has issued a total of 88,476 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) through the Express Entry system in 2025.
11/28/2025
Canada Announces 2026 Study Permit Target: Total Allocation Reduced to 408,000, Down 7% from 2025
On November 25, the Government of Canada officially released its 2026 study permit allocation and distribution plan for international students. According to newly published data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the total number of study permits to be issued in 2026 will be capped at 408,000. This continues the federal government’s trend of tightening temporary resident levels, representing a 7% decrease from the 2025 cap of 437,000 and a 16% decrease compared to 485,000 in 2024. The new plan outlines detailed allocation rules by student category, confirms exemptions from Provincial Attestation Letters (PAL) for master’s and PhD students, and distributes PAL-required application volumes and anticipated approvals across provinces based on population share.
11/27/2025
Manitoba invites more in-Canada and overseas skilled workers to apply for provincial nomination
On November 21, the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) issued 35 Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs) to skilled workers both inside and outside Canada. This round of selections continued to prioritize candidates identified through Strategic Recruitment Initiatives (SRIs), including Employer Services, Francophone Community, Regional Communities, and the Temporary Public Policy. The program also reminded applicants to ensure all key information—such as language test numbers and invitation numbers—is correctly entered to avoid affecting their eligibility.
11/26/2025
Prince Edward Island Holds Largest Provincial Nominee Draw of the Year, Focusing on In-Province Workers and International Graduates
The Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) recently conducted its largest immigration draw of the year, issuing invitations to apply for provincial nomination to nearly 200 candidates through the "Labour & Express Entry" category. This draw primarily targeted candidates already working in the province, while giving priority consideration to applicants with French language proficiency and international graduates from specific institutions. This move reflects the province's strategic intent to attract skilled talent capable of directly contributing to the local economy.
11/25/2025
British Columbia Expands Entrepreneur Immigration Invitations, Marking Largest Draw of 2025
On November 18, British Columbia held its largest entrepreneur immigration draw of the year, issuing invitations through both the Base and Regional streams of its Entrepreneur Immigration Program. Minimum scores and invitation numbers varied by stream, reflecting the province’s continued 2025 strategy of prioritizing candidates with high economic impact.
11/24/2025
Alberta Issues 1,125 Provincial Nominee Invitations in Mid-November, Maintaining High-Frequency Draws Across Key Streams
In mid-November 2025, the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) issued a total of 1,125 provincial nominee invitations across two rounds, targeting candidates in the Healthcare Priority sector under Express Entry as well as the Alberta Opportunity Stream. The November 14 draw invited 80 healthcare candidates with a minimum score of 52, while the November 10 draw issued 1,045 invitations under the Opportunity Stream—a notably large round this year. With Alberta receiving over 1,500 additional nominations in September, bringing its 2025 total to 6,403, the province continues to strengthen efforts to retain local workers and attract healthcare professionals.
11/22/2025
Canada’s Conservatives Push for Major Amendments to Border and Immigration Bill C-12
On November 20, Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner, a member of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, announced that the Conservative Party will introduce a wide-ranging package of amendments to the federal government’s border security and immigration legislation, Bill C-12. She argued that Canada’s immigration system is under intense pressure and must undergo structural reform as soon as possible. The proposed amendments will focus on modernizing asylum procedures, strengthening border enforcement and security screening, adjusting criminality and removal thresholds, and increasing transparency across federal immigration bodies. The initiative comes amid rising asylum numbers, sustained growth in temporary residents, mounting pressure on housing and social services, and heightened scrutiny of immigration-related security reports—highlighting how immigration has become a heated issue in Canada and globally.
11/21/2025
Alberta Announces Sweeping Changes to AAIP Rural Renewal Stream: Community Quotas and New Work Permit Rules to Take Effect in 2026
The Government of Alberta has officially announced significant updates to the Rural Renewal Stream (RRS) under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP), marking one of the most substantial overhauls since the program's inception. Scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026, these changes are a response to a surge in community endorsements that have far exceeded the province’s federal nomination allocations. To realign the program with provincial economic priorities and manage labor market pressures, Alberta will implement four core changes: establishing annual endorsement allocation limits for designated communities, setting a one-year validity period for candidate endorsement letters, introducing a TEER-based occupation assessment model, and enforcing a mandatory requirement for all in-Canada applicants to hold a valid work permit at both the time of application and assessment.
11/20/2025
Ontario Suspends Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream and Returns All Applications
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has suspended its Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream effective November 14, 2025, following a major program review that identified systemic misrepresentation and potential fraud. As part of the suspension, all in-progress applications will be returned with full refunds. The province states that the program’s current structure must be redesigned to ensure limited nomination spots benefit genuine candidates addressing Ontario’s skilled trades shortages. Affected applicants may submit a new Expression of Interest under another OINP stream if eligible.
11/19/2025
Newfoundland and Labrador issues 330 ITAs in latest draw, marking the largest round since July
On November 12, 2025, Newfoundland and Labrador issued a total of 330 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) through the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP) and the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP), marking the largest draw since July. With 220 invitations going to NLPNP candidates, the province continues to rely heavily on its provincial nomination channels. As the province reaches its 13th draw of the year and prepares for expanded federal PNP admission targets in 2026, nomination allocations may increase further.
11/18/2025
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