Canada's Express Entry System Undergoes Major Changes in 2025: Education Category Added, Transportation Category Removed
On February 27, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) unveiled major changes to the Express Entry categories for 2025. The revisions include the addition of a new "Education" category listing five eligible occupations, as well as the removal of the "Transportation" category. Furthermore, IRCC has significantly adjusted the occupational lists across various categories, including Healthcare and STEM, adding and removing numerous occupations to reflect evolving labor market needs within Canada.
"Education" Category Emerges, "Transportation" Category Departs
A key highlight of the changes is the new "Education" category, designed to address Canada's demand for professionals in the education sector. This category includes the following five occupations:
- Elementary and Secondary School Teacher Assistants (NOC 43100, TEER 3)
- Instructors of Persons with Disabilities (NOC 42203, TEER 2)
- Early Childhood Educators and Assistants (NOC 42202, TEER 2)
- Elementary School and Kindergarten Teachers (NOC 41221, TEER 1)
- Secondary School Teachers (NOC 41220, TEER 1)
This addition reflects the pressing needs within Canada's foundational and special education support systems.
The "Transportation" category has been removed from Express Entry category-based draws. Occupations previously under this category will no longer qualify for priority invitation. While IRCC has not elaborated on this decision, it may be linked to shifting labor requirements within the transportation industry.
Priority Categories Focus on French Language, Healthcare, Trades, and Education
IRCC also announced that for 2025, the priority categories for Express Entry will concentrate on the following four areas:
- French Language Proficiency
- Healthcare and Social Services occupations
- Trades occupations
- Education occupations
Applicants in these categories will receive preferential consideration when Invitations to Apply (ITAs) are issued through targeted Express Entry draws.
Significant Adjustments to Existing Occupational Lists
In addition to adding and removing categories, IRCC has undertaken substantial revisions to the occupational lists within existing categories. Notably, the "Healthcare" category has been significantly expanded, now renamed "Healthcare and Social Services," and includes eight newly added occupations related to social services, further underscoring Canada's demand for talent in this area. The specific adjustments are as follows:
- Healthcare and Social Services: 8 Occupations Added, 6 Occupations Removed
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM): 6 Occupations Added, 19 Occupations Removed
- Trades: 19 Occupations Added, 4 Occupations Removed
- Agriculture and Agri-Food: 2 Occupations Added, 0 Occupations Removed
Healthcare and Social Services Category Adjustment Details
Added Occupations:
- Animal Health Technologists and Veterinary Technicians (NOC 32104, TEER 2)
- Cardiology Technologists and Electrophysiological Diagnostic Technologists (NOC 32123, TEER 2)
- Dental Hygienists and Dental Therapists (NOC 32111, TEER 2)
- Other Medical Technologists and Technicians (NOC 32129, TEER 2)
- Pharmacists (NOC 31120, TEER 1)
- Pharmacy Technicians (NOC 32124, TEER 2)
- Social and Community Service Workers (NOC 42201, TEER 2)
- Social Workers (NOC 41300, TEER 1)
Removed Occupations:
- Educational Counselors (NOC 41320, TEER 1)
- Instructors of Persons with Disabilities (NOC 42203, TEER 2)
- Kinesiologists and Other Professional Occupations in Therapy and Assessment (NOC 31204, TEER 1)
- Other Assisting Occupations in Support of Health Services (NOC 33109, TEER 3)
- Other Practitioners of Natural Healing (NOC 32209, TEER 2)
- Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists (NOC 32200, TEER 2)
STEM Category Adjustment Details
Added Occupations:
- Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians (NOC 22300, TEER 2)
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technologists and Technicians (NOC 22310, TEER 2)
- Geological Engineers (NOC 21331, TEER 1)
- Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians (NOC 22301, TEER 2)
- Mechanical Engineers (NOC 21301, TEER 1)
- Insurance Agents and Brokers (NOC 63100, TEER 3)
Removed Occupations:
- Architects (NOC 21200, TEER 1)
- Business Systems Specialists (NOC 21221, TEER 1)
- Computer and Information Systems Managers (NOC 20012, TEER 0)
- Computer Engineers (Except Software Engineers and Designers) (NOC 21311, TEER 1)
- Computer Systems Developers and Programmers (NOC 21230, TEER 1)
- Data Scientists (NOC 21211, TEER 1)
- Database Analysts and Data Administrators (NOC 21223, TEER 1)
- Engineering Managers (NOC 20010, TEER 0)
- Information Systems Specialists (NOC 21222, TEER 1)
- Land Surveyors (NOC 21203, TEER 1)
- Landscape Architects (NOC 21201, TEER 1)
- Mathematicians, Statisticians, and Actuaries (NOC 21210, TEER 1)
- Metallurgical and Materials Engineers (NOC 21322, TEER 1)
- Natural and Applied Science Policy Researchers, Consultants, and Program Officers (NOC 41400, TEER 1)
- Software Developers and Programmers (NOC 21232, TEER 1)
- Software Engineers and Designers (NOC 21231, TEER 1)
- Urban and Land Use Planners (NOC 21202, TEER 1)
- Web Designers (NOC 21233, TEER 1)
- Web Developers and Programmers (NOC 21234, TEER 1)
Trades Category Adjustment Details
Added Occupations:
- Contractors and Supervisors, Oil and Gas Drilling and Services (NOC 82021, TEER 2)
- Floor Covering Installers (NOC 73113, TEER 3)
- Painters and Decorators (Except Interior Decorators) (NOC 73112, TEER 3)
- Roofers and Shinglers (NOC 73110, TEER 3)
- Concrete Finishers (NOC 73100, TEER 3)
- Other Technical Trades and Related Occupations (NOC 72999, TEER 2)
- Water Well Drillers (NOC 72501, TEER 2)
- Electrical Mechanics (NOC 72422, TEER 2)
- Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics (NOC 72401, TEER 2)
- Bricklayers (NOC 72320, TEER 2)
- Cabinetmakers (NOC 72311, TEER 2)
- Gas Fitters (NOC 72302, TEER 2)
- Industrial Electricians (NOC 72201, TEER 2)
- Sheet Metal Workers (NOC 72102, TEER 2)
- Machinists and Machining and Tooling Inspectors (NOC 72100, TEER 2)
- Home Building and Renovation Managers (NOC 70011, TEER 0)
- Construction Managers (NOC 70010, TEER 0)
- Cooks (NOC 63200, TEER 3)
- Construction Estimators (NOC 22303, TEER 2)
Removed Occupations:
- Residential and Commercial Installers and Servicers (NOC 73200, TEER 3)
- Elevator Constructors and Mechanics (NOC 72406, TEER 2)
- Machine Fitters (NOC 72405, TEER 2)
- Contractors and Supervisors, Other Construction Trades, Installers, Repairers and Servicers (NOC 72014, TEER 2)
Agriculture and Agri-Food Category Adjustment Details
Added Occupations:
- Contractors and Supervisors, Landscaping, Grounds Maintenance and Horticulture Services (NOC 82031, TEER 2)
- Agricultural Service Contractors and Farm Supervisors (NOC 82030, TEER 2)
Rationale Behind Category Settings
IRCC has stated that the Express Entry categories are designed based on Canada's economic and demographic objectives, aiming to address critical labor shortages. The French language category reflects Canada's commitment to bilingualism and promoting French outside of Quebec.
Impact on Potential Immigrants
These adjustments to the Express Entry categories will directly impact the choices of potential immigrants. Applicants should closely monitor the updated occupational lists and choose the most suitable immigration category based on their individual circumstances. The new "Education" category provides new opportunities for professionals in that field, while the changes to existing categories may affect the eligibility of some applicants.
Future Outlook
IRCC has indicated its commitment to continuously adjusting the Express Entry categories in response to changes in the Canadian labor market and national development goals, ensuring that the immigration system continues to effectively serve Canada's economic and social progress.
Friendly reminder: There are many pathways to immigrate to Canada. We recommend first using UNA AI to generate an objective and neutral immigration plan, so you can gain an initial understanding of the possible immigration pathways and their requirements, and then choose to proceed with one-on-one consultations with a licensed Canadian immigration consultant partnered with UNA.
B.C. issues 33 invitations in second rural health support draw as cutoff climbs to 60
On Sept 17, 2026, the British Columbia (B.C.) Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) held the second draw under its Temporary Rural/Remote Health Support Initiative (TRHSI), issuing 33 invitations to apply for provincial nomination to cleaning and security staff employed by a public health authority in a rural or remote part of the province, with a minimum score of 60 — 10 points above the 50-point cutoff used in the first draw on July 23, 2026 — while the number of invitations fell from 60 to 33, bringing the two-draw total to 93 invitations to apply (ITAs), or roughly 37% of the initiative's cap of 250 nominations. TRHSI is a one-time, time-limited permanent residence (PR) pathway launched when B.C. restructured its nominee program on April 23, 2026; registration opened June 15, 2026, and eligibility is confined to three National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes — 65312, 65310 and 64410 — with applicants required to have completed nine months of continuous full-time work with the same employer, in the same eligible region and in the same occupation. The registration window was originally set to close at midnight on Aug 31 but was extended to 11:59 p.m. on Oct 7, 2026 because of wildfire-related impacts. The wider context is that B.C.'s 2026 nomination allocation rose to 6,254 after the federal government added 1,000 spaces in August, with at least 35% of nominations required to go to candidates outside Metro Vancouver; and that since June 9, 2026, base Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) nominees applying for PR no longer need to wait for an Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR) before applying for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) — a federal temporary measure running to Dec 31, 2026 that matters especially to TRHSI applicants, who have no Express Entry-aligned option.
09/20/2026
Canada holds back-to-back Express Entry draws: CEC cut-off eases to 519, while the senior managers category sets a record low
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held Express Entry draws on two consecutive days, September 15 and 16, 2026, issuing invitations to apply (ITAs) to two very different groups of candidates. Round #443, conducted on September 15 at 10:21:41 UTC, issued 2,000 invitations under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 519 and a tie-breaking rule of March 26, 2026 at 00:16:39 UTC; round #444, held the following day at 12:44:28 UTC, issued 250 invitations under the category for senior managers with Canadian work experience at a minimum CRS score of just 389, with a tie-breaking rule of September 1, 2026 at 23:05:13 UTC. Both rounds were authorized by ministerial instructions signed in Ottawa by Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). The senior managers category, created in February 2026, has now run three draws, with the cut-off falling from 429 in its first round to 392 and then 389 -- a cumulative drop of 40 points and the lowest threshold in the category's short history. Over the same period, the CEC cut-off has declined for a third consecutive round after peaking at a 2026 high of 523 on August 18. Through round #444, IRCC has held 56 draws and issued 128,982 invitations in 2026, an annual record since Express Entry was launched.
09/18/2026
Express Entry round #442 issues 576 PNP invitations as the cut-off climbs back to 734
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the 442nd Express Entry round on September 14, 2026, issuing 576 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residence to candidates in the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) category with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 734, up 37 points from the 697 recorded on August 31, the lowest PNP cut-off of the year, while the size of the round edged past the 562 invitations issued two weeks earlier to make it the second-largest PNP round since June 22. The ministerial instruction behind the round was signed in Ottawa by Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab, and the tie-breaking rule was set at 21:39:50 UTC on August 29, 2026, barely two weeks before the draw itself, a sign that a substantial share of the candidates sitting exactly at 734 were recently nominated applicants who had only just entered the pool. With this round, IRCC has held 54 Express Entry draws in 2026 and issued 126,732 invitations in total, including 18 PNP rounds accounting for 8,537 invitations, 22.8 percent more than the 6,947 issued over the same period in 2025 and consistent with Ottawa's decision to restore the 2026 provincial nominee admissions target to 91,500. A pool snapshot published the day before the draw showed 226,793 candidates in the pool, of whom roughly 574 scored 601 or higher, almost exactly matching the 576 invitations issued, which means IRCC once again cleared out nearly the entire top tier of nominated candidates in a single round. Analysts expect the remaining PNP rounds this year to keep to a roughly biweekly rhythm of a little over 400 invitations each, with the cut-off driven largely by how quickly the provinces feed new nominations into the federal pool.
09/15/2026
Newfoundland and Labrador issues just 36 provincial nomination invitations on September 10, the smallest round of the year
On September 10, 2026, the Newfoundland and Labrador Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism (OIM) invited 36 candidates to apply for a provincial nomination through the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP) — the province's 14th draw of the year, its smallest round of 2026, and the third round since the Expression of Interest (EOI) model launched in February 2025 in which no Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) candidate received an invitation, the second such round in a row. The province has now issued 2,592 invitations in 2026, comprising 2,198 through the NLPNP and 394 through the AIP; by comparison, Newfoundland and Labrador issued 3,376 invitations across 13 rounds in all of 2025, meaning that this year's total is 784 lower despite one additional draw, with round sizes contracting steadily since mid-August. The province has still not published its 2026 nomination allocation, and industry media have suggested that the recent pattern of small, frequent draws may reflect a limited pool of remaining spaces, though the province has offered no explanation. For those invited, a federal temporary measure in effect since June 9 allows provincial nominees applying for permanent residence (PR) from inside Canada to apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) before receiving an Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR), helping them avoid a gap in status during a base provincial nominee processing cycle that currently runs about 13 months.
09/14/2026
Alberta Issues 722 Invitations Across Three Early-September Draws, With Tech and Health Care Rounds Both Cutting Off at 60
The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) held three draws between September 1 and September 9, 2026, all aimed at candidates holding an Alberta job offer, issuing a combined 722 invitations to apply for a provincial nomination: on September 1, the Alberta Opportunity Stream invited 575 candidates with a minimum score of 56; on September 3, the Alberta Express Entry Stream – Accelerated Tech Pathway invited 96 tech workers with a minimum score of 60; and on September 9, the Dedicated Health Care Pathway – Express Entry invited 51 health care workers, also at a minimum score of 60. Invited candidates have a set window in which to submit a provincial nomination application, and once nominated they apply to the federal government for permanent residence (PR), with those already in Canada able to apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) while they wait; under Operational Bulletin 699, which Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued and brought into force on June 9, 2026, in-Canada provincial nominees who have not yet received an Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR) for their PR application may apply for a BOWP on the strength of their submission confirmation email and proof of payment, a measure that runs until December 31, 2026. As of September 9, Alberta had issued 4,864 nominations this year, roughly 74 percent of its full-year allocation of 6,603, leaving 1,739 spots; the Worker Expression of Interest pool still held 35,957 active profiles, of which the Alberta Opportunity Stream alone accounted for 22,381 against just 837 remaining nominations in that stream, so competition remains intense. Health care and technology are both among Alberta's designated priority sectors for 2026, alongside construction, aviation, agriculture and manufacturing.
09/12/2026
Canada Restores Study-Permit Exemption for Work Permit Holders, in Force Until the End of 2027
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced a temporary public policy on September 9, 2026 that allows foreign nationals holding a valid work permit to enrol in a course of six months or less without applying for a study permit, even if the course ends after the period of stay authorized on their first entry to Canada. Signed by Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Lena Metlege Diab on August 5, the policy took effect on September 4, runs until December 31, 2027, and may be revoked at any time. It revives a measure of the same name introduced in June 2023 that expired on June 27 of this year, but with a narrower reach: the earlier policy let eligible workers, including those on maintained status, study programs of any length without a study permit, whereas the new one requires applicants to hold a valid work permit and waives only the requirement that a course be completed within the initial authorized period of stay. As of June 30, 2026, roughly 1.55 million foreign nationals in Canada held a work permit only, and about 630,000 held a study permit. IRCC says the measure is intended to help workers already in the country, such as tradespeople, nurses and laboratory technicians, upgrade their skills and credentials to fill gaps in critical sectors, and that it does not change the government's overall target of reducing temporary residents to less than 5 percent of the population.
09/10/2026
RBC Report Urges Ottawa to Scrap Express Entry Category Draws and Return to Pure Points-Based Selection
On September 1, 2026, RBC Thought Leadership, the think tank arm of the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), published a report titled A Smarter Immigration Strategy, arguing that Express Entry has drifted away from the purpose it was built for: since category-based selection was introduced in 2023, lower-scoring candidates have been able to jump the queue through an occupational or language category, while higher-scoring applicants waiting in the pool are left behind. Citing government data, the report finds that the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score needed for an invitation through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is "over 100 points more, on average" than what some category draws require, a gap that has been especially visible in the 2026 rounds: through September 4, CEC cutoffs have stayed between 507 and 523, while the French-language proficiency category fell as low as 382 and the February 19 physician draw cleared at just 169 — the lowest cutoff any category draw has ever recorded. In response, RBC puts forward seven recommendations, including inviting the highest-ranked candidates first, tightening or eliminating category-based draws at the federal level, reversing the 2022 legislation that authorized the categories, setting a minimum share of economic immigration for Express Entry, reintroducing a minimum cutoff based on core factors, devolving targeted category selection to the provinces and territories, and committing to regular recalibration of the CRS formula. It bears emphasizing that these are the policy recommendations of a private institution, not a government decision. As of September 9, neither Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) nor Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab had responded publicly to the report, and draws for the French-language, healthcare and physician categories are still running as scheduled; IRCC did, however, consult this spring on merging the three federal high-skilled programs and recalibrating the CRS, and again from August to early September on the shape of the 2027 categories, saying it is considering "narrowing" the number or eligibility scope of labour-shortage categories. The 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan is due to be tabled in Parliament by November 1, at which point the overall direction of federal economic immigration should become clearer.
09/09/2026
Canada raises study permit proof-of-funds threshold to $23,448, and tightens scrutiny of where the money comes from
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has raised the study permit proof-of-funds requirement as of September 1, 2026, with a single applicant studying outside Quebec now required to show at least $23,448 CAD for a first year of living expenses, up $553 from the previous $22,895, and with the thresholds for larger families rising in step. Alongside the higher dollar figures, IRCC has updated its guidance to make clear that officers will assess not only how much money an applicant has but where it came from and whether it will remain available throughout the period of study, with applicants expected to supply six months of bank statements and documents explaining the source of the deposits shown in them; those enrolled in programs longer than one year must also set out how they intend to pay for the remaining years. The threshold covers living costs only, meaning tuition and round-trip transportation must be demonstrated separately, and Quebec continues to apply its own financial capacity standard through the CAQ, set at $24,617 for a single applicant. The increase extends a policy direction Canada has followed since 2024, combining sharply higher financial requirements with a shrinking study permit cap, which falls to 408,000 for 2026, a 7% reduction from 2025.
09/08/2026
Newfoundland and Labrador issues 97 provincial nominee invitations on September 4, with no Atlantic Immigration Program candidates selected
Newfoundland and Labrador invited 97 candidates to apply for a provincial nomination through the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP) on September 4, 2026, in the province's 13th draw of the year and only the second round since it moved to an Expression of Interest (EOI) model in February 2025 in which no Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) candidate received an invitation. The province has now issued 2,556 invitations in 2026 — 2,162 through the NLPNP and 394 through the AIP — well behind the 3,376 invitations it issued across 13 rounds in all of 2025, with the AIP's share falling from roughly 27% to about 15%. Candidates who receive an invitation should also note a change at the federal level: since June 9, 2026, provincial nominees who submit a permanent residence (PR) application from inside Canada have been able to apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) before receiving an Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR), allowing them to maintain status while their application is processed; the temporary measure is currently in place until December 31, 2026. Federal processing currently takes about 13 months for base PNP permanent residence applications and about 7 months for Express Entry-aligned (enhanced) nominations.
09/07/2026
Canada Issues 3,500 More Express Entry Invitations to Healthcare and Social Services Candidates, With the CRS Cut-Off Holding at 475
On September 4, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held this year's third Express Entry draw targeting healthcare and social services occupations, issuing 3,500 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residence with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 475 — unchanged from the previous healthcare round on June 25 and above the 467 recorded in the category's first round of the year on February 20. The category has now issued 11,500 invitations in 2026. The round was also IRCC's 53rd Express Entry draw of the year, pushing the 2026 total past 126,000 invitations, of which the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and the French-language proficiency category together account for more than 80 percent — a distribution that reflects Ottawa's current preference for candidates already in Canada while still steering capacity toward shortage occupations. Since IRCC refreshed its category framework on February 19, 2026 and raised the minimum work-experience requirement for renewed categories from six months to one year, healthcare cut-offs have trended higher overall, leaving eligible health and social services workers to reassess both their scores and their timing.
09/05/2026
