Express Entry Invitations will now also have Category Rounds
Posted on 04/06/2023
Express Entry has introduced Category-based rounds of Invitations to Apply (ITA) – the draws Express Entry holds that select the top-ranked candidates from each pool. The categories are based on specific economic goals – in other words, IRCC decides what occupations are most needed in different areas of the economy and then hold draws based on those categories of occupations.
Please note that draws will continue to be held for the standard Express Entry categories – FSW, FST, and CEC – as well as for Provincial Nominee programs.
This means there will now be 3 types of rounds of invitations issued by Express Entry throughout the year:
- General Rounds of Invitations – for candidates in FSW, FST, and CEC programs
- Program Specific Rounds of Invitations – for candidates in a specific program like PNP for example
- Category-based Rounds of Invitations – for candidates in a specific category of occupations as we will detail below.
The specific occupational categories will be listed by Express Entry for each year. For 2023, the categories are:
| Category | Specific requirements |
| French-language proficiency | Minimum 7 in Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking on TEF (Reading 207; Writing & Speaking 310; Listening 249)
Minimum 7 in Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking on TCF (Reading 453; Writing & Speaking 10; Listening 458) |
| Healthcare Occupations | Have over the past 3 years 6 months continuous work experience in Canada or abroad in the one of the following healthcare occupations:
Audiologists/Speech Language Pathologists – NOC 31112 Chiropractors – NOC 31201 Dentists – NOC 31110 Dieticians/Nutritionists – NOC 31121 Education counsellors – NOC 41320 General Practitioners/Family Physicians – NOC 31102 Instructors of Persons with Disabilities – NOC 42203 Kinesiologists – NOC 31204 Licensed Practical Nurses – NOC 32101 Massage Therapists – NOC 32201 Medical Lab Assistant – NOC 33101 Medical Lab Technologist – NOC 32120 Medical Radiation Technologist – NOC 32121 Medical Sonographers – NOC 32122 Nurse Aide/Orderlies – NOC 33102 Nurse Practitioner – NOC 31302 Nursing Coordinators & Supervisors – NOC 31300 Occupational Therapist – NOC 31203 Optometrist – NOC 31111 Other occupations in support to Health Services – NOC 33109 Other Practitioners Natural Healing – NOC 32209 Other occupations health diagnosing & treating – NOC 31209 Other technical occupations therapy & assessment – NOC 32109 Paramedical occupations – NOC 32102 Pharmacy technical assistants/Pharmacy assistants – NOC 33103 Physician assistants, midwives & allied health pro’s – NOC 31303 Physiotherapists – NOC 31202 Psychologists – NOC 31200 Registered Nurses & Registered Psychiatric Nurses – NOC 31301 Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists, cardiopulmonary technologists – NOC 32103 Specialists in clinical & laboratory medicine – NOC 31100 Specialists in surgery – NOC 31101 Therapists counselling & related specialized therapies – NOC 41301 Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners & acupuncturists – NOC 32200 Veterinarians – NOC 31103
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| STEM Occupations | Have over the past 3 years 6 months continuous work experience in Canada or abroad in one of the following occupations:
Architects – NOC 21200 Architecture & Science Managers – NOC 20011 Business systems specialists – NOC 21221 Civil Engineers – NOC 21300 Computer & Information systems managers – NOC 20012 Computer Engineers (NOT software engineers or software designers) – NOC 21311 Computer systems developers & programmers – NOC 21230 Cybersecurity specialists – NOC 21220 Data scientists – NOC 21211 Database analysts & data administrators – NOC 21223 Electrical & Electronics engineers – NOC 21310 Engineering Managers – NOC 20010 Industrial & Manufacturing engineers – NOC 21321 Information systems specialists – NOC 21222 Land surveyors – NOC 21203 Landscape architects – NOC 21201 Mathematicians, statisticians, & actuaries – NOC 21210 Metallurgical & Materials engineers – NOC 21322 Natural & Applied Science policy researchers, consultants, & program officers – NOC 41400 Software developers & programmers – NOC 21232 Software engineers & designers – NOC 21231 Urban and land use planners – NOC 21202 Web designers – NOC 21233 Web developers & programmers – NOC 21234
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| Trade occupations | Have over the past 3 years 6 months continuous work experience in Canada or abroad in one of the following occupations:
Residential & Commercial installers & services – NOC 73200 Elevator constructors & mechanics – NOC 72406 Machine fitters – NOC 72405 Heating, refrigeration, & air conditioning mechanics – NOC 72402 Construction millwrights & industrial mechanics – NOC 72400 Carpenters – NOC 72310 Plumbers – NOC 72300 Electricians (NOT industrial & power systems) – NOC 72200 Welders & related machine operators – NOC 72106 Contractors & Supervisors, Other construction trades, installers, repairers & servicers – NOC 72014
|
| Transport Occupations | Have over the past 3 years 6 months continuous work experience in Canada or abroad in the one of the following occupations:
Aircraft assemblers & assembly inspectors – NOC 93200 Transport truck drivers – NOC 73300 Railway traffic controllers & Marine traffic regulators – NOC 72604 Engineer officers, water transport – NOC 72603 Deck officers, water transport – NOC 72602 Air traffic controllers & related occupations – NOC 72601 Air pilots, flight engineers, & flying instructors – NOC 72600 Aircraft mechanics & aircraft inspectors – NOC 72404 Railway carmen, women – NOC 72403 Managers in transportation – NOC 70020
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| Agriculture & agri-food occupations | Have over the past 3 years 6 months continuous work experience in Canada or abroad in one of the following occupations:
Contractors & supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance & horticulture services – NOC 82031 Agricultural service contractors & farm supervisors – NOC 82030 Butchers – retail & wholesale – NOC 63201
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| PLEASE NOTE | You also have to meet all the remaining requirements to qualify for an ITA from Express Entry (especially having a sufficiently high ranking and being admissible to Canada among other requirements). |
As you can see, rounds of category-based invitations will be more focused and have perhaps fewer candidates competing for the top scores and an ITA. This means that your chances of getting an Invitation to Apply will hopefully be higher than in a general round. As well, the above occupations are for 2023 and will almost certainly be modified for next year, so try to stay up to date on the occupations listed in your current year’s Express Entry Category-based rounds of invitations. As always, good luck!
SOURCES:
Posted in News Tips and tagged Express Entry, Occupation based ITAs
