On October 15, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held Express Entry Draw #373, issuing 2,500 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) under the Healthcare & Social Services occupations category. This is part of Canada’s continuing strategy to address labour shortages in essential health and social service roles by prioritizing candidates with relevant experience.
While IRCC has not publicly confirmed the minimum CRS cutoff or tie-breaking rule for this draw at the time of writing, the large volume of invitations emphasizes the importance Canada places on skilled professionals in the healthcare sector.
What This Draw Means for Healthcare & Social Services Professionals
1. High Demand for Medical Talent
This draw underscores Canada’s urgent need for qualified workers in healthcare, including nurses, allied health professionals, midwives, and other social services roles. By dedicating large draws to this category, IRCC signals strong policy support and preferential access for these occupations.
2. Elevated Opportunity Through Express Entry
Being in the healthcare category increases your chances of receiving an ITA—even if your CRS score is marginally lower – because the applicant pool is filtered for relevance. You compete primarily with other healthcare professionals rather than the entire Express Entry pool.
3. CRS Cutoffs Likely to Rise Over Time
Given past trends, the CRS cutoff for healthcare draws has tended to climb. Earlier healthcare draws issued 2,500 invitations at a CRS of 470, and others pushed higher. With increasing competition, future rounds may demand even stronger CRS profiles.
4. Strategic Path for Permanent Residency
For healthcare professionals, the pathway via these category-based draws can often be faster and more certain than general draws – especially when domestic training, licensing, or provincial healthcare shortages align with your specialization.
Healthcare & Social Services Draw Trends in 2025
| Draw # | Date | Invitations | CRS Cutoff (known) |
| #362 | August 19, 2025 | 2,500 | 470 |
| #357 | July 22, 2025 | 4,000 | 475 |
| #349 | June 4, 2025 | 500 | 504 |
| #373 | October 15, 2025 | 2,500 | To be confirmed |
Trend Insight:
- These draws are becoming more frequent, with IRCC prioritizing healthcare draws across 2025.
- CRS cutoffs have fluctuated, generally rising as competition intensifies.
- The draw volumes are significant – 2,500 to 4,000 – reinforcing that IRCC is allocating a meaningful share of ITAs to healthcare professionals.
What You Should Do If You Work in Healthcare or Social Services
Prepare Your Profile
- Ensure your Express Entry profile is active and up to date.
- Confirm your NOC code is eligible under the healthcare/social services category.
- Validate that you meet requirements like 6 months of continuous experience in one healthcare occupation within the past 3 years.
Strengthen Your CRS
- Improve your language test scores (English and/or French).
- Gain additional work experience or advanced specialization in your field.
- Obtain credential assessments or licensing equivalencies where applicable in Canada.
Be Ready to Act
- When you receive an ITA, you typically have 60 days to submit a full application — so have your documents ready (work references, credentials, language results, etc.).
- Pay close attention to tie-breaking rules; early profile submission can matter when scores are tied.
Explore Provincial Support
- Several provinces run healthcare-specific streams (for example, nursing, allied health) which may offer nomination opportunities or quicker pathways.
- Being nominated by a province gives you an additional 600 CRS points, virtually guaranteeing an ITA in many cases.
Why This Draw Matters Strategically
- Sector Prioritization
Healthcare and social services are among Canada’s highest priorities right now. The government uses these category-specific draws to fast-track immigration for professions in critical need. - Better Competition Than General Draws
In a general draw, your profile competes against all Express Entry candidates. In a healthcare draw, you face competition only within your sector—this narrowing of competition is a major advantage. - Forecast for Future Rounds
As demand remains high, we can expect further healthcare-focused draws. However, cutoffs may tighten, so early readiness is key.
How Earnest Immigration Can Help You
At Earnest Immigration, we specialize in helping healthcare and social services professionals navigate these category-based Express Entry draws. We can assist you with:
- Evaluating your eligibility under the healthcare category
- Strengthening your profile (language, credentials, experience)
- Crafting strategies to leverage provincial healthcare streams
- Preparing and submitting your application efficiently when you receive an ITA
Get in touch with Earnest Immigration today to position yourself effectively for the next healthcare draw and transform your Canadian immigration journey.
