New Policy: Express Entry Category-based Selection

Express Entry Rounds of Invitations: Category-based selection

In category-based rounds of invitations, we invite candidates who are eligible for a specific category established by the Minister to meet an identified economic goal. We invite candidates to apply for permanent residence based on criteria such as

• ability to communicate in a specific official language
• work experience in a specific Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) category of the National Occupational Classification (NOC)
  education
• Category-based rounds add to general and program-specific rounds by inviting top-ranking candidates who can help us meet these specific economic goals.

We’ll announce the chosen categories in advance.

Categories chosen for 2023

For 2023, we chose these categories:

1. French-language proficiency
2. Healthcare occupations
3. Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations
4. Trade occupations
5. Transport occupations
6. Agriculture and agri-food occupations

Who is eligible

To be eligible for an invitation through a category-based round, you must meet all of the requirements in the instructions for that round.

When we hold a category-based round of invitations, we’ll

• rank candidates in the pool who meet the category requirements and
• invite top-ranking candidates to apply for permanent residence

1. Eligibility for the French-language proficiency category

To be eligible, you must

• have French-language test results that show a minimum score of 7 in all 4 language abilities on the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens
• meet all of the requirements in the instructions for that round

Full eligibility details will be available in the instructions for each round.

2. Eligibility for the healthcare occupations category

To be eligible, you must

• have accumulated, within the past 3 years, at least 6 months of continuous work experience (in Canada or abroad) in a single occupation listed in the table below
• meet all of the requirements in the instructions for that round

Full eligibility details will be available in the instructions for each round.

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

3. Eligibility for the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations category

To be eligible, you must

• have accumulated, within the past 3 years, at least 6 months of continuous work experience (in Canada or abroad) in a single occupation listed in the table below
• meet all of the requirements in the instructions for that round

Full eligibility details will be available in the instructions for each round.

Occupation	2021 NOC code	2021 TEER category
Architects	21200	1
Architecture and science managers	20011	0
Business systems specialists	21221	1
Civil Engineers	21300	1
Computer and information systems managers	20012	0
Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)	21311	1
Computer systems developers and programmers	21230	1
Cybersecurity specialists	21220	1
Data scientists	21211	1
Database analysts and data administrators	21223	1
Electrical and electronics engineers	21310	1
Engineering managers	20010	0
Industrial and manufacturing engineers	21321	1
Information systems specialists	21222	1
Land surveyors	21203	1
Landscape Architects	21201	1
Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries	21210	1
Metallurgical and materials engineers	21322	1
Natural and applied science policy researchers, consultants and program officers	41400	1
Software developers and programmers	21232	1
Software engineers and designers	21231	1
Urban and land use planners	21202	1
Web designers	21233	1
Web developers and programmers	21234	1

4. Eligibility for the trade occupations category

To be eligible, you must

• have accumulated, within the past 3 years, at least 6 months of continuous work experience (in Canada or abroad) in a single occupation listed in the table below
• meet all of the requirements in the instructions for that round

Full eligibility details will be available in the instructions for each round.

Occupation	2021 NOC code	2021 TEER category
Residential and commercial installers and servicers	73200	3
Elevator constructors and mechanics	72406	2
Machine fitters	72405	2
Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics	72402	2
Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics	72400	2
Carpenters	72310	2
Plumbers	72300	2
Electricians (except industrial and power system)	72200	2
Welders and related machine operators	72106	2
Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers	72014	2

5. Eligibility for the transport occupations category

To be eligible, you must

• have accumulated, within the past 3 years, at least 6 months of continuous work experience (in Canada or abroad) in a single occupation listed in the table below
• meet all of the requirements in the instructions for that round

Full eligibility details will be available in the instructions for each round.

Occupation	2021 NOC code	2021 TEER category
Aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors	93200	3
Transport truck drivers	73300	3
Railway traffic controllers and marine traffic regulators	72604	2
Engineer officers, water transport	72603	2
Deck officers, water transport	72602	2
Air traffic controllers and related occupations	72601	2
Air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors	72600	2
Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors	72404	2
Railway carmen/women	72403	2
Managers in transportation	70020	0

6. Eligibility for the agriculture and agri-food occupations category

To be eligible, you must

• have accumulated, within the past 3 years, at least 6 months of continuous work experience (in Canada or abroad) in a single occupation listed in the table below
• meet all of the requirements in the instructions for that round

Full eligibility details will be available in the instructions for each round.

Occupation	2021 NOC code	2021 TEER category
Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance and horticulture services	82031	2
Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors	82030	2
Butchers- retail and wholesale	63201	3