Canada has announced significant updates to its Express Entry system for 2025 – this mechanism issues permanent residency invites to successful candidates. The focus of the update is to address labour shortages and enhance economic growth. Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship (IRCC), recently revealed the latest changes, including the introduction of a new education category and an increased emphasis on inviting candidates with Canadian work experience.
Key changes to express entry for 2025
The Express Entry system, which manages applications for permanent residence under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and Canadian Experience Class (CEC), will prioritize candidates with work experience in Canada. The goal is to transition more temporary residents to permanent status while meeting labour demands in high-priority sectors.
Category-based draws, first introduced in 2023, will continue in 2025 with an updated structure. The six original categories—French-language proficiency, healthcare, STEM, trades, transport, and agriculture and agri-food—are being revised. The transport category has been removed, while a new education category has been added to recognize the demand for teachers and early childhood educators.
As covered by TOI earlier, Canada has significantly dropped its permanent residency targets as compared to earlier years. It has cut it down to 11.4 lakh permanent residents for the three year period 2025-2027. It is likely that the year 2025 will experience fewer general category draws and more category based draws and draws for CEC category.
The updated Express Entry categories for 2025 are:
- French-language proficiency (candidates must achieve at least NCLC 7 in all language abilities on the TCF or TEF exams)
- Healthcare and social services occupations
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) occupations
- Trades occupations
- Agriculture and Agri-Food occupations (now reduced to a single occupation: butchers – retail and wholesale)
- Education occupations (newly introduced)
Expanded Occupation Lists
Each occupational category includes a list of professions eligible for targeted Express Entry draws. Notable changes include:
- Healthcare and Social Services: Renamed from “Healthcare” to reflect the inclusion of additional roles such as animal health technologists, veterinary technicians, and cardiology technologists.
- Trades: Expanded significantly to include occupations such as roofers and shinglers, heavy-duty equipment mechanics, and bricklayers.
- STEM: Adjustments made to the list of eligible occupations to better align with industry needs.
The full list of eligible occupations for the 2025 Express Entry draws spans across healthcare, STEM, trades, agriculture, and education, ensuring that Canada’s evolving labour market is well supported.
New education category
The introduction of the education category marks a major shift in Canada’s approach to immigration. The following five occupations are now included under this category:
- Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants (NOC 43100)
- Instructors of persons with disabilities (NOC 42203) [previously in the Healthcare category]
- Early childhood educators and assistants (NOC 42202)
- Elementary school and kindergarten teachers (NOC 41221)
- Secondary school teachers (NOC 41220)
How category-based draws work
Category-based selection allows Canada to invite candidates who meet specific economic priorities. To qualify, candidates must:
- Meet the baseline eligibility requirements of Express Entry (FSWP, FSTP, or CEC);
- Have at least six months of full-time experience in the last three years in a listed occupation or demonstrate French language proficiency.
The highest-ranking candidates within each category are invited to apply for permanent residency, with the lowest ranking score required for selection published after each draw.
The main advantage of the category-based draws is that the qualifying Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score tends to be lower than for the general draws.
The 2025 Express Entry changes signal a major shift in Canada’s immigration strategy, with a continued emphasis on healthcare, education, and Francophone immigration. The introduction of the education category, adjustments to occupation lists, and increased focus on candidates with Canadian work experience reflect Canada’s commitment to a well-managed and sustainable immigration system. Time will tell how these changes impact selection scores and overall immigration trends, but for skilled workers worldwide, the opportunity to build a future in Canada remains strong.