Express Entry Program for Healthcare & STEM
On May 31, IRCC unveiled new selection categories for Express Entry Candidates. Two days before, IRCC conducted the first-ever Express Entry Category Based draw inviting healthcare workers. It says it will invite more healthcare workers over the coming week. In addition, IRCC plans to hold its first round of category-based draws for STEM workers next week.
Canada is facing a major labour shortage and the new program aims to support Canada’s economic goals and make the labour force strong. The new categories under the Express Entry Programs are:
- Healthcare occupations
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) occupations
- Trade occupations
- Transport occupations
- Agriculture and agri-food occupations
- French-language proficiency
High demand for healthcare occupations in the new Express Entry Draws
The healthcare sector is facing the most severe labor issues more seriously than any sector in Canada. According to Employment and Social Development Canada’s Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS), healthcare will become the largest employing sector in Canada, with more than 2.5 million workers by 2031 (up from 2.2 million in 2021).
Almost half of the eligible occupations for the new category-based draws fall under the healthcare category. Have a look at the different occupations:
- Audiologists and speech-language pathologists
- Chiropractors
- Dentists
- Dieticians and nutritionists
- Education counsellors
- General practitioners and family physicians
- Instructors of persons with disabilities
- Kinesiologists and other professional occupations in therapy and assessment
- Licensed practical nurses
- Massage therapists
- Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations
- Medical laboratory technologists
- Medical radiation technologists
- Medical sonographers
- Nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates
- Nurse practitioners
- Nursing co-ordinators and supervisors
- Occupational therapists
- Optometrists
- Other assisting occupations in support of health services
- Other practitioners of natural healing
- Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating
- Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment
- Paramedical occupations
- Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
- Physician assistants, midwives, and allied health professionals
- Physiotherapists
- Psychologists
- Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
- Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists, and cardiopulmonary technologists
- Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine
- Specialists in surgery
- Therapists in counseling and related specialized therapies
- Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists
- Veterinarians
STEM Occupations in the new Express Entry Draws
Occupations in Science, Technology, and Mathematics are also in high demand in Canada. ICT revenues reached $242 billion in 2021, as per the report. Canada is a leading hub for AI, with 1,032 AI and machine learning companies. However, the retirement rate and rapid technological advancements are creating a skills gap in the labour force, causing some employers to hire less qualified candidates, which hampers business growth.
“One of Canada’s greatest strengths is its ability to attract talent. This new STEM-focused category-based selection round will support our science and technology sector and its workforce, by attracting even more of the skilled talent that companies need to drive innovation and realize their growth potential. “Combining its unparalleled ability to attract talent with the innovative capacity of its entrepreneurs, Canada is the best place in the world to start and scale a technology company.” François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry of Canada stated in a media release.
Most of the occupations eligible under the STEM category provide high salaries from the beginning. Take a look at the major occupations eligible under this category:
- Architects
- Architecture and science managers
- Business systems specialists
- Civil Engineers
- Computer and information systems managers
- Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)
- Computer systems developers and programmers
- Cybersecurity specialists
- Data scientists
- Database analysts and data administrators
- Electrical and electronics engineers
- Engineering managers
- Industrial and manufacturing engineers
- Information systems specialists
- Land surveyors
- Landscape Architects
- Mathematicians, statisticians, and actuaries
- Metallurgical and materials engineers
- Natural and applied science policy researchers, consultants, and program officers
- Software developers and programmers
- Software engineers and designers
- Urban and land use planners
- Web designers
- Web developers and programmers