EXPRESS ENTRY: CATEGORY BASED SELECTION

With employers eagerly seeking to fill countless vacant positions across the country, immigration emerges as a vital piece to solving this puzzle. Recognizing this reality, the Government of Canada is building an immigration system that acts as a catalyst for growth, empowering businesses, helping address their labour needs and strengthening French communities. When combined, these efforts will ensure Canadians benefit from economic and social prosperity for years to come.

The Honourable Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship on May 31, 2023; announced the first-ever launch of category-based selection for Canada’s flagship economic immigration management system, Express Entry. Category-based selection will allow Canada to issue invitations to apply to prospective permanent residents with specific skills, training or language ability. Further details on the timing of invitations for individual categories and how to apply will be announced in the coming weeks.

Category-based rounds add to general and program-specific rounds by inviting top-ranking candidates who can help Canada meet these specific economic goals.

Categories based on

• labour market information and projections
• input we received from our partners, including provinces and territories, and stakeholders across the country

Categories chosen for 2023

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

Eligibility

To be eligible, applicant 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 

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

IRCC NOW HAS 3 TYPES OF INVITATION - ROUNDS

1. General rounds of  invitations

In general rounds of invitations, we invite top-ranking candidates in the pool who are eligible for 1 of the 3 Express Entry programs.

2. Program-specific rounds of invitations 

In program-specific rounds of invitations, we invite top-ranking candidates who are eligible for a specific Express Entry program. 

For example, if we’re holding a round specifically for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), we would only invite candidates who are eligible for the PNP. 

3. Category-based rounds of invitations

For category-based rounds of invitations, the minister establishes a category to meet a specific economic goal. We then invite top-ranking candidates in the pool who are eligible for this category. 

Category-based rounds add to general and program-specific rounds by inviting top-ranking candidates who can help us meet specific economic goals.

Facts:

In June 2022, the Government of Canada made changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to allow for the selection of immigrants based on key attributes that support economic priorities, such as specific work experience or knowledge of French. 

The categories have been determined following extensive consultations with provincial and territorial partners, stakeholders and the public, as well as a review of labour market needs. A complete list of eligible jobs for the new categories is available on our website.

The first category-based invitations to apply are expected to be sent this summer. 

Immigration accounts for almost 100% of Canada’s labour force growth, helping to addresses labour shortages in key sectors.

According to Employment and Social Development Canada, the number of occupations facing shortages doubled between 2019 and 2021.

Source: IRCC NEWS ROOM