In a recent immigration update, the Canadian government invited 500 skilled workers from the healthcare and social service fields to apply for permanent residency (PR) under its Express Entry system.
The invitation round took place on May 2, 2025, and only candidates who had a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 510 or higher were selected.
This was a category-based draw, specifically targeting occupations in healthcare and social services, such as nurses, physiotherapists, social workers, and similar roles. Canada has been holding such targeted draws to address labour shortages in key sectors.
For those who need more clarity, let’s understand Express Entry First!
Express Entry is a system the Canadian government uses to manage applications for people who want to become permanent residents of Canada. There are different programs under Express Entry, such as:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
- Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
This Specific Round: Healthcare and Social Services Occupations
Canada sometimes holds special rounds of invitations that focus on certain job sectors. In this case, it is for people in healthcare and social services (like nurses, social workers, physiotherapists, etc.).
Diving deeper for a better understanding
1. Number of invitations issued: 500
This means 500 people received an invitation to apply for permanent residency in Canada in this round. These people were selected from the Express Entry pool based on how competitive their profiles were.
2. Rank required to be invited to apply: 500 or above
People in the Express Entry system are ranked based on a points system called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). This means that the top 500 ranked profiles in this draw were invited. If your profile was ranked 501st or lower, you were not invited this time.
3. Date and time of round: May 02, 2025 at 16:14:46 UTC
That is just the exact date and time this invitation round happened. So, the draw took place on May 2, 2025, at 4:14 PM (UTC).
4. CRS score of lowest-ranked candidate invited: 510
This means that the lowest score of someone who got an invitation in this round was 510 CRS points. If your CRS score was 509 or lower, you were not invited.
5. Tie-breaking rule: July 21, 2024, at 04:31:17 UTC
Sometimes, multiple people have the same CRS score (in this case, 510). So, how does the system choose who is invited? Canada uses a tie-breaker: whoever created their Express Entry profile earlier gets the invitation.
This means:
- If you had a CRS score of 510, and you submitted your profile before July 21, 2024, at 04:31:17 UTC ( July 21, 2024, at 10:01:17 AM IST), then you were invited.
- But no invitation for you in this round if you submitted your profile after that time (even with the same score).
Note: This draw may have included candidates from the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Canadian Experience Class, or Federal Skilled Trades Program, as long as they met the criteria and worked in the relevant occupation.
Why it matters
This is good news for those working in healthcare and social services who want to move to Canada. It shows that Canada is continuing to prioritise skilled workers in essential fields, making it a great opportunity for eligible professionals looking to immigrate.
