Introducing “MediMigrate”: Canada’s Cutting-Edge Immigration Breakthrough for Healthcare Heroes

IRCC’s Express Entry Category-Based Draws Invites 500 Healthcare Professionals with CRS Score of 476

In a ground-breaking move, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has recently invited 500 healthcare workers through its new Express Entry category-based selection draws.

This marks the first-ever implementation of the category-based selection since the announcement of the six new categories on May 31.

Another round of invitations, targeting 1,500 workers, is scheduled for July 5. Additionally, a draw is expected to take place during the same week, inviting eligible candidates from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions.

List of Healthcare occupation and category-based selection

Among the six categories, healthcare occupations boast the largest number of eligible occupations, comprising a total of 35 specialized fields.

• 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 occupation 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 coordinators 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 counselling and related specialized therapies
• Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists
• Veterinarians

Other categories include:

• Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions
• Trades, such as carpenters, plumbers and contractors
• Transportation
• Agriculture and agri-food
• Strong French language proficiency

Shortage of Healthcare workers in Canada:

This innovative approach aims to address the pressing shortage of healthcare professionals in Canada, a challenge exacerbated by the country’s low birth rates and aging population.

With an estimated nine million Canadians reaching retirement age within the next seven years, the demand for healthcare services is set to surge, necessitating the recruitment of skilled immigrants to fill these critical positions.

Recent job vacancy data from Statistics Canada underscores the urgency of the situation, revealing that the healthcare and social assistance sector currently has 144,500 vacant positions, accounting for 17.7% of all unfilled positions as of March 2023.

Several provinces and territories have already taken steps to address the healthcare worker shortage by conducting targeted draws for healthcare professionals through their respective streams of the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

For example, Alberta has introduced the Designated Healthcare Pathway under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program, British Columbia consistently invites healthcare professionals in their BC PNP draws, and Ontario recently invited 318 foreign workers in healthcare occupations.

The introduction of category-based selection draws aligns with the amendments made to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in June 2022, granting the Canadian immigration minister the authority to select economic immigrants based on specific attributes that support the country’s economic priorities or promote French-speaking immigration outside of Quebec.

The selection of the categories was informed by consultations with provincial and territorial governments, as well as other stakeholders, who helped identify the areas with the most significant labour force gaps.

To be eligible under the occupation-specific categories, candidates must have a minimum of six months of continuous work experience in one of the listed occupations within the past three years.

This experience can be acquired either within Canada or abroad, providing a broader pool of qualified applicants.

The category-based selection draws represent a milestone in Canada’s immigration landscape, as the country takes proactive measures to address healthcare workforce shortages while aligning with its economic priorities.

By attracting skilled healthcare professionals through streamlined immigration processes, Canada aims to fortify its healthcare system and ensure that the growing healthcare needs of its population are met efficiently.