Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held its first category-based Express Entry draw of December on 11 December 2025, inviting 1,000 candidates with recent experience in healthcare and social-services occupations. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off was 476—44 points below the all-program average—signalling sustained demand for critical-shortage skills.
Eligible occupations covered everything from registered nurses and physicians to social workers and physiotherapists. Candidates had to create their Express Entry profile before 26 November 2025. Those who receive Invitations to Apply (ITAs) now have 60 days to submit full permanent-residence applications, meaning many will receive confirmation of PR before Canada’s next fiscal year.
Prospective applicants who need extra help navigating the paperwork can turn to VisaHQ: the company’s Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers step-by-step checklists, electronic form completion and live support, streamlining both Express Entry and work-permit preparation for healthcare professionals and other skilled workers.
![IRCC Issues 1,000 ITAs to Healthcare & Social-Services Professionals in Express Entry Draw]()
The targeted draw supports the federal government’s multi-year immigration plan, which earmarks 15,000 healthcare landings in 2026 to alleviate nationwide labour shortages and reduce hospital backlogs. Provinces such as Ontario and British Columbia have already announced streamlined licensing for foreign-trained doctors and nurses, creating a smoother on-arrival pathway to regulated practice.
For employers, the draw tightens competition for internationally trained professionals. Health authorities are advised to align provincial licensing onboarding with IRCC’s faster PR issuance to prevent talent leakage to larger urban centres.
Mobility managers should note that candidates with Canadian work experience or provincial nominations continue to rank higher. Encouraging foreign hires to secure short-term work permits under the Global Skills Strategy while waiting for PR remains best practice.
Eligible occupations covered everything from registered nurses and physicians to social workers and physiotherapists. Candidates had to create their Express Entry profile before 26 November 2025. Those who receive Invitations to Apply (ITAs) now have 60 days to submit full permanent-residence applications, meaning many will receive confirmation of PR before Canada’s next fiscal year.
Prospective applicants who need extra help navigating the paperwork can turn to VisaHQ: the company’s Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers step-by-step checklists, electronic form completion and live support, streamlining both Express Entry and work-permit preparation for healthcare professionals and other skilled workers.
The targeted draw supports the federal government’s multi-year immigration plan, which earmarks 15,000 healthcare landings in 2026 to alleviate nationwide labour shortages and reduce hospital backlogs. Provinces such as Ontario and British Columbia have already announced streamlined licensing for foreign-trained doctors and nurses, creating a smoother on-arrival pathway to regulated practice.
For employers, the draw tightens competition for internationally trained professionals. Health authorities are advised to align provincial licensing onboarding with IRCC’s faster PR issuance to prevent talent leakage to larger urban centres.
Mobility managers should note that candidates with Canadian work experience or provincial nominations continue to rank higher. Encouraging foreign hires to secure short-term work permits under the Global Skills Strategy while waiting for PR remains best practice.
