New Express Entry Categories for 2025 Announced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
On February 27, 2025, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced the new Express Entry categories for 2025. The department introduced significant changes to category-based draws, including the addition of a new category and the removal of another.
The newly introduced category for 2025 is Education, which includes five specific occupations. Meanwhile, the Transport category has been removed from the category-based draws. Additionally, IRCC has incorporated several social services occupations into the Healthcare category.
Current Express Entry Categories
According to IRCC’s official website, the Express Entry categories now include:
- French-language proficiency
- Healthcare and Social Services occupations
- Agriculture and Agri-food occupations
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) occupations
- Trades occupations
- Education occupations
While all the above categories remain, IRCC has declared that priority categories for 2025 will be:
- French-language proficiency
- Healthcare and Social Services occupations
- Trades occupations
- Education occupations
These priority categories will receive more invitations to apply (ITAs) under the category-based selection process within the Express Entry system.
Changes to Express Entry Categories
Apart from these category adjustments, IRCC has made significant modifications to the eligible occupations within the remaining categories. Some occupations have been added, while others have been removed. Below is an overview:
| Category | Occupations Added | Occupations Removed |
| Healthcare and Social Services | 8 | 6 |
| STEM | 6 | 19 |
| Trades | 19 | 4 |
| Agriculture and Agri-food | 0 | 2 |
| Education (new category) | 5 | 0 |
Healthcare and Social Services Category
Added Occupations:
| Job Title | NOC Code | TEER Level |
| Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians | 32104 | 2 |
| Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists | 32123 | 2 |
| Dental hygienists and dental therapists | 32111 | 2 |
| Other medical technologists and technicians | 32129 | 2 |
| Pharmacists | 31120 | 1 |
| Pharmacy technicians | 32124 | 2 |
| Social and community service workers | 42201 | 2 |
| Social workers | 41300 | 1 |
Removed Occupations:
| Job Title | NOC Code | TEER Level |
| Educational counsellors | 41320 | 1 |
| Instructors of persons with disabilities | 42203 | 2 |
| Kinesiologists and other professional occupations in therapy and assessment | 31204 | 1 |
| Other assisting occupations in support of health services | 33109 | 3 |
| Other practitioners of natural healing | 32209 | 2 |
| Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists | 32200 | 2 |
STEM Category
Added Occupations:
| Job Title | NOC Code | TEER Level |
| Civil engineering technologists and technicians | 22300 | 2 |
| Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians | 22310 | 2 |
| Geological Engineers | 21331 | 1 |
| Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 22301 | 2 |
| Mechanical Engineers | 21301 | 1 |
| Insurance agents and brokers | 63100 | 3 |
Removed Occupations:
| Job Title | NOC Code | TEER Level |
| Architects | 21200 | 1 |
| Business systems specialists | 21221 | 1 |
| Computer and information systems managers | 20012 | 0 |
| Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers) | 21311 | 1 |
| Computer systems developers and programmers | 21230 | 1 |
| Data scientists | 21211 | 1 |
| Database analysts and data administrators | 21223 | 1 |
| Engineering managers | 20010 | 0 |
| Information systems specialists | 21222 | 1 |
| Land surveyors | 21203 | 1 |
| Landscape Architects | 21201 | 1 |
| Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries | 21210 | 1 |
| Metallurgical and materials engineers | 21322 | 1 |
| Natural and applied science policy researchers, consultants, and program officers | 41400 | 1 |
| Software developers and programmers | 21232 | 1 |
| Software engineers and designers | 21231 | 1 |
| Urban and land use planners | 21202 | 1 |
| Web designers | 21233 | 1 |
| Web developers and programmers | 21234 | 1 |
Trades Category
Added Occupations:
| Job Title | NOC Code | TEER Level |
| Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services | 82021 | 2 |
| Floor covering installers | 73113 | 3 |
| Painters and decorators | 73112 | 3 |
| Roofers and shinglers | 73110 | 3 |
| Concrete finishers | 73100 | 3 |
| Electrical mechanics | 72422 | 2 |
| Heavy-duty equipment mechanics | 72401 | 2 |
| Bricklayers | 72320 | 2 |
| Cabinetmakers | 72311 | 2 |
| Gas fitters | 72302 | 2 |
| Industrial electricians | 72201 | 2 |
| Sheet metal workers | 72102 | 2 |
| Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors | 72100 | 2 |
| Home building and renovation managers | 70011 | 0 |
| Construction managers | 70010 | 0 |
| Cooks | 63200 | 3 |
| Construction estimators | 22303 | 2 |
Removed Occupations:
| Job Title | NOC Code | TEER Level |
| Residential and commercial installers and servicers | 73200 | 3 |
| Elevator constructors and mechanics | 72406 | 2 |
| Machine fitters | 72405 | 2 |
| Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers | 72014 | 2 |
Agriculture and agri-food category
Removed Occupations:
| Job Title | NOC Code | TEER Level | ||
|
82031 | 2 | ||
|
82030 | 2 |
Education Category (Newly Introduced in 2025)
| Job Title | NOC Code | TEER Level |
| Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants | 43100 | 3 |
| Instructors of persons with disabilities | 42203 | 2 |
| Early childhood educators and assistants | 42202 | 2 |
| Elementary school and kindergarten teachers | 41221 | 1 |
| Secondary school teachers | 41220 | 1 |
How Does IRCC Determine Express Entry Categories?
The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) establishes Express Entry categories based on Canada’s economic and demographic priorities. These categories are designed to address critical labor shortages and ensure that the country attracts skilled workers in high-demand sectors.
Most job-based categories are selected based on labor market needs, ensuring that industries facing worker shortages can be supported through immigration. These roles typically require specialized skills that are not readily available within Canada’s existing workforce, making them essential for the country’s economic growth.
On the other hand, the French-language proficiency category aligns with Canada’s commitment to bilingualism as outlined in the Official Languages Act. This category supports the government’s initiative to strengthen the French-speaking population outside of Quebec by facilitating the immigration and integration of francophone newcomers.
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