The 2025 Express Entry categories were announced on February 27, 2025, by Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The department made significant adjustments to category-based
The 2025 Express Entry categories were announced on February 27, 2025, by Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The department made significant adjustments to category-based draws by eliminating one category and adding a new one. Education is the newly announced category for 2025. Five professions are included in this new category. Transport meanwhile is no longer included in the category-based draws. Numerous social services professions have also been added to the healthcare category by the IRCC.
Presently, the IRCC’s website lists the following Express Entry categories.
- Ability to communicate in French.
- Jobs related to healthcare and social services.
- Jobs in agriculture and agri-food.
- STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) professions.
- Jobs in trade.
- Occupations in education.
Although all the categories are still in use, the IRCC declared that the following are the 2025 Express Entry priority categories.
- Proficiency in the French language.
- Jobs in social services and healthcare.
- Jobs in trades and.
- Jobs in education.
Through category-based draws in the Express Entry system, these groups will be given preference when it comes to invitations to apply (ITA). The category-based selection has undergone additional modifications.
Changes Applied to Express Entry Categories
The qualifying occupations for all formerly included Express Entry categories that are still in effect following today’s modification have undergone significant changes.
The following lists the occupations that have been added to and removed from existing categories.
| Category name | Number of new occupations added | Number of occupations removed |
| Healthcare and Social Services occupations | 8 | 6 |
| Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) occupations | 6 | 19 |
| Trade occupations | 19 | 4 |
| Agriculture and Agri-food occupations | 0 | 2 |
Medical Care and Social Services
The category of healthcare and social services now includes the following professions:
| Occupation Name | 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 Categories:
| Occupation Name | NOC Code | TEER Level |
| Educational counsellors | 41320 | 1 |
| Instructors of people 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
New Stem Categories:
| Occupation Name | 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:
| Occupation Name | 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 |
Trade
New Trade Categories:
| Occupation Name | NOC Code | TEER Level |
| Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services | 82021 | 2 |
| Floor covering installers | 73113 | 3 |
| Painters and decorators (except interior decorators) | 73112 | 3 |
| Roofers and shinglers | 73110 | 3 |
| Concrete finishers | 73100 | 3 |
| Other technical trades and related occupations | 72999 | 2 |
| Water well drillers | 72501 | 2 |
| 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, 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:
| Occupation Name | 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
New Added Categories:
| Occupation Name | NOC Code | TEER Level |
| Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance, and horticulture services | 82031 | 2 |
| Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors | 82030 | 2 |
New Professions Added to the Newly Created Education Category Under Express Entry
| Occupation Name | NOC Code | TEER Level |
| Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants | 43100 | 3 |
| Instructors of people with disabilities | 42203 | 2 |
| Early childhood educators and assistants | 42202 | 2 |
| Elementary school and kindergarten teachers | 41221 | 1 |
| Secondary school teachers | 41220 | 1 |
What Criteria are Used to Select Express Entry Categories?
The IRCC establishes Express Entry categories while taking Canada’s demographic and economic objectives into account. Because Canada needs more workers in key areas, most occupation-based categories are included in the Express Entry system in response to labour market demand. These are typically occupations where there are significant labour shortages in Canada and immigration is necessary to fill them.
In contrast, Canada’s Official Languages Act, which outlines the country’s commitment to bilingualism and the promotion of French outside of Quebec, is followed by the French-language proficiency category. Given how crucial immigration is to this endeavor, the IRCC is in charge of making it easier for francophone newcomers to enter and settle in Canada.