Significant updates to the Express Entry system

On February 27, 2025, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) unveiled significant updates to the Express Entry system, introducing new categories and refining existing ones to better align with the nation's evolving labor market needs.

Introduction of the Education Category

A notable addition is the new Education category, which includes five specific occupations:

Other Changes to Express Entry Categories

In addition to introducing the Education category, IRCC has made the following adjustments:

• Removal of the Transport Category: This category has been eliminated from the category-based draws.
• Expansion of the Healthcare Category: Several social services occupations have been incorporated into the existing Healthcare category to better address the demand in this sector.

The current Express Entry categories are:

• French-language proficiency
• Healthcare and Social service occupations
• Agriculture and agri-food occupations
• Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) occupations
• Trades occupations
• Education occupations

However, for 2025, IRCC has prioritized the following categories:

• French-language proficiency
• Healthcare and Social service occupations
• Trades occupations

Occupations have been added to the Healthcare and social services category:

Occupations have been removed from the Healthcare and social services category

Determination of Express Entry Categories

Express Entry categories are established by the Minister of Immigration based on various factors, including:

• Labor market information and projections
• Input from partners, such as provinces and territories
• Stakeholder feedback across the country

These categories are designed to meet identified economic goals and are reviewed regularly to ensure they align with Canada's current labor market needs.