In the early hours of June 25, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted an occupation-specific Express Entry round that invited 4,000 candidates who work in health-care and social-services occupations to apply for permanent residence. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score fell to 475, down 8 points from the last health-care-focused draw in February. The draw is the second sector-based invitation round of 2026 for health-care professionals and the 34th Express Entry draw overall this year. IRCC’s summary table shows that more than 8,000 health-care workers have received Invitations to Apply (ITAs) so far in 2026—evidence of Ottawa’s determination to tackle domestic labour shortages in nursing, elder-care, social work and mental-health services.
![IRCC Holds Targeted Express Entry Draw for Healthcare & Social-services Workers]()
Whether you’re a nurse in Manila or a social worker in Lagos, VisaHQ can streamline the travel-document side of your Canadian journey. Its dedicated Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) guides users through everything from electronic travel authorizations to work-permit paperwork, letting you focus on boosting CRS scores and securing licensing credentials while the experts handle the visa logistics.
For employers, the draw offers a faster route to fill critical vacancies without relying on temporary work permits that come with mobility and time restrictions. Hospitals in Ontario and British Columbia have already signalled plans to use the new invitations to convert long-term contract nurses into permanent employees, reducing turnover costs and onboarding times. Meanwhile, provincial regulators are preparing for an influx of foreign-trained professionals and urging applicants to gather credential-assessment documents early to avoid licensing backlogs. From a policy standpoint, the move reinforces the federal government’s pivot toward category-based selection introduced in 2025 under Bill C-19. By pre-selecting candidates in priority occupations, IRCC can maintain overall immigration targets while fine-tuning the skills mix—an approach welcomed by provincial ministries of health but criticized by some immigration lawyers who say it gives larger employers an edge over small clinics and rural facilities. Prospective applicants should note that the tie-breaking rule was set for May 21, 2026, at 12:14 UTC. Anyone who updated or filed an Express Entry profile after that time but still met the 475-point cut-off did not receive an invitation in this round. Those candidates—and others close to the threshold—are being advised to improve French-language scores, obtain additional provincial nominations or secure valid job offers to remain competitive for upcoming summer draws.
Whether you’re a nurse in Manila or a social worker in Lagos, VisaHQ can streamline the travel-document side of your Canadian journey. Its dedicated Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) guides users through everything from electronic travel authorizations to work-permit paperwork, letting you focus on boosting CRS scores and securing licensing credentials while the experts handle the visa logistics.
For employers, the draw offers a faster route to fill critical vacancies without relying on temporary work permits that come with mobility and time restrictions. Hospitals in Ontario and British Columbia have already signalled plans to use the new invitations to convert long-term contract nurses into permanent employees, reducing turnover costs and onboarding times. Meanwhile, provincial regulators are preparing for an influx of foreign-trained professionals and urging applicants to gather credential-assessment documents early to avoid licensing backlogs. From a policy standpoint, the move reinforces the federal government’s pivot toward category-based selection introduced in 2025 under Bill C-19. By pre-selecting candidates in priority occupations, IRCC can maintain overall immigration targets while fine-tuning the skills mix—an approach welcomed by provincial ministries of health but criticized by some immigration lawyers who say it gives larger employers an edge over small clinics and rural facilities. Prospective applicants should note that the tie-breaking rule was set for May 21, 2026, at 12:14 UTC. Anyone who updated or filed an Express Entry profile after that time but still met the 475-point cut-off did not receive an invitation in this round. Those candidates—and others close to the threshold—are being advised to improve French-language scores, obtain additional provincial nominations or secure valid job offers to remain competitive for upcoming summer draws.
