Express Entry : Canada Held The Second Largest Healthcare Draw Of The Year

Canada invited 2,500 skilled workers in a new Express Entry draw for healthcare and social services occupations. The draw took place on August 19, 2025. Candidates needed a minimum CRS score of 470 and must have created their profile before April 23, 2025, at 8:08 p.m. UTC.

Healthcare Priority

This is the second healthcare draw in August. It marks the fifth draw of the month and the second this week. Canada has been holding one healthcare and social services draw each month since May 2025. Before May, no healthcare-focused draws had taken place this year. This shows Canada’s growing focus on filling labour shortages in healthcare.

August Draw Activity

August has been a busy month for immigration candidates. On August 18, Canada held a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw and invited 192 candidates with a CRS cut-off of 800. On August 8, 2,500 candidates with French language proficiency received invitations. On August 7, Canada invited 1,000 candidates from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) with a minimum score of 534.

Year-to-Date Invitations

So far in 2025, Canada has issued 55,820 invitations through Express Entry. The majority of these have been PNP draws, but other categories remain active. The breakdown includes:

• 15 draws for the Provincial Nominee Program.
  
• 8 draws for Canadian Experience Class.
  
• 4 draws for French-language proficiency.
  
• 4 draws for healthcare and social services.
  
• 1 draw for education.
  

Draw Trends in 2025

The largest draw of the year so far for healthcare happened on July 22, when 4,000 candidates were invited with a cut-off score of 475. Other recent healthcare draws were smaller, such as the 500 invitations issued on June 4 and May 2.

French-language draws have also been significant this year. On March 21, Canada invited 7,500 French-speaking candidates, the largest single draw of 2025 so far.

The Canadian Experience Class also remains important. Since January, thousands of candidates in this stream have received invitations, with cut-off scores ranging from 518 to 542.

Changing Priorities

Canada continues to adjust its focus based on labour needs. Healthcare and social services have become a top priority in recent months. The government has emphasized the need for more skilled workers in this field. With an aging population and growing demand, these draws are expected to continue in the coming months.

What It Means for Candidates

Candidates in the healthcare and social services category now have stronger chances of receiving invitations. Lower CRS cut-offs compared to earlier draws also make the process more accessible. Many expect Canada to hold more large-scale draws later this year.