Canada issues 9,000 Express Entry invitations to healthcare and CEC workers

Canada issued more than 9,000 Express Entry invitations across four draws between June 22 and June 25, with healthcare workers and candidates already living in the country taking the bulk of them.

What changed in the June draws

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ran back-to-back rounds favoring in-country applicants and targeted occupations, a sharper tilt than the broad all-program draws that dominated earlier years. The June 23 Canadian Experience Class round issued 4,000 invitations at a CRS cutoff of 516 and the June 25 healthcare and social services round matched that volume at a cutoff of 475.

Two smaller rounds rounded out the week:

• Provincial Nominee Program, June 22: roughly 995 invitations, CRS cutoff 730.
• Physicians with Canadian work experience, June 24: 271 invitations, CRS cutoff 223.

The physician cutoff of 223 is unusually low and reflects the new category built specifically for doctors already working in Canada, per IRCC. CEC and healthcare draws of this size signal that offshore Federal Skilled Worker candidates without Canadian experience are being deprioritized in the current rotation.

Who is caught by the shift

IRCC has stated most 2026 rounds will target candidates already contributing to Canada's economy, meaning workers on valid permits with skilled Canadian experience or a provincial nomination. Healthcare and social services applicants need at least 12 months of eligible work experience in a listed occupation within the past three years to qualify for the category-based draw.

Remote workers and digital nomads without Canadian work history remain eligible under Federal Skilled Worker rules, but the current draw pattern makes an ITA unlikely unless their CRS clears the high general thresholds. For anyone weighing a move to Canada through Express Entry, the practical route now runs through a work permit first, then category-based selection.

What invited candidates must do next

ITAs from these rounds are valid for 60 days. Recipients must submit a complete permanent residence application with police certificates, medical exams, proof of funds and updated language and education documents inside that window or the invitation lapses.

Candidates scoring exactly 475 in the June 25 healthcare draw needed their Express Entry profile submitted by 12:14 p.m. UTC on May 21 to receive an ITA, per IRCC's tie-breaker rule. Pool candidates close to current cutoffs should refresh language tests and Educational Credential Assessments now rather than wait, since the next category-based round could land within weeks and stale documents will block submission inside the 60-day window.