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Ese Umoh Immigration – Canada Immigration Consultant   →  Blog   →  Education
September 18, 2025
September 18, 2025

Canada holds Education Category Express Entry Draw on September 17, 2025

Author By EUIC Admin Categories Express Entry

Dear future neighbour,

On September 17, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted the fifth Express Entry draw of the month, targeting candidates in the Education occupations category.

This latest draw highlights the government’s ongoing commitment to using category-based selection to address Canada’s critical labour market needs, particularly in education.

Key Details of the Draw

  • Date: September 17, 2025

  • Draw type: Education category (category-based selection)

  • Number of Invitations to Apply (ITAs): 2,500

  • Minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score: 462

  • Tie-breaking rule: July 9, 2025

This draw marks a significant increase in invitations compared to the previous education draw on May 1, 2025, which issued just 1,000 ITAs with a higher CRS cutoff of 479.

Summary of Express Entry draws in 2025

Date Draw Type Number of ITAs Cut-off CRS score
September 17 Education 2,500 462
September 15 Provincial Nominee Program 228 746
September 4 French language proficiency 4,500 446
September 3 Canadian Experience Class 1,000 534
September 2 Provincial Nominee Program 249 772
August 19 Healthcare and social services 2,500 470
August 18 Provincial Nominee Program 192 800
August 8 French language proficiency 2,500 481
August 7 Canadian Experience Class 1,000 534
August 6 Provincial Nominee Program 225 739
July 22 Healthcare and social services 4,000 475
July 21 Provincial Nominee Program 202 788
July 8 Canadian Experience Class 3,000 518
July 7 Provincial Nominee Program 356 750
June 26 Canadian Experience Class 3,000 521
June 23 Provincial Nominee Program 503 742
June 12 Canadian Experience Class 3,000 529
June 10 Provincial Nominee Program 125 784
June 4 Healthcare and social services 500 504
June 2 Provincial Nominee Program 277 726
May 13 Canadian Experience Class 500 547
May 12 Provincial Nominee Program 511 706
May 2 Healthcare and social services 500 510
May 1 Education 1,000 479
April 28 Provincial Nominee Program 421 727
April 14 Provincial Nominee Program 825 764
March 21 French language proficiency 7,500 379
March 17 Provincial Nominee Program 536 736
March 6 French language proficiency 4,500 410
March 3 Provincial Nominee Program 725 667
February 19 French language proficiency 6,500 428
February 17 Provincial Nominee Program 646 750
February 5 Canadian Experience Class 4,000 521
February 4 Provincial Nominee Program 455 802
January 23 Canadian Experience Class 4,000 527
January 8 Canadian Experience Class 1,350 542
January 7 Provincial Nominee Program 471 793

Eligible Occupations

Candidates invited under this category belong to specific education-related National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes, including:

  • NOC 41220 – Secondary school teachers

  • NOC 41221 – Elementary school and kindergarten teachers

  • NOC 43100 – Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants

  • NOC 42202 – Early childhood educators and assistants

  • NOC 42203 – Instructors of persons with disabilities

These roles have been prioritized due to persistent shortages in Canada’s education sector.

 See below CRS Score Distribution in the Express Entry Pool

The table below shows the distribution of candidates in the Express Entry pool as of September 14, 2025.

CRS Score Range Number of Candidates
601–1200 220
501–600 24,870
451–500 71,427
491–500 12,341
481–490 12,555
471–480 15,569
461–470 16,158
451–460 14,804
401–450 74,178
441–450 14,719
431–440 16,312
421–430 14,822
411–420 14,714
401–410 13,611
351–400 52,883
301–350 19,978
0–300 8,074
Total 251,630

What This Draw Means

The September 17 draw represents a bigger and more inclusive round than earlier education draws:

  • Lower cutoff score: At 462, the CRS requirement is 17 points lower than the May draw, opening the door to more candidates.

  • Increased invitations: More than double the number of ITAs were issued this time, showing a stronger demand for education professionals.

  • Category focus: This is part of IRCC’s broader trend of moving away from exclusively general draws and toward targeted category-based selection.

For eligible candidates in the education sector, this is a clear signal that opportunities are expanding.

What Applicants Should Do

  • Check your CRS score: If you are in one of the eligible NOCs and have a CRS of around 460 or higher, you may be competitive in future draws.

  • Submit early: The tie-breaking rule shows that the timing of profile submission matters. Candidates with the cutoff CRS of 462 needed to have submitted before July 9, 2025.

  • Boost your profile: For those under the cutoff, improving language scores, obtaining higher education credential assessments (ECAs), or pursuing provincial nominations can help.

  • Monitor draw trends: Category-based draws are becoming more frequent, and future rounds may continue to favour education professionals.

Conclusion

The September 17, 2025 Express Entry draw is a positive development for teachers, early childhood educators, and other education professionals seeking permanent residence in Canada. With a lower CRS threshold and more invitations than previous education draws, IRCC is clearly signaling the importance of this sector to Canada’s future.

Eligible candidates should take advantage of this opportunity by ensuring their profiles are up to date and competitive for the next rounds.

Need help with your Canadian immigration process?

Whether you’re applying for a visitor visa, submitting a work permit or visa application, creating an Expression of Interest (EOI), setting up an Express Entry or Provincial Nomination profile, preparing your application after receiving an Invitation to Apply, or simply want a professional review of your self-prepared application, we’re here to assist you.

Schedule a consultation or contact us at:
info@eseumohimmigration.com

 

August 29, 2025
August 29, 2025

IRCC reveals 2025 Express Entry Draw Categories and Schedule

Author By EUIC Admin Categories Express Entry

Dear future neighbour,

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has officially announced the schedule for Express Entry category-based draws in 2025, marking a major shift in the way candidates are selected for permanent residence. Unlike previous years, IRCC has not conducted any all-program draws in 2025, instead focusing exclusively on category-based selection to meet Canada’s evolving labour market needs.

Category Priorities for 2025

The 2025 draw schedule confirms that IRCC is prioritizing four main categories:

  1. French-language proficiency
  2. Healthcare and social services occupations
  3. Trades occupations
  4. Education occupation

The introduction of the education category is a notable change, highlighting Canada’s need for teachers, early childhood educators, and related professionals. At the same time, the transport category has been removed, while the healthcare and STEM categories were adjusted to better align with demand.

Highlights from 2025 Draws So Far

From January to late July 2025, IRCC conducted 27 draws, issuing a total of 50,628 Invitations to Apply (ITAs). The majority of these were category-based draws. French-language proficiency and healthcare categories led in terms of invitations, with the French draws issuing more than 18,000 ITAs and healthcare draws accounting for 5,000 ITAs.

The new education category saw its first draw on May 1, 2025, with 1,000 ITAs issued and a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off score of 479. This represented a promising start for candidates in teaching and childcare roles.

Meanwhile, one of the year’s largest healthcare draws took place on July 22, 2025, when IRCC issued 4,000 ITAs at a CRS cut-off of 475. Another significant healthcare and social services draw occurred on August 19, 2025, with 2,500 ITAs and a CRS score of 470.

One of the lowest CRS thresholds so far was seen in a French-language proficiency draw on March 21, 2025, which issued 7,500 ITAs at a cut-off of just 379 points. This underscored IRCC’s strong commitment to attracting French-speaking candidates outside Quebec.

According to the schedule, the planned ITA distribution is as follows:

Category ITAs As per IRCC Memo ITAs Already Issued in 2025 Expected ITAs In Next Draws
Education Approximately 3,000 ITAs (5% of all FSW and CEC ITAs) 1,000 2,000
Healthcare Approximately 8,000 ITAs (15% of all FSW and CEC ITAs) 7,500 1,000-2,000
Trades Approximately 3,300 ITAs (8% of all FSW and CEC ITAs) 0 3,300
French-Proficiency 18,500 ITAs to meet the 8.5% Francophone admissions target 21,000 0

What This Means

The 2025 Express Entry draw schedule confirms IRCC’s strong reliance on targeted draws rather than general invitations. This approach gives a clear advantage to candidates in priority sectors, particularly French-speaking applicants and professionals in healthcare and education. The variation in CRS cut-offs from as low as 379 for French speakers to nearly 480 for education professionals shows how scores differ depending on category and occupation demand.

For prospective applicants, this means success in Express Entry this year is far less about competing in a broad pool and more about aligning with Canada’s high-demand categories. Candidates with language skills or occupations in education, healthcare, and trades stand a stronger chance of receiving an invitation in 2025.

Need help with your Canadian immigration process?

Whether you’re applying for a visitor visa, submitting a work permit or visa application, creating an Expression of Interest (EOI), setting up an Express Entry or Provincial Nomination profile, preparing your application after receiving an Invitation to Apply, or simply want a professional review of your self-prepared application, we’re here to assist you.

Schedule a consultation or contact us at:
info@eseumohimmigration.com

February 28, 2025
February 28, 2025

Canada Updates Express Entry Draw Categories for 2025

Author By EUIC Admin Categories Express Entry

Dear future neighbour,

​On February 27, 2025, IRCC announced significant changes to its Express Entry system, aiming to better align immigration policies with labor market demands and economic priorities. 

See below major highlights of the changes made to 2025 Express Entry:

  1. The new category announced in 2025 is Education.
  2. Transport is no longer listed under the category-based draws.
  3. IRCC has added a number of social services occupations to the healthcare category.
  4. IRCC has identified four key priority categories for Invitations to Apply (ITAs) in 2025 which include:
    • French-language proficiency
    • Healthcare and social service occupations
    • Trades occupations
    • Education occupations

Complete Overview of Express Entry Draw Categories for 2025

The 2025 updates involve more than just the addition or removal of categories. IRCC has refined the occupation lists in each category to better match Canada’s workforce demands. See below a detailed breakdown of the changes, showing recently included and removed occupations.

1. Healthcare and Social Services Occupations

The healthcare sector continues to be a key focus of Canada’s immigration strategy, driven by an aging population and the increasing need for medical and social support services.

See below 8 Occupations Added:

Job Title 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

6 Occupations Removed:

Job Title NOC Code TEER Level
Educational counsellors 41320 1
Instructors of persons 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

2. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Occupations

STEM has experienced a notable decrease, with no new occupations added and a substantial 19 removed.

See below 19 Occupations removed:

Occupations Removed (19)

Job Title 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

3. Trades Occupations

Trades have undergone a major expansion, with 19 new occupations added to meet the growing demands of construction and infrastructure.

See below 19 Occupations added:

Job Title 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 and machining and tooling inspectors 72100 2
Home building and renovation managers 70011 0
Construction managers 70010 0
Cooks 63200 3
Construction estimators 22303 2

4 Occupations removed:

Job Title 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

4. Agriculture and Agri-food Occupations

A small expansion, featuring the addition of two new roles and removal of none.

2 Occupations added:

Job Title NOC Code TEER Level
Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance, and horticulture services 82031 2
Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors 82030 2

5. Education Occupations (New Category)

The standout update for 2025 is the introduction of the Education category, which focuses on professionals who are shaping the future. This new category opens up opportunities for educators and other education-related professionals to apply for immigration, recognizing their crucial role in Canada’s growth.

This update is beneficial as it highlights the importance of education in Canada’s development, providing a clear path for skilled educators to contribute to the country’s workforce. By prioritizing this sector, Canada ensures that the next generation has access to high-quality education and support.

5 Occupations Added 

Job Title NOC Code TEER Level
Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants 43100 3
Instructors of persons with disabilities 42203 2
Early childhood educators and assistants 42202 2
Elementary school and kindergarten teachers 41221 1
Secondary school teachers 41220 1

 

Express Entry categories are determined based on Canada’s labor market needs and immigration priorities. The government evaluates various factors such as the demand for specific occupations, the country’s economic growth, and demographic trends. Categories are updated periodically to align with these needs, ensuring that skilled professionals fill critical roles in Canada’s workforce.

This system helps ensure that the right individuals are selected to contribute to the Canadian economy, while also supporting the country’s social and economic development. Regular adjustments to these categories allow for flexibility in responding to emerging trends and challenges.

Do you require assistance with crafting an Expression of Interest, setting up an express entry or provincial nomination profile, preparing your application after receiving an invitation to apply, or simply reviewing your self-prepared application? Schedule a consultation or reach out via email at info@eseumohimmigration.com.

 

 

January 8, 2025
January 8, 2025

Canada Expands Express Entry with New Education-Focused Occupations for 2025

Author By EUIC Admin Categories Express Entry, News

Dear future neighbour,

In 2025, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is set to introduce a new category within the Express Entry system, focusing on the education sector. This initiative aims to address labor shortages in education by facilitating the immigration of qualified professionals.

Background

In 2024, IRCC conducted public consultations to establish this new category and reviewed existing ones. The consultations indicated a need to include education-related occupations in the Express Entry draws. Subsequently, in September 2024, IRCC announced changes affecting international students’ eligibility for Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWPs), emphasizing fields of study linked to long-term labor market needs. By December 2024, programs related to early childhood education and developmental service workers were added to the list of PGWP-eligible programs, signaling the forthcoming inclusion of education occupations in Express Entry. 

Expected Occupations and NOC Codes

The anticipated list of occupations under the new education category includes:

1.Elementary School and Kindergarten Teachers (NOC 41221): Educators teaching basic subjects or specialized programs in public and private schools.

2.Secondary School Teachers (NOC 41220): Professionals instructing academic, technical, or vocational subjects at the secondary level.

3.Early Childhood Educators and Assistants (NOC 42202): Specialists planning and implementing programs for children up to 12 years old, employed in childcare centers and similar facilities.

4.Elementary and Secondary School Teacher Assistants (NOC 43100): Individuals supporting students and assisting educators with instructional and non-instructional tasks.

5.Educational Counsellors (NOC 41320): Advisors guiding students on educational and career planning, typically employed by educational institutions.

6.Instructors of Persons with Disabilities (NOC 42203): Professionals aiding individuals with disabilities in developing essential skills, working in specialized education institutes and rehabilitation centers.

These occupations were identified based on their alignment with PGWP-eligible programs and the need to address labor shortages in Canada’s education sector. 

Implications for Prospective Immigrants

The introduction of the education category in Express Entry presents new opportunities for professionals in these fields to immigrate to Canada. Candidates with experience in the specified occupations are encouraged to enter the Express Entry pool promptly, as early entry may provide advantages due to the tie-breaking rule favoring earlier profiles. 

Conclusion

IRCC’s addition of an education-focused category to the Express Entry system reflects Canada’s commitment to addressing labor shortages in critical sectors. By targeting specific occupations within education, Canada aims to attract skilled professionals essential for the country’s social and economic development.

Require assistance with securing a visitor visa for Canada, seeking professional aid in submitting a visa or work permit application, crafting an Expression of Interest, setting up an express entry or provincial nomination profile, preparing your application after receiving an invitation to apply, or simply reviewing your self-prepared application? Schedule a consultation or reach out via email at info@eseumohimmigration.com
November 11, 2024
November 11, 2024

Canada Ends SDS and NSE Study Visa Streams

Author By EUIC Admin Categories News

Dear future neighbour,

On November 8, 2024, the Government of Canada announced that it is ending the Student Direct Stream (SDS), a program created to speed up the visa application process for international students from certain countries. Launched in 2018, the SDS was designed to help students from countries like China, India, and the Philippines get their study permits more quickly and easily.

To meet the high demand from Nigerian students, Canada created the Nigeria Student Express (NSE) program, offering a faster way for Nigerian applicants to get study permits. Since its launch, the NSE has helped many Nigerian students pursue education in Canada. However, as of November 8, 2024, new Nigerian applicants must now apply through the regular study permit process, like students from other countries.

The decision to close the program has worried many international students who depend on its fast processing for studying in Canada. The government says the closure is part of a larger effort to improve Canada’s immigration system and better manage resources amid changing global conditions.

The SDS will no longer be available to new applicants starting in November 2024, but the government is offering other ways to apply for study permits. While the exact reasons for the closure aren’t clear, it’s believed that higher application numbers, the need for better processing, and changes in immigration priorities played a role.

This change is a major shift in Canada’s student immigration policy. International students who were eligible for SDS will now have to use the regular study permit process, which could take longer. However, the Canadian government says it’s working on other ways to support international students, like improving processing times and increasing funding for schools.

Require assistance with securing a visitor visa for Canada, seeking professional aid in submitting a visa or work permit application, crafting an Expression of Interest, setting up an express entry or provincial nomination profile, preparing your application post receiving an invitation to apply, or simply reviewing your self-prepared application? Schedule a consultation or reach out via email at info@eseumohimmigration.com