Six healthcare jobs being prioritized for permanent residence, requiring two years of college or less
Having work experience in a priority healthcare occupation can give you an advantage in pursuing Canadian permanent residence (PR).
Discover your options for Canadian permanent residence
International student graduates of healthcare programs are more likely to get jobs in their field after graduation, in addition to being more likely to get permanent residence down the road.
Although some healthcare occupations require many years of postsecondary education, others require as little as a six-month college program.
Here are six priority healthcare occupations that typically require two years or less of college education:
| Occupation | Length of college progam |
|---|---|
| Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations (33101) | 1 year |
| Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates (33102) | 6-12 months |
| Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment (32109) | 2 years |
| Paramedical occupations (32102) | 1–2 years |
| Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants (33103) | 6–12 months |
| Pharmacy technicians (32124) | 2 years |
In many jurisdictions in Canada, these jobs will be in regulated professions, so you’ll require licensing by the governing body in your jurisdiction in order to practice your profession.
Licensing will often require additional hands-on training such as work placements, along with passing an official licensing exam.
Some study programs may include a portion of the necessary hands-on training required for licensing.
Licensing for most healthcare occupations in Canada is typically managed at the provincial level.
How are healthcare workers given priority for permanent residence?
Canada prioritizes healthcare workers through Express Entry, its flagship system for managing permanent residence applications.
To apply for permanent residence through Express Entry, you must
- Take an approved immigration language test;
- Meet the minimum requirements for either the Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program, or Federal Skilled Trades Program;
- Create a profile in the Express Entry pool; and
- Receive an invitation to apply (ITA) from the federal government.
The government periodically extends ITAs to the highest-ranking candidates under its Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).
The government also periodically prioritizes candidates in in-demand occupations, including healthcare, through conducting draws under the healthcare and social services category.
To qualify for a category-based draw, you must have at least six months full-time (or equivalent amount of part time), continuous work experience in a single category-eligible occupation within the past three years.
In a category-based draw, only the top candidates qualifying for that category are invited.
This means that you can get invited to apply for permanent residence under a category-based draw with a lower CRS score than through a Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw.
CRS cut-off scores for healthcare and social services draws from Oct 2025 to Jan 2026 have ranged from 462 to 476. Over the same period, cut-off scores for CEC draws have ranged from 509 to 534.
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