By choosing the right employer and occupations, international students and recent graduates in Canada can put themselves on a strong track to gain permanent residence (PR).
Gaining at least six months of work experience (in addition to meeting minimum program requirements) in an eligible occupation under an Express Entry category can help PR candidates in Canada receive an invitation to apply (ITA) with a significantly lower Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score than typically seen for other draw types.
See your eligibility for all Express Entry categories and streams
For many recent graduates, this may be the easiest pathway to PR, as compared to other avenues such as Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs).
This article will go through the employers that work in relevant sectors and hire for occupations that qualify for Express Entry categories, based on the Globe and Mail’s list of top employers for young people in Canada, released on January 20, 2026.
It’s important to note that Express Entry categories are based on occupations, not employers. While this article is written with the intention of organizing employers by the category they best fit under, inclusion in each category will be highly dependent on what roles each employer is hiring for at a given time.
Occupational categories covered:
- Healthcare and social services occupations;
- STEM occupations;
- Trade occupations; and
- Agriculture and Agri-food occupations.
Best practices on confirming whether a given job posting corresponds to a category-eligible occupation will also be covered.
Note: Employers for Express Entry’s “Education” category were not considered, as most of the top employers did not fit cleanly into this sector. Similarly, employers were not listed for the “Physicians with Canadian work experience” category, as roles within that group have higher requirements than international students and recent graduates are likely to meet.
Top employers in Healthcare and social services occupations
This category spans clinical healthcare and regulated/support roles across the health system.
It includes physician and specialist, nursing, allied health (physiotherapists, occupational therapists, chiropractors), diagnostic and lab, pharmacy, paramedical, and animal health (veterinarians and vet technologists/technicians) roles.
It also explicitly includes social workers, counselling therapists, and social/community service workers.
A full breakdown of the category can be found on our dedicated webpage.
The following table lists each of the selected employers that operate in these fields, along with the corresponding reasons that they were chosen as top employers in Canada:
| Employer | Notable traits |
|---|---|
| Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital (Healthcare, Toronto) | • Undergraduate research program in childhood disability • Dedicated roles for Indigenous students and students with disabilities • Accessible co-op placements for current/former clients (with OT/job-coach and peer-facilitator support) + nursing leadership training via the Nightingale Challenge |
| Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) (Healthcare, Toronto) | • Accelerated BScN Scholar Practitioner partnership (employs ~20 students per cohort; hiring grads since 2011) • Research Training Centre serving 1,400+ trainees (seminars/workshops) • Career-readiness programs for research fellows (coaching, job-search training, and a $10,000 seed grant) |
| Providence Health Care (Healthcare and regulated support roles, Vancouver) | • Employed student nurse program with educator-led orientation and mentorship • Annual Practice-Based Research Challenge with training/mentorship + $5,000 for winning teams • Paid Health Care Access Program covering wages, tuition, and books for 9–12 months of accelerated training into entry-level healthcare assistant roles (one-year work commitment after) |
| Health Canada (Federal government) | • Young Professionals Network (including MegaConnex networking + mentorship with senior executives) • Initiatives to retain/rehire students with prior federal experience (bridging and rehire inventories for permanent/returning roles) • Structured orientation/onboarding resources (student sessions, onboarding guide, training checklists) |
| VCA Canada Ltd. (Veterinary care, Calgary) | • Summer roles for DVM students + six-month mentorship program for new grads • Fully funded RVT Penn Foster scholarship for associates (education, exams, first-year registration) • Student loan–RRSP matching program (matches part of student loan repayment up to 5% of annual salary, with lower fees and advisor access) |
Top employers in STEM occupations
IRCC’s STEM list is broad, and includes engineering-heavy roles (civil, mechanical, electrical/electronics, industrial/manufacturing, geological), related engineering technologists/technicians, cybersecurity specialists, plus architecture and science managers.
Notably, the current list also includes insurance agents and brokers, even though these are typically not seen as “STEM” jobs.
A full breakdown of the category can be found on our dedicated webpage.
The following table lists some of the selected employers who operate in these fields, along with corresponding reasons that they were chosen as top employers in Canada:
| Employer | Notable traits |
|---|---|
| AtkinsRéalis (Engineering services, Montreal) | • 18-month Odyssey program for new grads (skills training, dedicated development time, e-learning, mentorship) • Youth Advisor Initiative connecting young professionals via social and development events nationwide • Energizing Your Career program using assessments, tools, and senior-leader connections to clarify and advance career paths |
| LEA Consulting Ltd. (Engineering services, Markham) | • Young Professionals Group running training and mentoring sessions • 24-month Transportation Professional-in-Training program with rotations across 2–3 organizational pillars toward professional designation • Pilot leadership development program with job shadowing, leadership training, and mentorship |
| BC Hydro (Hydroelectric power generation, Vancouver) | • AccessAbility Network supporting employees with disabilities and allies • Embeds diversity and inclusion actions into executive and leader performance objectives • Recruits and supports Indigenous talent via Indigenous Employment and Training (with First Nations partnerships, training plans, joint initiatives, and career advising) |
| Hitachi Rail (Specialized IT services, Toronto) | • Structured intern onboarding (handbook, in-person orientation, tours, end-of-term checklist, buddy program) • Peer/executive connection opportunities (ExCom “Ask Me Anything” sessions, bi-weekly intern coffee breaks) • End-of-term Intern Showcase to present achievements and share resumes with hiring managers |
| Sophos Inc. (Custom computer programming services, Vancouver) | • Structured mentorship program (two six-month cohorts/year; minimum one hour/month; program manager support/resources) • Leadership development programs for different stages, including aspiring leaders without management experience • Learning and development ecosystem (online/in-house training) + Internal Coaching Scheme for on-demand support |
| AIG Insurance Company of Canada (Insurance, Toronto) | • Early career analyst program + “First 100 Days” transition support for new grads • 10-week summer internship (masterclasses, speaker series, mentoring circles, networking) feeding into full-time campus hires • Young Professionals and Allies ERG with year-round events and senior-leader mentorship |
See your eligibility for all Express Entry categories and streams
Top employers in Trades occupations
This category covers a broad range of hands-on skilled trades and construction leadership, including construction managers, home building/renovation managers, and construction estimators—plus classic trades like machinists, sheet metal workers, welders, electricians (including industrial), plumbers, gas fitters, carpenters, cabinetmakers, and bricklayers.
It also includes several finishing/building trades such as concrete finishers, roofers, painters/decorators, and floor covering installers, and even contractors/supervisors in oil and gas drilling and services.
A full breakdown of the category can be found on our dedicated webpage.
The following table lists some of the selected employers who operate in these fields, along with corresponding reasons that they were chosen as top employers in Canada:
| Employer | Notable traits |
|---|---|
| PCL Construction (Industrial and commercial construction, Edmonton) | • PCL Student Program with supervisor and buddy support over 4–16 month terms • Accelerated development programs for superintendent and estimating/risk early-career leaders (leadership + technical skills + mentoring) • Six-month new-grad onboarding with check-ins and peer/senior-leader networking + interest-free payroll deduction plan enabling share program participation and employee ownership within four years |
| ArcelorMittal Dofasco (Iron and steel manufacturing, Hamilton) | • Large trades apprenticeship program with Mohawk College (on-the-job training leading to certification) • Comprehensive onboarding blending classroom/shop, gamified and simulated training + offsite “Play to Win” executive-led forum • Student Insight Program for interns with events focused on operations exposure, networking, and skills (goal-setting, communication, personal branding) |
| ATCO Ltd. (Energy, transportation and infrastructure development, Calgary) | • Four-year engineer-in-training program with three 16-month rotations, mentorship, peer coaching, and professional development toward P.Eng. • CPA pre-approved rotational program (6–18 months per rotation) providing practical experience and mentorship toward CPA designation • Financial wellness sessions for students covering planning basics (spending, saving, borrowing) |
| Gibson Energy Inc. (Oil and gas distribution, Calgary) | • Engineer-in-Training program with technical training, mentorship, a 12-month field assignment, and cross-functional placements • Student and New Grad community group with events, volunteer opportunities, lunch-and-learns, and team-building • 30-month CPA rotational program with mentorship, paid exam time off, and reimbursement of eligible CPA costs/dues |
| CRH Canada Group Inc. (Concrete manufacturing, Vaughan) | • Internships ranging from 3–16 months (including a 12-week ready-mix concrete internship with training, shadowing, site visits, and ACI certification support), plus orientation, networking, project assignments, and end-of-term presentations • Building Future Leaders forum (3-day event) for nominated early-career employees featuring workshops, networking, guest speakers, and action-learning projects presented to senior leaders for potential implementation |
Top employers in Agriculture and Agri-food occupations
As of the time of writing, the agriculture and agri-food category consists of only one eligible occupation: Butchers – retail and wholesale.
The following table lists some of the selected employers who operate in fields that hire for butchers, along with corresponding reasons that they were chosen as top employers in Canada:
| Employer | Notable traits |
|---|---|
| Loblaw Companies Ltd. (Supermarkets and grocery stores, Brampton) | • Co-ops and internships across functions (including one-year engineering internships for professional engineering year students) • Career-growth resources for students and new grads (development tools, individual plans, assessments, Learning Academy courses) + Networking Department Fair to connect with talent acquisition • Student-led intern committee organizing social/development activities, including monthly peer-to-peer mentoring |
| Maple Leaf Foods Inc. (Food processing, Mississauga) | • Three-year rotational Leadership Track graduate program with plant tours, shadowing, senior-employee mentorship, and a custom week-long course at Ivey Business School • Four-month reverse mentorship program where co-op students mentor full-time employees via bi-weekly one-on-ones and events • Year-round co-op hiring for 4–8 month placements across departments (e.g., marketing, QA/food safety, IT, sales, food technology, HR, engineering) |
How can I be sure that the job I am looking for is included in one of Express Entry’s categories?
If you find a job posting for an occupation that you believe may fit into one of Express Entry’s categories, you can take the following steps to confirm:
- Do a preliminary check of the category, trying to match the job title from the posting, with the job titles of the occupation-eligible category available on the official National Occupation Classification (NOC) 2021 page;
- If you think you have found a match for your job posting based on the occupation title, check the occupation’s main duties against the roles and responsibilities listed in the job posting.
- This is the most important step to determine inclusion—if most of the main duties do not match, then it is likely that you do not have a match.
- Pay special attention to the “exclusions” section of the occupation page to ensure your job posting does not fall under any excluded occupation.
See your eligibility for all Express Entry categories and streams