Dear Mr Brown,

I heard that Canada is looking for health professionals to become immigrants. I am currently studying nursing and would like to know how I can proceed after graduation.

CH

Dear CH:

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will be focusing on Express Entry candidates who have:

1. A strong French language proficiency

2. Occupation-specific work experience in the following fields:

a. Health-care occupations

b. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions

c. Trade occupations

d. Transport occupations

e. Agriculture and agri-food occupations

The first occupation-specific draw for Express Entry was on June 28, 2023. The 500 invitations to apply (ITAs) were issued to health-care candidates.

The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores for occupation-specific draws are expected to have a lower minimum score than all-programme draws. The minimum CRS for the first occupation-specific draw was 476. The IRCC will need to issue a high number of draws to meet immigration targets. We will observe the mix of categories in which it will issue those invitations.

Please note that the eligible health professions include the following:

• Audiologists and speech language pathologists

• Chiropractors

• Dentists

• Dieticians and nutritionists

• Education counsellors

• General practitioners and family physicians

• Instructors of persons with disabilities

• Kinesiologists and other professional occupations in therapy and assessment

• Licensed practical nurses

• Massage therapists

• Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations

• Medical laboratory technologists

• Medical radiation technologists

• Medical sonographers

• Nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates

• Nurse practitioners

• Nursing co-ordinators and supervisors

• Occupational therapists

• Optometrists

• Other assisting occupations in support of health services

• Other practitioners of natural healing

• Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating

• Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment

• Paramedical occupations

• Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants

• Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals

• Physiotherapists

• Psychologists

• Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses

• Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists, and cardiopulmonary technologists

• Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine

• Specialists in surgery

• Therapists in counselling and related specialised therapies

• Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists

• Veterinarians.

Please visit JAMAICA2CANADA.COM for additional information on Canadian permanent residence programmes including Express Entry, the Study & Work programme, visas or appeals, etc.

Antonn Brown, BA, (Hons), LLB, MSc, RCIC, is an immigration counsel and an accredited Canadian education agent of JAMAICA2CANADA.COM — a Canadian immigration & education firm in Kingston — and AfriCanadaServices.com in Abuja, Nigeria. Send questions/comments to documents.jamaica2canada@gmail.com