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Category-based selection – candidates in the Express Entry pool who are eligible for a specific category established by the Minister to meet an identified economic goal are invited. There are six categories on which separate rounds of invitations are held based on either certain groups of occupations or French language proficiency.
To be eligible for an invitation through a category-based round, a candidate must:
meet the minimum criteria for Express Entry, including being eligible for 1 of the 3 immigration programs (you have to first meet criteria under either Federal Skilled Worker, or Canadian Experience Class, or Federal Skilled Trades) it covers, and
meet all of the requirements in the instructions for that round.
Generally saying, before considering being selected on the basis of certain occupation or French language proficiency, you must first meet criteria established under one of the abovementioned programs.
French-language proficiency
Healthcare and social services occupations
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)
Trade occupations
Agriculture and agri-food occupations
Education occupations
All categories can be divided into two groups in terms of additional requirements.
I. The first group includes only French language proficiency category. To be eligible under this category, a candidate must have French-language test results (TEF-Canada or TCF-Canada) that show a minimum score of NCLC 7 in all 4 language abilities, meaning that:
in TEF-Canada, you must score minimum of:
310 for speaking (expression orale),
249 for listening (compréhension de l’oral),
207 for reading (compréhension de l’écrit), and
310 for writing (expression écrite), or
in TCF-Canada, you must score minimum of:
10 for speaking (expression orale),
458 for listening (compréhension de l’oral),
453 for reading (compréhension de l’écrit), and
10 for writing (expression écrite).
It is not necessary if your English or French results are better. If you score this minimum in French, you will be considered under this category.
II. The second group includes the rest five categories which are based on certain groups of occupations. To be eligible under these categories, a candidate much have a minimum 6-months full-time continuous work experience in past 3 years in any professions which NOC falls under any of the occupations listed below (check the NOC description for your occupation to understand if your work experience falls under a certain occupation).
Healthcare and social services occupations include a broad list of professions which include, to name a few, Audiologists, Chiropractors, Dentists, Dieticians and nutritionists, General practitioners and family physicians, Massage therapists, Medical laboratory assistants, Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates, Nurse practitioners, Occupational therapists, Optometrists, Paramedical occupations, Pharmacists, Physiotherapists, Psychologists, Social and community service workers, Social workers, Specialists in surgery, Veterinarians, and others (full list here, or right-click on the image and select the option to view the full list in a new window in high resolution).
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) group includes 11 positions, such as Architecture and science managers, Civil engineering technologists and technicians, Civil Engineers, Cybersecurity specialists, Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians, Electrical and electronics engineers, Geological Engineers, Industrial and manufacturing engineers, Insurance agents and brokers, Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Mechanical Engineers (full list here, or right-click on the image and select the option to view the full list in a new window in high resolution).
Trade occupations include a broad list of professions which include, to name a few, Concrete finishers, Electrical mechanics, Heavy-duty equipment mechanics, Bricklayers, Cabinetmakers, Carpenters, Plumbers, Electricians, Welders and related machine operators, Cooks, and many others (full list here, or right-click on the image and select the option to view the full list in a new window in high resolution).
Education occupations, the newest category, includes 5 positions, which are Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants, Instructors of persons with disabilities, Early childhood educators and assistants, Elementary school and kindergarten teachers, Secondary school teachers (full list here, or right-click on the image and select the option to view the full list in a new window in high resolution).
Agriculture and agri-food occupations group includes only one occupation, which is Butchers - retail and wholesale (NOC 63201).
Since Category-Based Selection is a part of the Express Entry system, you will be selected under one of the three immigration programs (Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Trades) – links to programs explain the entire procedure.
You can check previous draws here.
Disclaimer: Provided information is not a legal advice. Every case is unique. We recommend you to discuss your case with a specialist first.
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Last updated October 23, 2025
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