The easiest occupations to break into to qualify for category-based draws under Express Entry
The occupations to break into to qualify easily for category-based draws under Express Entry
The best chance for some foreign nationals to be invited to apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residency (PR) through Express Entry may be to change occupations. Consider accumulating the work experience required to be eligible for Express Entry’s occupation category-based draws if you lack a provincial nomination, speak poor French, and have a low enough Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score to be invited under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
Compared to CEC draws, category-based draws have far lower cut-off scores and only invite candidates who fit the category’s requirements. You must have six months of continuous full-time (or comparable part-time) work experience in a single occupation under an Express Entry Category in order to be eligible for an occupational category-based draw.
Some qualified professions that are the simplest to begin accumulating work experience are listed in this article.
The simplest occupations to enter are included in the table below, along with the average amount of time required for training or study before you can start accruing the six months of work experience required for that occupation.
The CRS cut-off score for the latest Express Entry draw in each category, the occupation’s median salary across Canada, and whether or not each occupation satisfies the new requirements for eligibility for the Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP) are also noted.
| Occupation | Time to qualify to begin working | CRS cut-off score of the most recent EE draw | Category | Median hourly pay | SOWP-eligible? |
| Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants (43100) | 10 months to 2 years | 479 (May 1, 2025) | Education | $24.36 (elementary school teacher aide) | Yes |
| Insurance agents and brokers (63100) | A few weeks to a few months | 491 (April 11, 2024) | STEM | $29.77 | No |
| Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations(33101) | 1-2 years | 510 (May 2, 2025) | Healthcare and social services | $26.35 | Yes |
| Nurse aides and patient service associates (33102) | N/A – Can begin work immediately | $23 | Yes | ||
| Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants (33103) | N/A – Can begin work immediately | $20 | Yes | ||
| Cooks (63200) | N/A – Can begin work immediately | 433 (October 23, 2024) | Trades | $17 | No |
| Concrete finishers (73100) | N/A – Can begin work immediately | $32.76 | Yes | ||
| Floor covering installers (73113) | N/A – Can begin work immediately | $26.92 | Yes | ||
| Roofers and shinglers (73110) | N/A – Can begin work immediately | $30 | Yes | ||
| Painters and decorators (except interior decorators) | N/A – Can begin work immediately | $26 | Yes | ||
| Butchers – retail and wholesale (63201) | N/A – Can begin work immediately | 437 (Feb 16, 2024) | Agriculture and agri-food | $19.50 | No |
Depending on the province, different vocations have different requirements for how long it takes to obtain work experience.
Getting recruited may be aided by going above and beyond the minimum standards, particularly in highly competitive employment markets.
We go into further depth about each occupation below.
Elementary and Secondary School Teacher Assistants
Category: Education
NOC Code: 43100
Median pay: $24.36 hourly
Insurance agents and brokers
Category: STEM
NOC Code: 63100
Median pay: $24.36 hourly
Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations
Category: Healthcare and social services
NOC Code: 33101
Median pay: $26.35/hour
Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
Category: Healthcare and social services
NOC Code: 33102
Median pay: $23/hour
Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
Category: Healthcare and social services
NOC Code: 33103
Median pay: $20/hour
Cooks
Category: Trades
NOC Code: 63200
Median pay: $17/hour
Concrete Finishers
Category: Trades
NOC Code: 73100
Median pay: $32.76/hour
Floor covering installers
Category: Trades
NOC Code: 73113
Median pay: $26.92/hour
Painter and decorator (excludes interior decorator)
Category: Trades
NOC Code: 73112
Median pay: $26/hour
Roofers and shinglers
Category: Trades
NOC Code: 73110
Median pay: $30/hour
Butchers – wholesale and retail
Category: Agriculture and Agri-Food
NOC Code: 63201
Median pay: $19.50/hour
Qualifications for draws based on categories
In order to receive an invitation via a round that is based on categories, you have to
- Fulfill Express Entry’s minimal requirements and qualify for any of the three immigration categories it covers.
- Possess at least six months of continuous, full-time work experience (or a comparable level of part-time experience) in one qualified occupation over the previous three years.
- Meet all the requirements in the instructions for that round.
Note: We have focused on vocations in Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities (TEER) level 3 for this article.
These are professions that typically call for:
- A degree from college;
- Training as an apprentice for fewer than two years; or
- Over six months of training while working.
For instance:
Working in Canada on a graduate work permit, Brian is a 26-year-old media professional. Under Express Entry, he is eligible for the CEC.
Based on a bachelor’s degree, one year of job experience in Canada, two years of work experience abroad, and a CLB 9 in English across all four skills, he has a CRS score of 470. This score, nevertheless, hasn’t been high enough for him to be invited to any of the 2025 CEC draws that have been held thus far.
In order to increase his chances, Brian applies for and receives a study permit, enrolls in a Canadian college program in education, and works as a teaching assistant full-time for six months in a row. His CRS score rises to 505 as a result.
Brian would have been eligible for the May 1 Education draw, which had a CRS cut-off score of 479, with this updated profile.
Brian would be in a good position to obtain an ITA to apply for PR if the IRCC had another Education category-based draw and the cut-off score stayed near to the previous draw’s.