Express Entry Draw #421: Canada Invites 271 Physicians with Canadian Work Experience
Draw Date: June 24, 2026 | Draw Type: Physicians with Canadian Work Experience (2026-Version 1) | Invitations Issued: 271 | CRS Cutoff: 223
What Happened in This Draw
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted Express Entry Draw #421 on June 24, 2026, issuing 271 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) exclusively to physicians with eligible Canadian work experience. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score required to receive an invitation was 223 — one of the lowest cutoffs ever recorded in a category-based Express Entry draw.
This was a targeted, occupation-specific round falling under the healthcare category, reflecting Canada's ongoing effort to address physician shortages across provinces and territories. By narrowing eligibility to candidates who have already worked as physicians in Canada, IRCC is prioritizing individuals who have demonstrated both the occupational qualifications and on-the-ground experience that Canada's healthcare system urgently needs.
What a CRS Cutoff of 223 Actually Means
To put this number in perspective, a CRS score of 223 is extraordinarily low by Express Entry standards. In all-program draws, cutoffs regularly exceed 500 points. Even in previous healthcare-focused category-based draws, cutoffs have typically ranged from the mid-300s to the low 400s.
A score of 223 means that candidates with very limited human capital factors — such as lower official language test scores, no Canadian education, or fewer years of work experience — could still qualify, provided they meet the core occupational criteria. In practical terms, a physician with Canadian work experience, a valid language test result meeting the minimum threshold, and an active Express Entry profile would very likely have fallen above this cutoff.
This signals that the pool of eligible physicians in the Express Entry system remains relatively small compared to IRCC's demand, which is precisely why the cutoff dropped so dramatically. IRCC needed to reach deeper into the pool to fill its invitation target of 271.
How This Draw Compares to Previous Physician Draws
Category-based draws targeting physicians and healthcare workers have become a recurring feature of Canada's Express Entry strategy since IRCC introduced category-based selection in 2023. However, Draw #421 stands out in several ways:
- The CRS cutoff of 223 is the lowest recorded for a physician-specific draw, indicating that the eligible candidate pool is thinning or that IRCC is broadening its reach within this occupational category.
- The invitation volume of 271 is modest, suggesting this was a targeted, precision draw rather than a large-scale healthcare round.
- The designation as "2026-Version 1" confirms this is the first physician-specific draw of the 2026 calendar year, and history suggests IRCC typically runs multiple rounds of the same category within a single year — meaning more draws are expected.
If you missed this draw, the trend data strongly suggests that additional physician-category draws will follow in the coming months.
Who Specifically Benefits from Draw #421
This draw issued invitations to candidates who meet all of the following criteria:
- Holds an active Express Entry profile under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), or Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
- Has work experience in an eligible physician NOC code — most commonly NOC 31100 (Specialist Physicians) or NOC 31102 (General Practitioners and Family Physicians)
- Has Canadian work experience in one of those eligible physician occupations
- Had a CRS score of 223 or above at the time of the draw
International medical graduates who completed residency or fellowship training in Canada and subsequently practiced medicine here are well-positioned for draws like this one. Physicians who immigrated under a provincial nominee pathway and later built Canadian work experience may also have profiles that qualify, provided they re-entered the Express Entry pool.
Just Below the Cutoff? Here's What You Should Do Right Now
If you are a physician with Canadian work experience and your CRS score fell just below 223 — or if your profile was not yet active at the time of this draw — do not wait. Here are concrete steps to take immediately:
- Verify your NOC code. Confirm that your Express Entry profile lists the correct NOC occupation code for your physician role. An inaccurate NOC code can disqualify you from category-based draws entirely, regardless of your score.
- Update your work history. Ensure that your Canadian work experience is fully documented in your profile, including employer details, hours per week, and dates of employment. IRCC draws on this data to determine category eligibility.
- Boost your CRS score where possible. With a cutoff as low as 223 already, future draws may remain accessible even if the cutoff rises slightly. Consider retaking language tests such as IELTS or CELPIP to improve your language scores, which are one of the fastest ways to add CRS points.
- Explore a provincial nomination. A provincial nomination adds 600 points to your CRS score and guarantees an ITA in any subsequent all-program draw. Several provinces actively recruit physicians through their Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs).
- Keep your profile active. Express Entry