To address the severe labour shortages, Canada is prepared to begin targeted Express Entry draws for skilled workers as early as next year, according to Immigration Minister Sean Fraser.

In an interview, the federal immigration minister told Reuters that Canada would begin conducting targeted draws for skilled immigrants next year. It would allow them to handpick candidates with the most in-demand skills for the areas of the country that need workers the most.

Learn about the minister’s latest interview on targeted draws coming next year, IRCC focus and what we know so far.

Conducting targeted draws in early 2023

The current Express Entry system ranks potential economic immigrants according to their language, education, experience and other skills. Those with the highest CRS scores receive an invitation to apply for permanent residency.

With the upcoming changes, Canada can select individuals with particular skills and abilities in specific professions. As well as consider those who plan to move to certain provinces.

“We can do a targeted draw beginning in 2023. That will allow us to select workers by the sector that they work in and the part of Canada that they are going to

This means we will be able to bring a greater focus to welcome more healthcare workers … in jurisdictions that will allow them to practice“
-said Immigration Minister Sean Fraser

Focus on healthcare workers

The COVID-19 pandemic and a shortage of nurses are putting excessive stress on Canada’s healthcare system. As a result, many foreign-trained doctors and nurses do not wind up working in their sector. The country has also had difficulty licensing healthcare employees after they arrive.

The healthcare system in Canada is the provinces’ responsibility. Immigration Minister Sean Fraser promised to work with provinces that make recognizing the foreign credentials of doctors and nurses simpler in an interview with Reuters.

He continued by saying that the federal government would work with the provinces to establish a clearer pathway and move forward with targeted draws for the provinces that facilitate the transition.

Further, he explained that he would focus only on provinces that make it simple for health professionals to verify their qualifications from abroad and begin practising as soon as they arrive.

“I’m not interested in conducting a targeted draw for healthcare workers that are going to come to Canada and not be permitted to practice their profession”
– Said Fraser

Targeted draws to invite the Federal High Skilled Class category

The federal government increased its immigration targets this week, announcing a three-year goal of 1.45 million new permanent residents. The targeted draws will fall within Canada’s federal “high-skilled” category, representing about 21.1% of new arrivals during that time.

Canada is experiencing a severe labour shortage. According to the most recent data on job openings, there were 1.0 million unemployed persons and 958,500 available positions in Canada in August.

Business organizations have argued that the government should take stronger action on immigration to support businesses facing a historic labour shortage.

As immigration numbers reach historic highs, concerns about where the newcomers will live are increasing. There is already a housing scarcity in Canada.

According to Fraser, the government will emphasize bringing in trained labourers to help create new housing and choosing immigrants for places with the “absorptive capacity” to accept them.

Increased focus on Economic class immigrants

More than 60% of all immigration to Canada is expected to be from the economic class this year.

Canada is already on track to accept 279,292 new permanent residents through economic programs this year, which is about 2.6% or 7,267 new permanent residents more than Ottawa had hoped to achieve through the new immigration levels plan for the next year.

President and CEO of the Business Council of Canada, Goldy Hyder, explains that economic-class permanent residents account for only 58.5 percent of overall admissions in the immigration levels plan announced by the federal government last week.

Of the 309,240 new permanent residents who entered Canada during the first eight months of this year, they arrived under the economic immigration programs making up 60.2% of the total.

If the country adopted the target of 65% for economic immigration set by the Business Council of Canada, 302,250 new permanent residents would enter the country under economic programs out of the country’s total 465,000 in the following year.

Economic immigration, according to the Business Council of Canada, is essential to expanding the Canadian economy.

Every unfilled position represents one less person contributing to the economic prosperity of Canada and one less person paying taxes to maintain Canada’s social infrastructure, says Hyder.

New Canada Immigration Changes And Updates Coming In October 2026

October 2026 brings a series of immigration deadlines, quarterly federal updates and provincial program milestones that will directly affect foreign workers, international students, employers, immigration professionals and permanent residence candidates across Canada. October will also be closely watched for Ontario’s first draw under the redesigned Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program, the pace and composition of federal Express Entry draws, and the countdown to the 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan that the government is expected to table by November. Here are all the major Canada immigration changes, deadlines and updates to watch in October 2026. 1. B.C. PNP Rural/Remote Health Registration Closes In…