There are a number of in-demand occupations in Canada that can qualify you for a category-based draw under Express Entry, and/or qualify your spouse for a spousal open work permit (SOWP).
If you qualify for a category-based draw, you’ll have a greater chance of receiving an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residency (PR) through Express Entry.
See how competitive your Express Entry profile is
Furthermore, only certain TEER 2 and TEER 3 occupations will allow your spouse to qualify for a spousal open work permit – if you are working in Canada on a certain type of work permit.
In this article, we review the latest official government data on job vacancies, so you can see which in-demand jobs can boost your chance of success in Express Entry, and (in the case of TEER 2 and TEER 3 occupations) which in-demand jobs provide for SOWP eligibility.
The figures presented in this article are from a Statistics Canada report published on June 26, 2025.
Canada’s three most in-demand sectors
The top three most in-demand sectors and industries in Canada as of April 2025, based on job vacancy rates published by Statistics Canada, are as follows:
Health care and social assistance (4.1%);
Accommodation and food services (4%); and
Construction/trades (3.2%).
Vacancy rates in low-demand sectors are below 2%.
Category-based draws
You can increase your chances of receiving an ITA for Canadian PR if you qualify for a category-based draw.
To be considered for a category-based draw, you must have at least six months of full-time, continuous work experience in an eligible occupation.
Below are the National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes eligible for category-based selection, aligned and organized by the sectors with the highest job vacancy rates.
Job vacancy sector 1: Health care and social assistance
The following occupations all fall under the health care and social services Express Entry category.
OccupationNOC code
Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians32104
Audiologists and speech language pathologists31112
Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists32123
Chiropractors31201
Dental hygienists and dental therapists32111
Dentists31110
Dieticians and nutritionists31121
General practitioners and family physicians31102
Licensed practical nurses32101
Massage therapists32201
Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations33101
Medical laboratory technologists32120
Medical radiation technologists32121
Medical sonographers32122
Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates33102
Nurse practitioners31302
Nursing coordinators and supervisors31300
Occupational therapists31203
Optometrists31111
Other medical technologists and technicians32129
Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating31209
Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment32109
Paramedical occupations32102
Pharmacists31120
Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants33103
Pharmacy technicians32124
Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals31303
Physiotherapists31202
Psychologists31200
Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses31301
Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists32103
Social and community service workers42201
Social workers41300
Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine31100
Specialists in surgery31101
Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies41301
Veterinarians31103
Job vacancy sector 2: Accommodation and food services
OccupationNOC codeExpress Entry category
Butchers – retail and wholesale63201Agriculture and agri-food
Cooks63200Trades
Job vacancy sector 3: Construction/trades
The following occupations all fall under the trades Express Entry category.
OccupationNOC code
Bricklayers72320
Cabinetmakers72311
Carpenters72310
Concrete finishers73100
Construction estimators22303
Construction managers70010
Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics72400
Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services82021
Electricians (except industrial and power system)72200
Electrical mechanics72422
Floor covering installers73113
Gas fitters72302
Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics72402
Heavy-duty equipment mechanics72401
Home building and renovation managers70011
Industrial electricians72201
Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors72100
Other technical trades and related occupations72999
Painters and decorators (except interior decorators)73112
Plumbers72300
Roofers and shinglers73110
Sheet metal workers72102
Water well drillers72501
Welders and related machine operators72106
Spousal open work permits
Spouses and common-law partners of those working in TEER 0 or 1 occupations or select TEER 2 or 3 occupations (in certain in-demand sectors) may be eligible to apply for a spousal open work permit.
Two sectors with high job vacancy rates fall into eligible in-demand sectors to obtain a spousal work permit: health care and construction/trades.
Schedule a Free Spousal Open Work Permit Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm
Below are occupations and NOC codes for TEER 2 and 3 occupations that could correspond to the health care and construction/trades sectors.
Health care and social assistance
TEER 2 occupations
OccupationNOC Code
Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians32104
Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists32123
Dental hygienists and dental therapists32111
Dental technologists and technicians32112
Denturists32110
Licensed practical nurses32101
Medical laboratory technologists32120
Medical radiation technologists32121
Medical sonographers32122
Other medical technologists and technicians32129
Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment32109
Paramedical occupations32102
Pharmacy technicians32124
Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists32103
Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists32200
Massage therapists32201
Other practitioners of natural healing32209
TEER 3 occupations
OccupationNOC Code
Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants33100
Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations33101
Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates33102
Other assisting occupations in support of health services33109
Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants33103
Schedule a Free Spousal Open Work Permit Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm
Construction/trades
TEER 2 occupations
OccupationNOC code
Air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors72600
Air traffic controllers and related occupations72601
Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors72404
Appliance servicers and repairers72421
Auto body collision, refinishing and glass technicians and damage repair estimators72411
Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers72410
Boilermakers72103
Bricklayers72320
Cabinetmakers72311
Carpenters72310
Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics72400
Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades72013
Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations72011
Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews72021
Contractors and supervisors, machining, metal forming, shaping and erecting trades and related occupations72010
Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades72020
Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers72014
Contractors and supervisors, pipefitting trades72012
Crane operators72500
Deck officers, water transport72602
Electrical mechanics72422
Electrical power line and cable workers72203
Electricians (except industrial and power system)72200
Elevator constructors and mechanics72406
Engineer officers, water transport72603
Gas fitters72302
Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics72402
Heavy-duty equipment mechanics72401
Industrial electricians72201
Insulators72321
Ironworkers72105
Machine fitters72405
Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors72100
Motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle and other related mechanics72423
Oil and solid fuel heating mechanics72420
Other small engine and small equipment repairers72429
Other technical trades and related occupations72999
Plumbers72300
Power system electricians72202
Railway carmen/women72403
Railway traffic controllers and marine traffic regulators72604
Sheet metal workers72102
Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers72301
Structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters72104
Supervisors, mail and message distribution occupations72025
Supervisors, motor transport and other ground transit operators72024
Supervisors, printing and related occupations72022
Supervisors, railway transport operations72023
Telecommunications equipment installation and cable television service technicians72205
Telecommunications line and cable installers and repairers72204
Tool and die makers72101
Water well drillers72501
Welders and related machine operators72106
TEER 3 occupations
OccupationNOC code
Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators73301
Concrete finishers73100
Drillers and blasters – surface mining, quarrying and construction73402
Floor covering installers73113
General building maintenance workers and building superintendents73201
Glaziers73111
Heavy equipment operators73400
Other repairers and servicers73209
Painters and decorators (except interior decorators)73112
Pest controllers and fumigators73202
Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers73102
Printing press operators73401
Railway and yard locomotive engineers73310
Railway conductors and brakemen/women73311
Residential and commercial installers and servicers73200
Roofers and shinglers73110
Tilesetters73101
Transport truck drivers73300
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Schedule a Free Spousal Open Work Permit Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm
Spouses and common-law partners of those working in the accommodation and food services sector in TEER 2 or 3 occupations are not eligible for a spousal open work permit.
Federal focus on healthcare and trades workers for immigration
The Canada-wide need for more health care and construction workers has become particularly evident through federal and provincial immigration announcements, policies, draws, and more.
In February 2025, the federal government announced the 2025 Express Entry priority sectors, two of which align with industries experiencing the highest job vacancy rates: health care and construction/trades.
Thus far in 2025, there have been two health care and social services draws, in which a cumulative total of 1,000 ITAs were issued.
Many provinces are increasingly prioritizing health care and construction workers in their provincial immigration draws and tightening their Provincial Nominee Program and Atlantic Immigration Program to focus on these high-demand sectors.
During the February 2025 Express Entry category restructuring, the immigration department significantly expanded the trades category, adding 19 new eligible occupations.
In March, former immigration minister Marc Miller unveiled significant changes aimed at bolstering Canada’s construction sector, including that Canada would be admitting up to 14,000 foreign national construction workers into the country.
Job vacancy rates by province
A province’s job vacancy rate (JVR) indicates the percentage of positions that are currently unfilled relative to the overall demand for labour in that region.
As of April, the job vacancy rate was the highest in the following provinces.
ProvinceJob vacancy rate
Manitoba3.3%
Saskatchewan3.3%
British Columbia3.1%
Quebec3.1%
This data suggests that foreign nationals may have a better chance of securing a job in these provinces, especially within in-demand sectors.
Comparatively, the provinces with the lowest job vacancy rates are as follows:
ProvinceJob vacancy rate
Newfoundland and Labrador2.1%
New Brunswick2.3%
Prince Edward Island2.5%
Ontario2.5%
In provinces with a low JVR, employment opportunities may be less abundant, particularly in general or oversubscribed sectors.
Canada’s JVR in April of this year (2.8%) was the lowest it has been since October of 2017—when it was also 2.8%.
As of April, there were 3.1 unemployed persons for every job vacancy in Canada.