Express Entry for Doctors: Canada Invites Physicians With CRS Scores as Low as 198
Canada has just given physicians working in Canada a striking example of how powerful category-based Express Entry can be.
On September 3, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada invited 229 physicians with Canadian work experience to apply for permanent residence.
The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score was just 198.
Two days earlier, a Canadian Experience Class draw required a CRS score of 521.
That is a 323-point difference.
For doctors already working in Canada, the lesson is important: the CRS score you see discussed online may not reflect your actual chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply.
Why was the physician CRS score so low?
Express Entry no longer operates as one large competition where every candidate is always competing against everyone else.
IRCC conducts category-based draws aimed at candidates with experience Canada wants to prioritize.
In 2026, Canada created a dedicated category for medical doctors with Canadian work experience.
To qualify, a candidate must have at least 12 months of full-time Canadian work experience, or the equivalent in part-time work, within the previous three years in one eligible physician occupation.
The eligible occupations are:
Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine — NOC 31100
Specialists in surgery — NOC 31101
General practitioners and family physicians — NOC 31102
Candidates must also qualify for one of the federal immigration programs managed through Express Entry
Physician Express Entry vs. Canadian Experience Class
| Express Entry Draw | Date | Invitations | Minimum CRS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian Experience Class | September 1, 2026 | 2,000 | 521 |
| Physicians with Canadian Work Experience | September 3, 2026 | 229 | 198 |
The difference does not mean a CRS score of 198 is enough for Express Entry generally.
It means IRCC ranked eligible physicians within that specific category.
For a doctor with a relatively low CRS score, that distinction can completely change the immigration strategy.
Can a doctor with a CRS below 500 still have a realistic chance?
Potentially, yes. A physician who looks only at recent Canadian Experience Class cut-offs above 500 could conclude that Express Entry is unrealistic.
The September 3 draw shows why that conclusion may be wrong.
Future physician draws and CRS cut-offs are not guaranteed. But doctors who meet the category requirements should assess their profile based on the physician category, not only against general CEC scores.
Learn more about Ayodele Law’s broader Express Entry services.
Which doctors qualify?
The physician category is narrower than the broader health-care category. Candidates need qualifying Canadian experience as a:
family physician or general practitioner;
specialist in clinical or laboratory medicine; or
surgical specialist.
The work experience must total at least one year during the previous three years.
Internationally trained doctors may qualify, but they still need the appropriate Canadian licensing and qualifying Canadian physician work experience.
Ayodele Law also has a broader guide to immigration pathways for doctors in Canada.
What about self-employed physicians?
This is important because many Canadian physicians work through arrangements that can look like self-employment.
IRCC has a temporary public policy allowing certain physicians providing publicly funded medical services to have qualifying work counted as Canadian experience for Express Entry even where they might otherwise be considered self-employed.
Because the rules are technical, physicians should not assume their work does—or does not—qualify without reviewing how the work was structured
Provincial nomination may be another route
Express Entry is not the only pathway Canada is using to retain physicians.
The federal government has also reserved 5,000 additional federal admission spaces for provinces and territories to nominate licensed doctors with qualifying job offers.
Some nominated physicians may also qualify for expedited work-permit processing while their permanent residence application is underway.
For certain doctors, a Provincial Nominee Program may therefore offer another route to permanent residence.
Should you enter Express Entry if your CRS is only 200 or 300?
For a physician who meets the category requirements, the answer may be very different from what it would be for another skilled worker.
Before deciding your CRS is “too low,” check:
which Express Entry program you qualify for;
whether you qualify for the physician category;
whether your Canadian physician work experience is being counted correctly;
whether a provincial nomination is available; and
whether your profile is missing points.
A CRS score should be assessed in context.
For an eligible physician, a score that looks weak in a CEC draw may still be competitive in a physician-specific round.
What happens if you receive an Invitation to Apply?
An Invitation to Apply is not permanent residence approval.
Once invited, an Express Entry candidate generally has 60 days to submit a complete permanent residence application.
The application must support the information in the Express Entry profile, including work experience, language results, education and other eligibility factors.
For physicians, documentation of Canadian medical work experience can be especially important because category eligibility depends directly on that experience.
The bigger message for doctors already working in Canada
Canada is clearly using immigration policy to retain doctors already contributing to the health-care system.
The September 3 draw shows how significant that policy has become.
A physician with a CRS score far below recent CEC cut-offs should not automatically assume permanent residence is out of reach.
The more important question is whether the doctor qualifies for the physician category and whether their Express Entry profile accurately reflects their Canadian medical experience.
If you are a physician working in Canada and want to understand whether the physician Express Entry category, a Provincial Nominee Program or another permanent residence strategy applies to you, book a consultation with Ayodele Law to have your options assessed.
This article is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Express Entry categories, CRS cut-offs, invitation numbers and eligibility requirements can change. The CRS score of 198 discussed here applied specifically to the September 3, 2026 physician invitation round and is not a general Express Entry threshold.