Canada prioritizes essential occupations for faster work permit processing
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is giving priority to work permit applications in designated essential occupations across the country. The measure aims to address ongoing labour shortages, particularly in healthcare and agri-food sectors.
Applications that qualify under these categories are processed faster if they meet IRCC’s criteria for employer-specific work permits. The policy applies to several types of permits, including Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)-based, Francophone Mobility, and International Experience Canada (IEC) employer-specific permits.
- IRCC is prioritizing work permit processing for essential service occupations.
- The expedited system applies to employer-specific permits only.
- Healthcare and agri-food occupations form the core of the list.
- Applicants must use the correct National Occupation Classification (NOC) code.
- Some eligible occupations also align with Express Entry category-based draws.
- Open work permits, such as post-graduation or IEC Working Holiday, are excluded.
Overview of IRCC’s priority processing policy
IRCC’s occupation-based priority processing system is designed to ensure that work permit applications from critical sectors are handled more quickly. The policy does not constitute a separate immigration stream but is activated when applicants correctly identify their occupation and classification code within their application.
To qualify, the application must relate to an employer-specific position and include a NOC code listed in IRCC’s current priority occupation lists. The measure helps Canada meet urgent labour needs in areas where domestic recruitment has fallen short.
Healthcare occupations receiving priority
The largest share of occupations currently prioritized fall within healthcare. These include positions such as registered nurses, nurse practitioners, physicians, pharmacists, and laboratory technologists. The full list encompasses more than a dozen healthcare professions, each tied to its corresponding NOC code.
Examples include nursing coordinators (NOC 31300), registered nurses (NOC 31301), specialists in medicine and surgery (NOC 31100–31101), general practitioners (NOC 31102), and licensed practical nurses (NOC 32101). Other roles, such as medical radiation technologists (NOC 32121) and medical laboratory assistants (NOC 33101), are also included.
Agriculture and agri-food occupations
Priority processing also extends to key occupations in agriculture and food production. These roles are critical to maintaining Canada’s food supply chain and include butchers, farm supervisors, and food processing labourers.
Examples within this category are butchers—retail and wholesale (NOC 63201), agricultural service contractors (NOC 82030), livestock labourers (NOC 85100), and nursery and greenhouse workers (NOC 85103). Industrial butchers and meat cutters (NOC 94141) and workers in fish and seafood processing (NOC 95107) are also covered.
Application and eligibility details
Applicants in these occupations must identify the correct NOC code that matches their job offer or LMIA to trigger faster processing. The coding must remain consistent across all documents, including the employer’s job offer and the details entered on the work permit application form.
Since expedited processing is linked to employer-specific permits, open work permits—such as the post-graduation work permit or IEC Working Holiday visa—do not qualify under this system.
Programs like the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program often rely on similar labour market information when nominating candidates for permanent residence, especially in occupations facing shortages.
Connection to Express Entry category-based selection
Several occupations that qualify for priority work permit processing are also included in Express Entry’s category-based selection rounds. This overlap allows eligible workers to potentially transition more easily to permanent residence through category-specific invitations to apply.
Within the healthcare group, nearly all occupations listed under the fast-track work permit policy are featured in the corresponding healthcare category for Express Entry. The exception is police investigators (NOC 41310), which are not included in that category.
In the agriculture and agri-food sector, only butchers—retail and wholesale (NOC 63201)—are currently recognized under Express Entry’s agriculture category-based selection.
Labour market significance
Canada continues to experience significant labour gaps in healthcare and agri-food industries, prompting sustained efforts to attract and retain foreign talent. By accelerating work permit processing for these occupations, IRCC aims to reduce delays that affect essential public services and food supply operations.
Provincial programs have also mirrored this trend, with several jurisdictions prioritizing similar occupations in their nominee streams to meet regional workforce needs.
Ongoing relevance and administrative process
This prioritization framework remains an important administrative tool as Canada adjusts its immigration processing to reflect changing labour demands. Applications that meet the criteria are routed through faster internal processing channels without requiring additional forms or separate submissions.
IRCC continues to monitor the list of eligible NOC codes to ensure alignment with national employment priorities and sectoral demand.
Further updates from IRCC are expected as Canada continues refining its immigration processing to better support essential industries and maintain economic stability. Readers can explore related coverage on work permit processing, Express Entry draws, and provincial initiatives across Canada.