Take three minutes with us. Understanding these changes protects your application.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held further category-based Express Entry draws for healthcare workers, trades and French speakers in May 2026. The category-based model, introduced in 2023, lets IRCC target specific labour-market needs rather than drawing purely on Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. The May draws confirm that healthcare and trades remain the two largest categories by invitations issued.
The overlap with Australia's skilled program is significant. Registered nurses, medical laboratory scientists, physiotherapists, radiographers, electricians, plumbers, carpenters and heavy-vehicle mechanics all appear in both countries' priority lists. Many applicants who qualify for a Canadian category-based invitation also meet the threshold for Australia's subclass 189 (Skilled Independent) or subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated), and vice versa. The two programs are, in effect, competing for the same global talent pool.
The two systems differ in ways that matter for how you sequence applications. Canada's Express Entry is a pull system: you enter a pool, wait for an invitation, then have 60 days to lodge a full application. Australia's SkillSelect is closer to that model at the invitation stage, but state and territory nomination adds a second selection layer that Canada does not have. Time-to-decision after invitation is broadly similar — six to twelve months for straightforward files in both countries — but Australia's health and character bar tends to be more evidence-intensive at lodgement.
For applicants pursuing both pathways, three practical issues need attention. First, English or French test results are usable in both systems if scored highly enough, but the score-conversion tables differ. A result that gives you a strong CRS boost may not maximise your Australian points, and it is worth modelling both before booking the test. Second, skills assessments differ. Canada's Educational Credential Assessment is broadly a document check; Australia's assessment (by bodies such as VETASSESS, ACS, EA or ANMAC) is much more detailed and takes longer. Starting the Australian assessment early is almost always the right call, because it can proceed in parallel with everything else.
Third, and most importantly, an Australian visa grant can affect Canadian portal declarations, and vice versa. Both countries ask about other visa applications and grants, and inconsistent answers create integrity concerns that can slow or derail a file. If you receive an offer in one country while the other is still under assessment, tell your migration agent immediately so the declarations can be updated cleanly.
The strategic question — which country to prioritise — is rarely about points scores. It is about occupation, family circumstances, professional registration portability, and long-term settlement plans. AMSA can assess both pathways in a single consultation and give you a clear recommendation with the trade-offs written down. Migration decisions taken with a clear view of both options tend to be markedly better than decisions taken country-by-country.