Do You Qualify for Express Entry’s New STEM Category?

Publish Date: 16/04/2025

Canada’s Express Entry STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) category underwent major changes in 2025, with 19 occupations removed and six new ones added to the eligibility list.

These updates significantly impact eligibility for foreign nationals hoping to gain Canadian permanent residency through category-based Express Entry draws.

What’s New in 2025?

The updated STEM category now includes 11 eligible occupations. Candidates must have at least six months of full-time continuous work experience in the past three years in one of the listed occupations (in Canada or abroad), and must also meet the minimum eligibility for Express Entry through one of its three programs:

Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)

Here’s the complete list of eligible occupations in the 2025 STEM category, along with their NOC codes. Newly added occupations are highlighted in bold:

Occupation	NOC Code
Architecture and science managers	20011
Civil engineering technologists and technicians	22300
Civil Engineers	21300
Cybersecurity specialists	21220
Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians	22310
Electrical and electronics engineers	21310
Geological Engineers	21331
Industrial and manufacturing engineers	21321
Insurance agents and brokers	63100
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians	22301
Mechanical Engineers	21301

What Was Removed?

The following 19 occupations were part of the STEM category in 2024 but have now been removed:

Architects (21200)
Business systems specialists (21221)
Computer and information systems managers (20012)
Computer engineers (except software engineers) (21311)
Computer systems developers and programmers (21230)
Data scientists (21211)
Database analysts and administrators (21223)
Engineering managers (20010)
Information systems specialists (21222)
Land surveyors (21203)
Landscape architects (21201)
Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries (21210)
Metallurgical and materials engineers (21322)
Natural and applied science policy researchers (41400)
Software developers and programmers (21232)
Software engineers and designers (21231)
Urban and land use planners (21202)
Web designers (21233)
Web developers and programmers (21234)

Why It Matters?

Category-based draws help lower the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score threshold for in-demand professions. In 2024, general draw CRS cut-offs ranged from 524 to 549, but the STEM draw cut-off was as low as 491, inviting 4,500 candidates.