Canada Immigration for Teachers

Internationally trained teachers can immigrate to Canada through Express Entry. The education category ranks, by CRS score, only candidates with at least one year of experience in an eligible occupation, such as NOC 41220 or 41221. Teaching in a classroom also needs a provincial certificate from the province's teacher regulator, which is a separate process.

Find your NOC code with the NOC Finder

Last verified: November 2026

TEER 1
Secondary (NOC 41220) and elementary and kindergarten (NOC 41221) teachers
1 year
Minimum experience in one eligible education occupation for a 2026 category round
600
CRS points a provincial nomination adds to an Express Entry profile
697 to 805
2026 cut-offs in rounds for nominated candidates, through the round of October 26, 2026

The nominee cut-offs are read from the round results IRCC publishes. The Express Entry draws page lists every round.

What is the Express Entry education category?

Express Entry is Canada's primary system for selecting skilled workers for permanent residence. Candidates in the pool are ranked using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) and invited to apply (ITA) through draws. Section 10.3 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) lets the Minister set categories of candidates with specific occupational or language profiles, and IRCC ranks candidates by CRS score within each category.

IRCC first ran education category draws in 2025 and renewed the category for 2026, announced February 18, 2026. Education is one of the ten current categories on IRCC's category-based selection page (page modified October 16, 2026). Being in a category is not the same as a round being run, because IRCC decides when to hold a round for each category.

For renewed categories, IRCC raised the minimum qualifying work experience from six months to one year, announced on February 18, 2026. An education category draw now generally needs at least one year of full-time (or equivalent part-time) experience in a single eligible education occupation, gained within the last three years.

There is no fixed CRS pass mark. The education category draw on May 1, 2025 had a CRS cut-off of 479, and the September 17, 2025 education draw had a cut-off of 462. Cut-offs move from round to round, so check the official rounds-of-invitations page for actual results.

Which NOC codes does the education category list?

To enter the Express Entry pool you generally need qualifying skilled work experience in a NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupation. To be selected in an education category draw, your experience must be in one of the occupations IRCC designated for that category. The 2026 category lists these five occupations (NOC 2021 codes and TEER levels per Statistics Canada).

The 2026 education category occupations
NOC code	Occupation	TEER level
41220	Secondary school teachers	TEER 1
41221	Elementary school and kindergarten teachers	TEER 1
42202	Early childhood educators and assistants	TEER 2
42203	Instructors of persons with disabilities	TEER 2
43100	Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants	TEER 3

University professors and lecturers (NOC 41200) and educational counsellors (NOC 41320) are TEER 1 occupations eligible for the Express Entry programs, but they are not on the education category list. NOC 41200 is on the list for IRCC's separate category for researchers with Canadian work experience.

IRCC can revise the eligible-occupation list each year. Your exact NOC code decides both your program eligibility and whether an education draw can select you, and the NOC Finder matches your duties to a code.

Do I need a teaching licence to immigrate?

No. Immigration and professional licensing are separate processes. Getting licensed to teach in a Canadian classroom is regulated by each province and handled by the province's teacher regulator, not by IRCC.

Even with immigration approval, you will need a provincial teaching certificate before working as a classroom teacher in Canada. Requirements vary by province, and foreign-trained teachers may need additional coursework or bridging programs. Regulators generally require their own credential assessment.

An ECA from an organization such as WES counts your education for Express Entry points, but it is separate from teacher certification. The provincial teacher regulator decides whether your foreign teaching credentials are recognized.

The rule

You do not need a provincial teaching certificate to apply for permanent residence.

IRCC, canada.caVerify on canada.ca

Which Express Entry programs fit a teacher?

Federal Skilled Worker (FSW): The primary Express Entry program for foreign-trained teachers with no prior Canadian experience. It requires a NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupation, at least 1 year of continuous full-time (or equivalent) skilled work experience, language test results and a qualifying education credential. English tests are IELTS, CELPIP and PTE Core, and French tests are TEF and TCF.
Canadian Experience Class (CEC): For teachers who have already worked in Canada on a work permit. It requires at least 1 year of Canadian skilled work experience in the past 3 years. Canadian work experience earns core CRS points (40 for one year, if you have no spouse or partner).
Federal Skilled Trades (FST): Not typically applicable to teachers. FST is for trades occupations.
French-language proficiency rounds: IRCC holds French-language proficiency rounds for candidates with NCLC 7 or higher in all four abilities. A French-speaking teacher can be eligible for both the education and the French-language rounds. French at that level adds 25 CRS points, or 50 if you also have CLB 5 or higher in all four English abilities.

A nomination through an Express Entry-linked provincial stream adds 600 CRS points. In 2026, rounds for nominated candidates cut off between 697 and 805, through the round of October 26, 2026. The CRS Calculator estimates your score and shows which factors change it.

Which provincial streams fit teachers, and who certifies them?

Each province runs its own nominee streams and certifies its own teachers.

Alberta: The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) includes the Alberta Opportunity Stream, for people living and working in Alberta with a job offer from an Alberta employer, and the Alberta Express Entry Stream. Classroom teaching needs an Alberta teaching certificate issued by Alberta Education.
British Columbia: BC PNP Skills Immigration has the Skilled Worker and Health Authority streams, each with an Express Entry BC option. BC's 2026 priorities include education among 36 Care occupations and French-speaking teachers in the public K-12 system. Teaching in BC requires Teacher Regulation Branch certification.
Ontario: The Ontario Workforce Priority stream, the only open OINP stream, needs a full-time permanent job offer in Ontario. Teachers in publicly funded Ontario schools must be licensed by the Ontario College of Teachers.
Saskatchewan: The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) includes the International Skilled Worker category (Employment Offer, Occupation In-Demand and Saskatchewan Express Entry) and the Worker with Saskatchewan Work Experience category.
New Brunswick: New Brunswick runs the New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream, the New Brunswick Express Entry stream, the New Brunswick Strategic Initiative and the New Brunswick Business Immigration stream.
Quebec: Quebec operates its own immigration system, the PSTQ among its programs. The PEQ's last intake closed October 31, 2026. IRCC Express Entry draws do not apply to Quebec-selected immigrants.

Which free tool checks your own case?

Free, with no account. What you enter in a tool stays in your browser.

What do people ask?

Can teachers immigrate to Canada?

Yes. Teachers can apply for permanent residence through Express Entry programs, mainly the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Canadian Experience Class, and through provincial nominee streams. The Express Entry education category can also invite eligible educators in category rounds. An officer decides every application. The Pathway Explorer shows their published criteria.

What is the Express Entry education category for teachers?

It is a category-based round that ranks only candidates with qualifying experience in an eligible education occupation. IRCC renewed it for 2026 on February 18, 2026, and now generally requires at least one year of experience in one eligible occupation within the last three years. IRCC decides when to hold a round. Past cut-offs were 479 on May 1, 2025 and 462 on September 17, 2025.

What are the Canada PR requirements for teachers?

For the Federal Skilled Worker Program, you generally need at least one year of continuous full-time skilled experience in a TEER 0 to 3 occupation, an approved language test, and an education credential, with an ECA if it is foreign. For an education category round, the year must be in an eligible education occupation. The Foreign Credential Recognition guide explains the ECA, and the CRS Calculator estimates your score.

Do I need a Canadian teaching certificate to immigrate?

No. You do not need a provincial teaching certificate to apply for permanent residence, because immigration and professional licensing are separate processes. To work as a classroom teacher in Canada, you will need certification from the teacher regulator in your province, such as the Ontario College of Teachers. Start that process early and check its current timeline with the regulator.

Which NOC code applies to me as a teacher?

The 2026 education category lists secondary school teachers (NOC 41220), elementary school and kindergarten teachers (NOC 41221), early childhood educators and assistants (NOC 42202), instructors of persons with disabilities (NOC 42203), and teacher assistants (NOC 43100). University professors and lecturers (NOC 41200) and educational counsellors (NOC 41320) qualify for the Express Entry programs but are not on the education list; NOC 41200 is in the category for researchers with Canadian work experience. The NOC Finder matches your duties to a code.

What language test do I need for Express Entry?

For English, you take IELTS General Training, CELPIP General or PTE Core. For French, you take TEF Canada or TCF Canada. Results must be less than 2 years old. Scores of CLB 9 or higher in all four abilities earn many more CRS points than lower scores, and strong French can open French-language category rounds too. The Language Tests for Canadian Immigration guide compares the tests.

Will my foreign teaching credentials be recognized in Canada?

That decision belongs to the provincial teacher regulator, not IRCC. Regulators generally require their own credential assessment, and you may need bridging courses. An ECA from an organization such as WES counts your education for Express Entry points, but it is separate from teacher certification. The Foreign Credential Recognition guide explains the difference between the ECA and a licence.

Can I teach in Canada while waiting for PR?

Yes, if you hold a valid work permit and meet the provincial certification rules for classroom teaching. Teachers on open work permits, such as a post-graduation work permit or a spousal open work permit, can take teaching jobs. An employer-specific work permit needs a job offer from a Canadian school board or institution. The PGWP guide explains the post-graduation work permit.

Part of:Immigrating permanently Express Entry

Official sources

This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.