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Still the most transparent points system in the world, and it rewards young, educated, English-speaking applicants.
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But the door narrowed in 2025-26: PR targets cut to 380,000 for 2026, provincial nominations cut to 55,000 in 2025 (the 2026-2028 plan sets 91,500 for 2026), and job offers no longer earn CRS points. South Africans get no working-holiday route.
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Degrees that travel best
15 of 23 fields rated 4 or 5
- 5 Quantity SurveyingOpen door · shortage or priority list
- 5 EngineeringRecognised, paperwork only · shortage or priority list
- 5 Social WorkRecognised, paperwork only · shortage or priority list
- 4 Finance & EconomicsOpen door
- 4 Computer Science & ITOpen door
- 4 Data Science & StatisticsOpen door
- 4 DentistryExams or bridging · shortage or priority list
- 4 Veterinary ScienceExams or bridging · shortage or priority list
Show all 23 fields
- 4 NursingExams or bridging · shortage or priority list
- 4 PharmacyExams or bridging · shortage or priority list
- 4 PhysiotherapyExams or bridging · shortage or priority list
- 4 Occupational TherapyExams or bridging · shortage or priority list
- 4 PsychologyExams or bridging · shortage or priority list
- 4 TeachingExams or bridging · shortage or priority list
- 4 MedicineMajor requalification · shortage or priority list
- 3 Business ManagementOpen door
- 3 Humanities (BA)Open door
- 3 Chartered AccountancyRecognised, paperwork only
- 3 Actuarial ScienceRecognised, paperwork only
- 3 Natural SciencesRecognised, paperwork only
- 3 Agricultural ScienceRecognised, paperwork only
- 3 ArchitectureExams or bridging
- 3 LawExams or bridging
Good to know
- Working language
- English (French in Quebec).
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Strong French adds large CRS points and access to dedicated draws.
- For South African passport holders
- South Africa is a visa-required country: SA citizens need a visitor visa (TRV), not an eTA, save for narrow exceptions.
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South Africa has NO International Experience Canada agreement, so there is no working-holiday option. Master's and doctoral students enrolled at a public designated learning institution (DLI) are PAL-exempt from 1 January 2026; those at private DLIs still need a PAL/TAL.
- Shortage list
- No formal shortage list; Express Entry category-based selection is the closest equivalent
IRCC frames the 2026 category-based selection categories as targeting critical labour gaps: healthcare and social services, STEM, trades, education, transport, physicians, senior managers, researchers, French-language proficiency and skilled military recruits, coded under NOC 2021 TEER. - Studying there instead
- Statistics Canada publishes average international tuition (Table 37-10-0045-01) but the current figure could not be verified here.
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Study permits need a Provincial Attestation Letter for most programs, plus proof of living costs of CAD 23,448 for one applicant from 1 September 2026.
General information about published rules, not immigration advice; for an individual application use a licensed adviser in Canada. Researched 2026-10-07.