Is NOC 31103 (Veterinarians) a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?

Yes. From November 3, 2026, NOC 31103 is in the 2× tier of IRCC’s high-wage list, meaning its national median wage is at least 2 times the median wage of the Canadian workforce (2023 to 2025 data).

How many CRS points does NOC 31103 give?

With 12 months or more of skilled Canadian work in NOC 31103, you add 70 points to your Canadian work-experience points. For example, a single candidate with 3 years of Canadian work goes from 64 to 134 points. A qualifying job offer in NOC 31103 is worth 100 points instead. You get the higher of the two routes, never both, capped at 150 points (140 with a spouse).

Do I need to earn 2× the median wage myself?

No. The tier comes from the occupation’s national median wage, not from your own salary. What matters is that your job’s main duties match NOC 31103 and that the work is skilled, paid, Canadian experience.

Can I combine months in different high-wage jobs?

To get the 70-point add-on, all 12 months must be in 2× occupations. Months here also count toward the 40-point (1.5×) and 20-point (1.3×) add-ons when combined with other high-wage jobs.

Which Express Entry programs accept NOC 31103?

As a TEER 1 occupation it counts as skilled work for the Canadian Experience Class and the Federal Skilled Worker Program.

Which category draws include NOC 31103?

It is on IRCC’s list for the Healthcare and social services category, so you can also be invited in those category draws.

2× median wageTEER 1NOC 2021 Version 1.0

NOC 31103: Veterinarians

Veterinarians prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and disorders in animals and advise clients on the feeding, hygiene, housing and general care of animals. They can also perform surgical procedures. They work in private practice or may be employed by animal clinics, farms, laboratories, government or industry.

Express Entry eligibility

Skilled work (TEER 0 to 3): yes, TEER 1.
Canadian Experience Class: counts as skilled Canadian work (1 year in the last 3 years).
Federal Skilled Worker Program: counts as skilled work (1 year of continuous work in the last 10 years).
Federal Skilled Trades Program: not one of the eligible trades.
High-wage occupation (from November 3, 2026): yes, 2× tier.

TEER 1: Occupations that usually need a university degree. Every program has other requirements too, such as language test results and, for FSW, a points test.

Category-based draws

Healthcare and social services
At least 12 months of full-time work (or the same amount part-time) in this occupation within the last 3 years, in Canada or abroad.

Category lists checked on canada.ca on 2026-10-17. IRCC category-based selection

CRS points for work in NOC 31103

With 12+ months of Canadian work here, from November 3, 2026, by years of skilled Canadian work:

Canadian work CRS points with 12 or more months in NOC 31103
Years in Canada	Single, today	Single, Nov 3	With spouse, today	With spouse, Nov 3
1	40	110	35	105
2	53	123	46	116
3	64	134	56	126
4	72	142	63	133
5 or more	80	150	70	140

See Canadian work points and the median-wage rule.

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

Diagnose diseases or abnormal conditions in individual animals, herds and flocks through physical examinations or laboratory tests
Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds or performing surgery
Vaccinate animals to prevent and treat diseases
Perform routine, emergency and post-mortem examinations
Advise clients on feeding, housing, behaviour, breeding, hygiene and general care of animals
Provide a range of veterinary services including obstetrics, dentistry and euthanasia
May supervise animal health technologists and animal care workers
May be responsible for overall operation of animal hospital, clinic or mobile service to farms
May conduct veterinary research related to areas such as animal nutrition, health care products development and disease prevention and control
May enforce government regulations in disease control and food production including animal or animal-based food inspection.

For Express Entry your duties must match the lead statement and most of the main duties above.

Example job titles

farm veterinarian
small animal veterinary specialist
veterinarian
veterinary inspector
veterinary pathologist
veterinary physiologist
veterinary surgeon
zoo veterinarian

Employment requirements

Doctor of veterinary medicine
Two years of pre-veterinary university studies or completion of a college program in health science and a four to five year university degree in veterinary medicine and successful completion of an examination leading to a national certification are required.
A provincial licence to practice is required.
Veterinary specialists
Completion of a degree in veterinary medicine and three to four years of additional postgraduate studies or residency program in the specialty of their choice are required.
Veterinary specialists must be accredited by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) or the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP). In Quebec, they must be accredited by the Ordre des médecins vétérinaires du Québec and only 18 specialties are recognized.
A provincial license to practice is required.
Research veterinarian
Two years of pre-veterinary university studies or completion of a college program in health science and a four to five year university degree in veterinary medicine and successful completion of an examination leading to a national certification are required.
Entry into research positions may require postgraduate study.
A provincial licence to practice is required.

Similar jobs with a different code

Common questions

Is NOC 31103 (Veterinarians) a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?: Yes. From November 3, 2026, NOC 31103 is in the 2× tier of IRCC’s high-wage list, meaning its national median wage is at least 2 times the median wage of the Canadian workforce (2023 to 2025 data).
How many CRS points does NOC 31103 give?: With 12 months or more of skilled Canadian work in NOC 31103, you add 70 points to your Canadian work-experience points. For example, a single candidate with 3 years of Canadian work goes from 64 to 134 points. A qualifying job offer in NOC 31103 is worth 100 points instead. You get the higher of the two routes, never both, capped at 150 points (140 with a spouse).
Do I need to earn 2× the median wage myself?: No. The tier comes from the occupation’s national median wage, not from your own salary. What matters is that your job’s main duties match NOC 31103 and that the work is skilled, paid, Canadian experience.
Can I combine months in different high-wage jobs?: To get the 70-point add-on, all 12 months must be in 2× occupations. Months here also count toward the 40-point (1.5×) and 20-point (1.3×) add-ons when combined with other high-wage jobs.
Which Express Entry programs accept NOC 31103?: As a TEER 1 occupation it counts as skilled work for the Canadian Experience Class and the Federal Skilled Worker Program.
Which category draws include NOC 31103?: It is on IRCC’s list for the Healthcare and social services category, so you can also be invited in those category draws.

Other 2× high-wage occupations

More in professional occupations in health

Find any NOC code · All high-wage occupations · Source: Statistics Canada, NOC 2021 Version 1.0

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