Is NOC 31301 (Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses) a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?

Yes. From November 3, 2026, NOC 31301 is in the 1.5× tier of IRCC’s high-wage list, meaning its national median wage is at least 1.5 times, but less than 2 times, the median wage of the Canadian workforce (2023 to 2025 data).

How many CRS points does NOC 31301 give?

With 12 months or more of skilled Canadian work in NOC 31301, you add 40 points to your Canadian work-experience points. For example, a single candidate with 3 years of Canadian work goes from 64 to 104 points. A qualifying job offer in NOC 31301 is worth 70 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 1.5× 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 31301 and that the work is skilled, paid, Canadian experience.

Can I combine months in different high-wage jobs?

Months here combine with months in 2× occupations for the 40-point add-on, and with any high-wage occupation for the 20-point add-on.

Which Express Entry programs accept NOC 31301?

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 31301?

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

1.5× median wageTEER 1NOC 2021 Version 1.0

NOC 31301: Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses

Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses provide direct nursing care to patients, deliver health education programs and provide consultative services regarding issues relevant to the practice of nursing. They are employed in a variety of settings including hospitals, nursing homes, extended care facilities, rehabilitation centres, doctors' offices, clinics, community agencies, companies, private homes and public and private organizations or they may be self-employed.

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, 1.5× 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 31301

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 31301
Years in Canada	Single, today	Single, Nov 3	With spouse, today	With spouse, Nov 3
1	40	80	35	75
2	53	93	46	86
3	64	104	56	96
4	72	112	63	103
5 or more	80	120	70	110

See Canadian work points and the median-wage rule.

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

General duty registered nurses
Assess patients to identify appropriate nursing interventions
Collaborate with members of an interdisciplinary health team to plan, implement, coordinate and evaluate patient care in consultation with patients and their families
Administer medications and treatments as prescribed by a physician or according to established policies and protocols
Monitor, assess, address, document and report symptoms and changes in patients' conditions
Operate or monitor medical apparatus or equipment
Assist in surgery and other medical procedures
May supervise licensed practical nurses and other nursing staff
May develop and implement discharge planning process on admission of patients
May teach and counsel patients and their families on health-related issues in collaboration with other health care providers.
Registered nurses may specialize in areas such as surgery, obstetrics care, psychiatric care, critical care, pediatrics, geriatrics, community health, occupational health, emergency care, rehabilitation or oncology.
Occupational health nurses
Develop and implement employee health education programs and provide registered nursing care in private businesses and industry.
Community health nurses
Provide health education and registered nursing care in public health units and through home visits, manage complex home care cases, participate in community needs assessment and program development, conduct disease screening and deliver immunization programs.
Registered psychiatric nurses
Provide nursing care, supportive counselling and life skills programming to patients in psychiatric hospitals, mental health clinics, long-term care facilities and community-based settings.
Nursing researchers and consultants
Engaged in research activities related to nursing, as self-employed or as employed by hospitals, public and private organizations and governments.
Provide consultative services to institutes, associations and health care organizations regarding issues and concerns relevant to the nursing profession and nursing practice.
Clinical nurses
Provide leadership, advice and counsel on the provision of research-based care for specific patient groups within the care of particular health care organizations.

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

Example job titles

clinical nurse
community health nurse
critical care nurse
emergency care nurse
intensive care nurse
nurse researcher
nursing consultant
occupational health nurse
private duty nurse
public health nurse
registered nurse (R.N.)
registered psychiatric nurse (R.P.N.)

Employment requirements

Registered nurses
Completion of a university, college or other approved registered nursing program is required.
Additional academic training or experience is required to specialize in a specific area of nursing.
A master's or doctoral degree in nursing is usually required for clinical nurse specialists, clinical nurses, nursing consultants and nursing researchers.
Registration with a regulatory body is required in all provinces and territories.
Registered psychiatric nurses
Completion of a university or college registered psychiatric nursing program is required.
Registration with a regulatory body is required in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon.

Similar jobs with a different code

Common questions

Is NOC 31301 (Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses) a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?: Yes. From November 3, 2026, NOC 31301 is in the 1.5× tier of IRCC’s high-wage list, meaning its national median wage is at least 1.5 times, but less than 2 times, the median wage of the Canadian workforce (2023 to 2025 data).
How many CRS points does NOC 31301 give?: With 12 months or more of skilled Canadian work in NOC 31301, you add 40 points to your Canadian work-experience points. For example, a single candidate with 3 years of Canadian work goes from 64 to 104 points. A qualifying job offer in NOC 31301 is worth 70 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 1.5× 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 31301 and that the work is skilled, paid, Canadian experience.
Can I combine months in different high-wage jobs?: Months here combine with months in 2× occupations for the 40-point add-on, and with any high-wage occupation for the 20-point add-on.
Which Express Entry programs accept NOC 31301?: 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 31301?: It is on IRCC’s list for the Healthcare and social services category, so you can also be invited in those category draws.

Other 1.5× 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

See your CRS score with NOC 31301

Quick CRS adds up every factor and shows your score under today’s rules and the rules from November 3, 2026, side by side. Free, about 3 minutes.

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