How to Immigrate to Canada as a Dentist from Pakistan

Are you a dentist looking to immigrate to Canada? Canada offers immigration pathways for qualified dentists through Express Entry’s healthcare and social services category under NOC 31110, where recent draws have invited at CRS scores in the mid-470s, well below the general pool.

Dentists from Pakistan can be invited without a Canadian licence and without a job offer. The separate NDEB examinations required to practise are completed after you arrive.

Key Takeaways: Immigrate to Canada as a Dentist from Pakistan

• NOC 31110: Dentists are classified under NOC 31110, a TEER 1 occupation in the healthcare and social services category.
  
  
• Program eligibility first: You must qualify for an Express Entry program, usually the Federal Skilled Worker Program, before category eligibility applies.
  
  
• Work experience: At least 12 months of full-time work, or the part-time equivalent of 1,560 hours, within the past three years. Self-employed work is not counted.
  
  
• CRS score: Healthcare cut-offs vary between rounds. Recent rounds cleared at 467 and 475, which are references rather than guaranteed thresholds.
  
  
• NDEB licensing: Not required for permanent residence and worth no CRS points. The four examinations are completed after you land, at a cost of roughly CAD 11,500 in fees.
  
  

NOC 31110 and the Healthcare Category

Canada PR for dentists runs through the Express Entry healthcare and social services category. Dentists are classified under NOC 31110, a TEER 1 occupation on that list.

Eligibility for a category-based invitation works in two stages. You must first qualify for one of the three Express Entry programs, which for most applicants from Pakistan means the Federal Skilled Worker Program. You must then meet the requirements set for the category itself.

Category eligibility requires at least 12 months of full-time work experience, or the part-time equivalent of 1,560 hours, within the past three years. The experience need not be continuous and may be gained in Canada or abroad. Self-employed work is not counted. IRCC raised this requirement from six months on 18 February 2026.

What CRS Score Do Dentists Need?

There is no separate CRS cut-off for dentists from Pakistan. IRCC identifies everyone who meets the healthcare category requirements, then invites the highest-ranking among them.

In 2026, healthcare rounds cleared at 467 in February and 475 in both June and September. The round on 4 September invited 3,500 candidates at 475.

Language is the factor most dentists can improve easily. Across all four abilities, moving from CLB 8 to CLB 9 raises core language points from 92 to 124. It also doubles the skill transferability points awarded for your education and your foreign work experience from 25 to 50 each.

Your credential assessment is the second factor. IRCC treats dentistry as a professional degree required to practise in a licensed profession, alongside medicine, law and pharmacy. A BDS assessed at that level earns 135 CRS points for a single applicant, or 126 with a spouse, compared with 120 and 112 for a bachelor’s degree.

WES and NDEB: Two Separate Processes

WES assesses your dental degree for immigration purposes. The NDEB assesses internationally educated dentists as part of the pathway to provincial licensure. They are run by different bodies and serve different ends.

Because the NDEB carries no CRS value, it should not hold up your immigration timeline. Begin the WES assessment now and treat licensing as a separate track.

Pakistani degrees require HEC attestation before WES will process them. Our guide on Canada immigration for healthcare professionals covers the wider category.

Planning your move to Canada as a dentist?

If you are a dentist and want to live and work in Canada, visit our Rawalpindi or Faisalabad office for a one-on-one meeting with our senior immigration expert.

Message us on WhatsApp to book.

Provincial Options for Dentists from Pakistan

The healthcare category is the main federal route. A provincial nomination is the alternative, and it adds 600 points to any profile, which secures an invitation regardless of your base score.

Nova Scotia is currently the most accessible province for dentists applying from Pakistan. It placed dentists in its highest priority tier in 2026, and that tier accepts candidates living outside Canada without a job offer.

Saskatchewan lists NOC 31110 on its Excluded Occupations List, covering both the Occupation In-Demand and Express Entry sub-categories. Applications under that code are rejected automatically.

Ontario closed the stream that previously nominated dentists without a licence. The replacement requires registration with the provincial dental regulator, which means completing the NDEB process first.

British Columbia and Alberta require a job offer from a health employer. Canadian dentistry is overwhelmingly private and fee-for-service, so these public-sector streams rarely suit general dentists.

Provincial priorities change several times a year, so verify the current position with the province before applying. Our guide on enhanced vs base PNP explains how provincial streams differ.

The NDEB Process: Four Examinations

Dental degrees from Pakistan are not accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada. That means completing two stages: the Equivalency Process, then the Certification Process.

Assessment of Fundamental Knowledge

This written examination covers biomedical and applied clinical science. It is the entry point to the process and must be passed before you can proceed.

Assessment of Clinical Judgment

This case-based examination tests diagnosis, treatment planning and radiographic interpretation.

NDECC

The clinical competence examination assesses performance on simulated patients alongside situational judgement. It is held only at the NDEB centre in Ottawa, and sittings are limited by facility capacity.

Virtual OSCE

This certification examination tests problem solving and clinical decision making. It replaced the in-person OSCE in January 2023, and passing it earns NDEB certification, which does not expire.

NDEB certification is not itself a licence. Licensing is granted by the dental regulatory authority in the province where you intend to practise, and those authorities set their own additional requirements, which commonly include a jurisprudence examination and proof of language ability.

There is an alternative route. Completing a degree program at an accredited Canadian dental faculty gives you an accredited qualification, which puts you on the graduate pathway instead. Full details are on the NDEB website.

NDEB Pass Rates

Reported results for 2025 show where candidates encounter most difficulty.

Source: NDEB Equivalency Process exam results

What Licensing Costs for Dentists

NDEB examination fees total roughly CAD 11,500.

If You Hold a Specialist Qualification

Specialists follow a different route from general dentists, and which route applies depends on whether you intend to practise as a specialist, as a general dentist, or both.

If your degree is from a non-accredited program, the pathway is a Dental Specialty Assessment and Training Program at a Canadian dental faculty, followed by the National Dental Specialty Examination administered by the Royal College of Dentists of Canada.

Canada recognizes nine specialties:

• dental public health
• endodontics
• oral medicine and oral pathology
• oral and maxillofacial radiology
• oral and maxillofacial surgery
• orthodontics
• pediatric dentistry
• periodontics
• prosthodontics

What Dentists Earn in Canada

Dentists are among the higher-earning regulated professions in Canada. Job Bank reports annual earnings for NOC 31110 between CAD 32,867 and CAD 228,000, based on wage data updated in November 2025. The range is wide because most dentists are self-employed, so income depends heavily on practice ownership, location and hours worked.

These figures apply to licensed dentists. During the licensing period you can work in Canada in any other role, which is how most applicants cover their living costs and examination fees.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I immigrate to Canada as a dentist without a license?

Yes. IRCC does not require NDEB certification or a provincial licence to issue an invitation. Permanent residence is assessed on your degree, your language score and your work experience.

What CRS score do dentists need?

There is no fixed cut-off. Healthcare rounds cleared at 467 in February 2026 and 475 in June and September. Those figures indicate the likely range, not a threshold.

Can I apply to Saskatchewan as a dentist?

No. NOC 31110 appears on the SINP Excluded Occupations List, so applications under that code are rejected automatically.

Does my Pakistani clinical experience count?

Yes, provided it is paid, full-time and in your claimed occupation. You need 12 months within the past three years, and self-employed work does not count.

Can I work in Canada while completing the NDEB exams?

Yes, but not as a dentist. Permanent residence allows you to work in any other role while you complete licensing.

Ready to Move to Canada as a Dentist?

If you are from healthcare occupations and immigrate to Canada as a dentist, visit our Rawalpindi or Faisalabad office for a one-on-one meeting with our senior immigration expert, or message us on WhatsApp or book a strategic assesment.