How to Immigrate to Canada as a Veterinarian from Pakistan

Are you a veterinarian from Pakistan looking to immigrate to Canada? Canada offers immigration pathways for qualified veterinarians through Express Entry, including the Healthcare and Social Services category under NOC 31103. Neither a Canadian licence nor a job offer is required to apply.

The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association treats the veterinary workforce shortage as a formal priority, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is recruiting veterinarians directly for posts in small and rural communities.

Key Takeaways for Immigrate to Canada as a Veterinarian

• The shortage: CVMA cites projections of roughly 5,000 veterinary openings against about 4,300 job seekers.
  
  
• Your NOC code: 31103, a TEER 1 occupation on the healthcare and social services category list.
  
  
• Category requirement: 12 months of full-time work, or the part-time equivalent, in the past three years. It need not be continuous, may be gained in Canada or abroad, and applies no matter your primary occupation.
  
  
• Recent cut-offs: 467 in February 2026 and 475 in June and September. These are past results, not thresholds.
  
  
• Licence not required: NEB certification is not a CRS factor and is not needed for an invitation.
  
  
• Veterinary technicians: NOC 32104 is on the same list at TEER 2.
  
  
• Private practice: Saskatchewan allows self-employed experience where the occupation requires provincial licensure, which includes veterinary medicine. Federal treatment varies by program.
  
  

Veterinarian Workforce Demand in Canada

The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association identifies the veterinary workforce shortage as a priority area, citing projections of approximately 5,000 job openings for veterinarians against about 4,300 job seekers.

That shortage is reflected in immigration policy. Veterinarians appear on IRCC’s healthcare and social services category list, which has invited candidates at scores below those required in Canadian Experience Class rounds.

The CVMA has also established an Immigration Concierge Service to help Canadian employers recruit foreign-trained veterinarians and veterinary technologists. The service provides immigration guidance to members involved in international recruitment.

Which Veterinary Occupations Qualify for the Healthcare Category?

Two veterinary occupations are included in Canada’s Express Entry Healthcare and Social Services category.

IRCC requires at least 12 months of full-time work experience, or an equivalent amount of part-time experience, in one of the listed occupations during the past three years. The experience may be gained in Canada or abroad, and applies no matter your primary occupation.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is also a significant federal employer of veterinarians. Its recruitment information identifies opportunities in animal health and meat hygiene, including openings in small and rural communities, with a federal pension plan, paid overtime, reimbursement of veterinary membership fees and relocation assistance where applicable.

Veterinarians with livestock, poultry or abattoir experience in Pakistan are well placed for these roles.

How Express Entry Works for Veterinarians

Veterinarians are classified under NOC 31103, a TEER 1 occupation in Canada’s Express Entry Healthcare and Social Services category. Category-based selection does not replace the standard eligibility rules. You must first qualify for one of the three Express Entry programs and enter the pool.

Category eligibility requires at least 12 months of full-time work experience, or the part-time equivalent, within the past three years.

IRCC ranks eligible candidates by CRS score and invites the highest-scoring among them, so the cut-off changes between draws. In 2026, healthcare rounds recorded 467 in February and 475 in June and September. These are past results rather than a fixed requirement.

Language is the quickest way to raise your score. Moving from CLB 8 to CLB 9 across all four abilities raises core language points from 92 to 124, and doubles the skill transferability points for education and foreign work experience from 25 to 50 each. A veterinarian with three or more years of practice can gain up to 82 points.

IRCC recognises veterinary medicine as a professional degree needed to practise in a licensed profession. A degree assessed at that level is worth up to 135 CRS points without a spouse, against 120 for a bachelor’s degree.

Planning Your Canada PR Application as a Veterinarian?

Most veterinary experience in Pakistan is harder to document than it is to earn. That is usually what slows an application down.

Visit our Rawalpindi or Faisalabad office for a one-on-one meeting with our senior immigration expert, or message us on WhatsApp.

Provincial Routes

Saskatchewan: the strongest option without a job offer

Express Entry is not the only way to immigrate to Canada as a veterinarian. Veterinarians and veterinary technicians do not appear on Saskatchewan’s Excluded Occupation List, unlike most other health professions. Both can apply through the Occupation In-Demand sub-category, which requires no employer, no job offer and no Express Entry profile.

You submit an Expression of Interest, score at least 60 points out of 110 on the provincial grid, hold CLB 4 or higher and an ECA, and pay a non-refundable CAD 500 application fee.

Saskatchewan normally counts self-employed experience only for managerial occupations. It makes an exception where the occupation requires certification from a provincial licensing body, and veterinary medicine is regulated in Saskatchewan. Clinic owners may therefore be able to claim that experience with a business licence, tax records, proof of income and client reference letters.

British Columbia

British Columbia lists both veterinary occupations among its priorities for targeted invitations, though a job offer from an eligible employer is required.

Provincial lists change through the year. Confirm the current position with the province before applying. Our guide on enhanced vs base PNP explains how these streams differ.

Work Experience Requirements for Veterinarians

To qualify for the Healthcare and Social Services category, veterinarians need at least 12 months of full-time work experience, or the part-time equivalent, in NOC 31103 within the past three years. The experience may be gained in Canada or abroad and need not be continuous.

Your experience must match NOC 31103

Your work should correspond to the duties set out under NOC 31103, such as diagnosing and treating animal diseases, performing surgery and providing veterinary care. IRCC assesses this against the lead statement and most of the main duties of the code, not against your job title.

Self-employment requires careful documentation

Self-employed veterinary experience is not automatically ineligible. The Federal Skilled Worker Program allows qualifying foreign work experience gained through self-employment, provided the program requirements are met.

If you run your own clinic, prepare a business licence, tax records, proof of income and reference letters from clients. Self-declared duties and affidavits are not accepted as proof of self-employed work.

Farm and poultry work needs records

Much veterinary work in Pakistan involves dairy herds, poultry operations and livestock markets, often without a formal contract. Where no payroll record exists, the experience is harder to prove.

Your reference letter is the primary document. It should state your duties, employment dates, weekly hours and salary, supported by employment contracts or pay records, and must agree with your Express Entry profile.

The NEB Exam Pathway for Pakistani Veterinarians

You do not need a licence to immigrate to Canada as a veterinarian, but you do need one to practise. Graduates of non-accredited veterinary schools follow the National Examining Board pathway to a Certificate of Qualification, which provincial regulators use as the basis for registration.

The BCSE must be passed before the NAVLE. After that you may proceed with either the NAVLE or the PSA, and the PSA must be completed before the CPE.

The BCSE and NAVLE can both be taken outside Canada, so you can begin before leaving Pakistan. The PSA and CPE are held in Canada, and the PSA has limited capacity with a waiting list.

Candidates receive five attempts at the NAVLE from the March 2026 window. Attempts made before 1 December 2025 do not count toward that limit, and no waiver is available once the five are used.

What Veterinarians Earn in Canada 

Job Bank reports hourly pay for NOC 31103 between CAD 34.15 and CAD 84.13, based on wage data updated in November 2025. WorkBC puts annual earnings in British Columbia at around CAD 115,665 and classifies veterinarians as a high opportunity occupation.

Those figures apply to licensed veterinarians. You can work in other roles in Canada while completing the examinations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I immigrate to Canada as a veterinarian without a licence?

Yes. IRCC does not require a Certificate of Qualification or provincial registration to issue an invitation. Eligibility is assessed on your degree, language results and work experience.

What CRS score do veterinarians need?

There is no fixed cut-off for veterinarians. Healthcare rounds recorded 467 in February 2026 and 475 in June and September. These are past results, not a requirement for future rounds.

Which examinations can I take from Pakistan?

The BCSE and the NAVLE are available at international testing locations. The surgical assessment and the clinical proficiency examination are held in Canada.

Does self-employed veterinary experience count for Canada PR?

It depends on the program and the province. Saskatchewan allows self-employed experience where the occupation requires provincial licensure, which applies to veterinary medicine. Federal treatment varies by Express Entry program.

Can veterinary technicians apply?

Yes. Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians are listed under NOC 32104 at TEER 2, within the healthcare and social services category.

How many attempts do I get at the NAVLE?

Candidates receive five attempts at the NAVLE from the March 2026 testing window. Attempts made before 1 December 2025 do not count toward that limit, and no waiver is available once the five are used.

Ready to Plan Your Canada PR journey?

Your veterinary experience may qualify you through the federal healthcare category, a provincial nomination, or both. Which route fits depends on your score, your experience and where you want to settle.

Visit our Rawalpindi or Faisalabad office for an assessment with our senior immigration expert, or message us on WhatsApp.