A pharmacist with CRS 469 asked whether to start the immigration process and where pharmacists are in demand. The thread's advice:
- Get into the Express Entry pool as soon as possible. The consistent message: don't wait for a 'better' score — being in the pool is what makes you visible to provincial draws.
- OINP has invited pharmacists at much lower scores. A member's sister received an OINP invitation at CRS 387 under NOC 31120 (pharmacist) in a targeted draw. At 469, the poster was told their chances in occupation-targeted OINP draws were good. (Specific draw scores are historical — check current OINP draw results.)
- You don't need the licensing exam to immigrate. Members clarified that clearing the PEBC (Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada) exam is not required for the PR process itself — licensing is only needed to actually practice as a pharmacist in Canada after arrival. Don't delay the PR application waiting on credentialing.
- Occupation demand lives in provincial streams, not FSW. The poster asked whether pharmacist demand in OINP but not FSW hurts them: targeted provincial draws are precisely the mechanism that converts occupation demand into invitations, layered on top of your federal EE profile.
Bottom line from the thread: for in-demand health occupations, enter the pool early and let occupation-targeted provincial draws work in your favour.