Express Entry adds CRS points for high-wage jobs Nov. 3

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will add Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for candidates with Canadian work experience or a job offer in a high-wage occupation starting Nov. 3, 2026, and will no longer require a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) for qualifying job offers.

Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab announced the changes to Express Entry on Oct. 16 in Kitchener, Ont. The department’s news release said the changes are meant to align the system with labour market needs.

“Canada is competing globally for people with the skills we need to build a prosperous economy and stronger public services,” Diab said in the release.

Under IRCC’s backgrounder, a candidate with at least 12 months of eligible Canadian work experience in a high-wage occupation can receive 70, 40 or 20 additional points, depending on how far the occupation’s median wage sits above the Canadian average. Candidates with a qualifying job offer can receive 100, 70 or 50 points on the same scale. Those who qualify under both categories receive whichever gives more points, not both.

An occupation counts as high-wage if its median wage is at least 1.3 times the median wage of the overall Canadian workforce. IRCC said the list covers jobs in health care, skilled trades, engineering, technology and education, and is based on Job Bank, Labour Force Survey and Census data. The department publishes the list on its high-wage occupations page.

From Nov. 3, a qualifying job offer will not need an LMIA to earn the new points or to meet job offer requirements under the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. IRCC said officers will still check that offers are genuine, and a revoked offer will no longer qualify. The department also said additional points do not guarantee an invitation to apply.

Candidates already in the pool will have scores recalculated automatically for Canadian work experience, IRCC said. Those who believe they qualify for job offer points should review and update their Express Entry profiles with the required information before Nov. 3. Candidates should check the Express Entry page for current instructions, and questions about individual eligibility should go to IRCC or a licensed immigration consultant or lawyer.

The changes follow a busy month of draws. Canada invited 5,000 francophone candidates and 150 transport workers and 792 provincial nominees with a cut-off of 761 in recent rounds, as reported in our coverage. The government’s wider direction on newcomer numbers is covered in our report on the immigration levels plan.

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