On October 16, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced major changes to the Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Starting November 3, 2026, a new factor called Labour Market Integration is scheduled to be introduced, worth up to 150 points. Job offer points, removed in March 2025, will return, qualifying Canadian work experience in high-wage occupations will receive additional points, and an LMIA will no longer be required for qualifying Express Entry job offers.
Changes at a Glance
| Change | Before November 3 | From November 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Job offer points | Zero (removed in March 2025) | 50–100 for qualifying offers in high-wage occupations |
| Canadian work experience points | Up to 80, based on duration | Up to 150: duration plus up to 70 high-wage occupation points |
| LMIA for a qualifying job offer | Current program requirements and applicable LMIA exemptions apply | Not required under the announced Express Entry changes |
| Job offer from a current employer | — | Accepted for an existing or new position, subject to qualifying requirements |
The New Labour Market Integration Factor
This factor provides points through two options. Only one option will count, whichever gives the higher score:
- Canadian work experience: work-length points plus additional high-wage occupation points.
- A qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation.
| Option | Without an Accompanying Spouse or Partner | With an Accompanying Spouse or Partner |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian work experience | 150: 80 work-length points + 70 high-wage points | 140: 70 work-length points + 70 high-wage points |
| Job offer | 100 | 100 |
English Translation of the Video Transcript
Finally, some good news from IRCC. The department has announced that the Express Entry points system will change from November 3, 2026.
First, Canadian work experience: if you have at least one year of Canadian experience in a high-wage occupation, you can receive an additional 20–70 points.
Second, job offers: job offer points are returning to Express Entry, this time with 50, 70 or 100 points, without an LMIA. Not every offer qualifies. The occupation must be high-wage, meaning that its occupational median wage is at least 30% above the Canadian median wage benchmark.
Canadian work experience and job offer points are not added together. Only the option that produces the higher score counts.
If you are already in the Express Entry pool, your score will be recalculated automatically when the changes take effect. To receive job offer points, review and update the required information before November 3. Invitation rounds will pause during the system update.
What Are High-Wage Occupations?
An occupation is considered high-wage if the median wage of everyone working under that NOC code in Canada is at least 1.3 times the workforce median wage benchmark. Your personal salary is not the deciding factor; the NOC code is. IRCC groups occupations into three levels: 2 times, 1.5 times and 1.3 times the benchmark. See the full list of 186 occupations in our Express Entry high-wage occupations list.
Canadian Work Experience Points
A. Work-Length Points (Unchanged)
| Length of Canadian Work Experience | Without an Accompanying Spouse or Partner | With an Accompanying Spouse or Partner |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 0 | 0 |
| 1 year | 40 | 35 |
| 2 years | 53 | 46 |
| 3 years | 64 | 56 |
| 4 years | 72 | 63 |
| 5 years or more | 80 | 70 |
B. Additional High-Wage Occupation Points (New)
Requirement: at least 12 months (1,560 hours) of qualifying Canadian work experience in one or more eligible high-wage occupations.
| Qualifying High-Wage Experience | Additional Points |
|---|---|
| At least 12 months in occupations with median wages at least 2 times the benchmark | 70 |
| Otherwise, at least 12 months combined in occupations at 1.5 times the benchmark or above | 40 |
| Otherwise, at least 12 months combined in occupations at 1.3 times the benchmark or above | 20 |
| Less than 12 months of qualifying high-wage experience | 0 |
Notes:
- Experience does not need to be continuous.
- Equivalent part-time work can be combined, based on a full-time equivalent of 30 hours per week.
- Experience in more than one eligible high-wage occupation can be combined.
- If you held two jobs simultaneously, only up to 30 hours per week will count.
Job Offer Points
| Job Offer Category | Points |
|---|---|
| High-wage occupation with a median wage at least 2 times the benchmark | 100 |
| High-wage occupation at least 1.5 times, but less than 2 times, the benchmark | 70 |
| High-wage occupation at least 1.3 times, but less than 1.5 times, the benchmark | 50 |
| Occupation not on the high-wage list | 0 |
Removal of the LMIA Requirement
From November 3, 2026, under the announced Express Entry changes:
- An LMIA will no longer be required for qualifying job offers used for program eligibility or CRS points.
- Having an LMIA will not provide additional CRS points or priority.
- A job offer may be for an existing or a new position.
- A job offer may come from your current employer or a new employer.
- When assessing the permanent residence application, an immigration officer will verify that the offer is genuine. This includes whether the employer is actively operating, can meet the offer’s terms, has a genuine need for the position and follows employment and recruitment laws, and whether the applicant is qualified, able and likely to accept and perform the work.
Entering a Job Offer Without an LMIA in Your Profile
IRCC describes the following interim procedure as applying from November 3, 2026, when the requirements will have changed but the online system will not yet reflect them. It is not presented here as an instruction to use placeholder information before that date. Re-check the current official guidance before making any profile entries.
For the applicable interim procedure, IRCC lists these responses under “Work history”:
| Field | Response |
|---|---|
| Was a positive LMIA issued for the job offer in Canada? | Yes |
| LMIA Number | 00000 |
| LMIA Issuance Date | 2026-01-01 |
| LMIA Expiry Date | 2029-01-01 |
Temporary Pause in Invitation Rounds
From November 3, scores for existing profiles in the pool will be recalculated automatically under the new system. IRCC says this could take up to two weeks, during which Express Entry invitation rounds will be paused. Rounds will resume when recalculation is complete.
A Note for FSW and FST Applicants
CRS points rules differ from program eligibility rules. A valid job offer in an eligible TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupation may help you meet Federal Skilled Worker or Federal Skilled Trades program requirements, even if the occupation is not on the high-wage list and does not earn CRS job offer points. All other applicable program requirements must still be met. These two assessments are separate.
Who May Be Affected?
- Work permit holders in Canada with at least one year of qualifying experience in eligible high-wage engineering, IT, medical, nursing, financial or management occupations may receive up to 70 additional points. The original article cites recent CEC cut-offs of approximately 518–519; this provides context rather than a forecast of future cut-offs.
- Candidates with a job offer but no LMIA may receive up to 100 points from November 3 if the offer and occupation meet the requirements.
- Applicants outside Canada with a qualifying offer from a Canadian employer in a high-wage occupation.
What You Should Do
- Match the NOC codes for your current occupation and job offer against the official high-wage occupations list.
- If you have a job offer, review and update the required information before November 3 using the instructions applicable at the time. The interim LMIA field procedure above is described by IRCC as applying from November 3.
- Record Canadian work experience accurately and completely, including hours, NOC codes and dates.
- Prepare for a possible pause of up to two weeks during recalculation and check your updated score once the process is complete.
Official Sources
- IRCC: 2026 Changes to Points for Canadian Work Experience and Job Offers
- IRCC: Changes to Express Entry for High-Wage Occupations
- IRCC: High-Wage Occupations List
Want to understand how these changes could affect your CRS score? Contact Hejazineia Immigration: +1 778 869 4566
