Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that from November 3, 2026, Express Entry will award extra Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for Canadian work experience or a job offer in a high-wage occupation.
Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab announced the move to reinstate Express Entry job points.
Canada removed CRS points for qualifying job offers in March 2025. Under the new rules, a qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation will earn 50, 70 or 100 points. The number depends on the occupation’s wage classification.
An occupation counts as high-wage if its median wage is at least 1.3 times the average median wage across the Canadian workforce.
Candidates cannot stack the two bonuses. Points for high-wage Canadian work experience cannot be combined with points for a qualifying high-wage job offer. A candidate who qualifies under both routes would receive the higher of the two.
From November 3, a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) will no longer be required for a qualifying job offer to receive the new points. IRCC says that having an LMIA will not earn extra points or priority. The change does not remove all scrutiny, however. Genuine-job-offer checks still apply. A revoked job offer no longer counts.
Scores of candidates already in the pool will be recalculated automatically, including for eligible Canadian work experience. The recalculation may take up to two weeks, and Express Entry invitation rounds will be paused during that time.
IRCC can only award job offer points based on what is in a candidate’s profile, so candidates must act early. Those seeking job offer points must add the required details to their profiles before November 3. Immigration advisers also recommend that candidates confirm their Canadian work experience is recorded accurately. An offer in a non-high-wage occupation earns no extra points, but it can still exempt a candidate from the proof of settlement funds requirement.
Further significant changes to Express Entry may follow. A broader restructuring remains a proposal and is separate from the November 3 changes. An October 15 consultation report on a possible redesign of federal skilled immigration is not a regulation or an enacted points table.
Until November 3, current CRS scores and job offer rules continue to apply.
