Canada’s Express Entry system has entered a new phase following significant Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) changes introduced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on November 3, 2026. The revised system introduces a new Labour Market Integration factor, changes how points are awarded for Canadian work experience and qualifying job offers, and removes the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) requirement for job offers used under Express Entry.
IRCC is also recalculating the CRS scores of candidates already in the Express Entry pool. The process could take up to two weeks, during which the department has temporarily paused invitation rounds. Candidates should use this period to review their profiles, verify their job offer information and understand how the new scoring rules may affect their ranking.
For skilled workers planning to immigrate through the Express Entry System, these changes could significantly influence their immigration strategy.
What Has Changed in Canada’s Express Entry System?
The November 3 update introduces two major changes:
- A new Labour Market Integration factor in the CRS.
- Removal of LMIA and LMIA-exemption requirements for qualifying Express Entry job offers.
The new Labour Market Integration factor rewards candidates through either eligible Canadian work experience or a qualifying job offer in an eligible high-wage occupation.
Candidates who qualify under both options will not combine the points. IRCC will compare the two calculations and award the higher score.
How Does the New Labour Market Integration Factor Work?
The new factor considers two possible routes.
Option 1: Points for Canadian Work Experience
Candidates can continue receiving points based on the duration of their eligible Canadian work experience. Additional points are available when that experience is in an eligible high-wage occupation.
For candidates without an accompanying spouse or common-law partner, the work-length points are:
| Canadian work experience | CRS points |
| Less than one year | 0 |
| One year | 40 |
| Two years | 53 |
| Three years | 64 |
| Four years | 72 |
| Five years or more | 80 |
Candidates with an accompanying spouse or common-law partner can receive up to 70 points through the work-length component.
Eligible candidates may also receive additional points for Canadian work experience in high-wage occupations:
| High-wage occupation threshold | Additional points |
| At least 2 times the national average median wage | 70 |
| At least 1.5 times the national average median wage | 40 |
| At least 1.3 times the national average median wage | 20 |
To receive these additional points, candidates generally need at least 12 months of qualifying Canadian work experience in one or more eligible high-wage occupations.
Option 2: Points for a Qualifying High-Wage Job Offer
Candidates with a qualifying job offer in an eligible high-wage occupation may receive:
| Job offer wage threshold | CRS points |
| At least 2 times the national average median wage | 100 |
| At least 1.5 times the national average median wage | 70 |
| At least 1.3 times the national average median wage | 50 |
| Below the 1.3-times threshold | 0 |
The maximum under the Labour Market Integration factor is 150 points for candidates without an accompanying spouse or common-law partner and 140 points for candidates with an accompanying spouse or common-law partner.
Importantly, a high salary alone does not guarantee these points. The occupation must also appear in IRCC’s eligible high-wage occupation levels.
What Does IRCC Consider a High-Wage Occupation?
IRCC uses the national median wage for an occupation compared with the average median wage of the Canadian workforce.
An occupation is considered high-wage for this purpose when its median wage is at least 1.3 times the overall Canadian workforce’s average median wage.
The assessment is based on the National Occupational Classification (NOC) occupation across Canada, not simply the salary an individual candidate earns in a particular position.
This distinction matters. A person earning a high salary may not automatically qualify if their occupation is not included in the eligible high-wage levels.
Candidates should check the official IRCC occupation list before estimating their new CRS points.
IRCC Removes the LMIA Requirement for Express Entry Job Offers
Another significant change is the removal of LMIA requirements for qualifying job offers under Express Entry.
From November 3, 2026:
- Candidates no longer need an LMIA for a job offer to qualify for applicable Express Entry program eligibility or CRS points.
- Having an LMIA does not provide additional CRS points or priority in the pool.
- Job offers may be for an existing or new position.
- Job offers may be from an existing or new employer.
- IRCC will continue verifying whether job offers are genuine.
This does not mean every job offer will qualify. Officers will still examine the employer’s business activity, ability to meet the terms of employment, recruitment and employment law compliance, and whether the candidate is qualified and likely to perform the offered work.
Does a Job Offer Still Matter for Federal Skilled Worker and Skilled Trades Applicants?
Yes. Removing the LMIA requirement does not eliminate job-offer requirements where a job offer is part of a program’s eligibility criteria.
This distinction is especially important for:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program
- Federal Skilled Trades Program
- Certain Provincial Nominee Program streams
A valid job offer may still help a candidate meet program eligibility even when the occupation does not qualify for the new high-wage CRS points.
In other words, program eligibility and CRS ranking are separate assessments. A job offer can help a candidate qualify for a program without necessarily providing additional CRS points.
Why Has IRCC Paused Express Entry Draws?
IRCC is automatically recalculating existing Express Entry profiles under the new CRS rules.
The department says this process may take up to two weeks. Invitation rounds will remain paused during the recalculation and are expected to resume once the process is complete.
This is a temporary administrative pause, not the cancellation of Express Entry draws.
Candidates should avoid assuming that the previous CRS score displayed in their account will remain unchanged. The recalculation may affect profiles differently depending on Canadian work experience, occupation and job-offer details.
What Should Express Entry Candidates Do Now?
Candidates already in the pool should take the following steps:
- Review their Express Entry profile: Check education, work history, language results and other information for accuracy.
- Update valid job offers: Candidates with qualifying job offers that are not included in their profiles should follow IRCC’s instructions to add them.
- Check the high-wage occupation list: Confirm whether their NOC qualifies under the new Labour Market Integration factor.
- Reassess their CRS score: Compare the potential points from Canadian work experience with those available through a qualifying job offer.
- Avoid relying on old LMIA rules: The updated instructions have changed how qualifying job offers are assessed.
- Monitor official announcements: Wait for IRCC to confirm that recalculations are complete and invitation rounds have resumed.
IRCC has also advised that its online system may still request LMIA information even though the requirement has been removed. Candidates should follow the department’s specific instructions for entering a job offer without an LMIA rather than guessing or leaving required fields incomplete.
How Could the New CRS Rules Affect Your Immigration Plans?
The changes make it more important to assess the full profile rather than focus on one CRS component.
A candidate with several years of Canadian work experience in an eligible high-wage occupation may benefit from the new factor. Another candidate may receive a higher score through a qualifying high-wage job offer.
However, candidates without eligible Canadian work experience or a qualifying high-wage job offer should not assume that their Express Entry options have disappeared. Other CRS factors, category-based selection and provincial nomination opportunities remain relevant.
A profile review with our Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant, Eivy Joy Quito, can help identify which scoring route may be more beneficial and whether the candidate meets the separate program requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
The new CRS rules took effect on November 3, 2026.
IRCC is recalculating the CRS scores of existing Express Entry profiles. The process may take up to two weeks. Invitation rounds are paused until the recalculation is complete.
It is a new CRS factor that awards points through either eligible Canadian work experience or a qualifying job offer in an eligible high-wage occupation. Candidates receive the higher of the two scores, not both.
No. IRCC compares the points available through the two options and awards whichever provides the higher score under this factor.
No. From November 3, 2026, an LMIA is no longer required for a qualifying job offer under Express Entry. However, the job offer must still meet the applicable requirements and pass IRCC’s genuineness assessment.