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Canada Refocuses Express Entry on High-Wage Jobs and Skilled Workers to Support Economic Growth

Canada is changing its Express Entry immigration system to place greater emphasis on skilled workers who are well positioned to contribute to the country’s economy. Effective November 3, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will award additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points to eligible candidates with Canadian work experience or qualifying job offers in high-wage occupations, including fields such as engineering and electrical trades. The changes will also eliminate the requirement for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) for qualifying job offers to receive the new Express Entry points or satisfy job-offer requirements under the Federal Skilled Worker Program and Federal Skilled Trades Program. Although the revised process is intended to reduce administrative burdens for employers and applicants, IRCC will continue to verify job offers to protect against fraud and maintain the integrity of the immigration system.

Key Points

• New Labour Market Integration Factor: Beginning November 3, 2026, IRCC will introduce a Labour Market Integration factor within the CRS that rewards eligible Canadian work experience or a qualifying job offer in an eligible high-wage occupation. Candidates may receive points through either pathway, but they cannot combine points for Canadian work experience and a qualifying job offer under this new factor. 
• Additional Points for Canadian Work Experience: Candidates with at least 12 months of eligible Canadian work experience in qualifying high-wage occupations may receive additional points based on the occupation’s wage level. The additional points are 70 for occupations at least twice the national average median wage, 40 for occupations at least 1.5 times that benchmark, and 20 for occupations at least 1.3 times the benchmark, subject to the applicable eligibility rules. 
• Points for Qualifying Job Offers: Candidates with qualifying job offers in eligible high-wage occupations may receive 50, 70, or 100 CRS points, depending on the occupation’s wage classification. The applicable thresholds are at least 1.3 times, 1.5 times, or twice the national average median wage, respectively, and a qualifying offer generally must provide full-time, continuous employment in Canada for at least one year after the candidate becomes a permanent resident. 
• Definition of High-Wage Occupations: An occupation qualifies as high-wage under the new system when its Canadian median wage is at least 1.3 times the median wage of the overall Canadian workforce. IRCC determines eligibility using National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes and wage data from Job Bank, the Labour Force Survey, and the Census of Population, rather than the individual candidate’s actual salary. 
• Removal of LMIA Requirements: Starting November 3, 2026, a Labour Market Impact Assessment will no longer be required for a qualifying job offer to receive the new CRS points or satisfy applicable job-offer requirements under the Federal Skilled Worker Program and Federal Skilled Trades Program. An LMIA will no longer provide additional CRS points or priority in the Express Entry pool, although candidates must still meet the relevant program and job-offer requirements.

What Employers Need to Know 

• Review Job Offers and Candidate Eligibility: Employers should review their existing and prospective job offers to determine whether the positions qualify for points under the new high-wage occupation classifications. Because eligibility depends on the occupation’s NOC code and the applicable national wage benchmark, a position does not qualify simply because an individual employee earns a high salary.
• Maintain Genuine and Compliant Job Offers: Eliminating the LMIA requirement does not eliminate IRCC’s authority to assess whether a job offer is genuine and meets immigration requirements. Officers may examine whether the employer is actively operating its business, whether the offer reflects a reasonable employment need, whether the employer can fulfill its commitments, whether the candidate is qualified and likely to perform the work, and whether applicable federal and provincial employment and recruitment laws have been followed. 
• Update Express Entry Profiles Where Necessary: Employers working with foreign nationals should coordinate with their immigration counsel and affected employees to ensure that qualifying job-offer information is accurately reflected in Express Entry profiles. Candidates seeking the new job-offer points should update their profiles before November 3, 2026, while candidates with existing profiles will have their scores recalculated automatically under the new system. 
• Understand the Limits of the New Points System: Additional CRS points may improve a candidate’s ranking, but they do not guarantee an invitation to apply for permanent residence. Invitations will continue to depend on the requirements and minimum CRS scores established for individual invitation rounds.
• Prepare for Administrative Changes: Employers and candidates should account for a temporary pause in Express Entry invitation rounds while IRCC recalculates existing profiles, a process that may take up to two weeks. Employers should also be aware that IRCC may require candidates to follow interim online profile instructions because the electronic system may not immediately reflect the revised LMIA rules.

Looking Ahead

• • Greater Emphasis on Economic Contributions: The revised CRS framework signals Canada’s intention to prioritize immigration candidates whose skills and work experience align with its economic objectives. The new wage-based classifications may increase the competitiveness of candidates in eligible occupations, while candidates in other occupations may receive fewer advantages from job offers under the revised system.

• Potential Changes to Candidate Rankings: The new points structure may change the relative positions of candidates already in the Express Entry pool, particularly those with eligible Canadian work experience or qualifying high-wage job offers. The actual effect will depend on each candidate’s circumstances, the revised CRS calculation, and the cutoff scores used in future invitation rounds. 

• Continued Targeting of Priority Occupations: These changes build on Canada’s broader effort to align economic immigration with workforce needs, including measures announced in December 2025 to attract medical doctors with Canadian work experience. In February 2026, Canada also announced new and renewed Express Entry categories focused on occupations and skills in areas including health care, skilled trades, research, transportation, and education. 
• Ongoing Attention to Program Integrity: Although the LMIA changes are intended to reduce administrative requirements, IRCC will continue reviewing job offers for authenticity and compliance and may take action where it identifies fraud or misrepresentation. Employers and candidates should therefore expect documentation, eligibility assessments, and verification to remain important components of the permanent residence process. 
• Monitoring Future Immigration Policy Developments: The November 3 changes may influence how employers recruit international talent and how candidates assess their eligibility for Canadian permanent residence. Employers and prospective immigrants should monitor IRCC announcements and updated program guidance for further changes to occupational classifications, profile procedures, and invitation priorities.

Canada’s planned Express Entry reforms represent a shift toward rewarding eligible Canadian work experience and qualifying job offers in occupations associated with higher national median wages, while simplifying certain job-offer requirements by removing the need for an LMIA. Effective November 3, 2026, the revised system will introduce new opportunities for eligible candidates, but the benefits will depend on occupational classification, work experience, and individual eligibility. Employers should review their recruitment and immigration strategies, coordinate with affected employees, and ensure that job offers remain genuine and compliant with applicable requirements. As Canada continues adjusting its economic immigration policies to address labour market needs, both employers and prospective immigrants should monitor future developments and assess how the revised CRS framework may affect their permanent residence plans.

The content of this article is intended only to provide a general guide to the subject matter. It should not be construed as legal advice. Please contact FGI at info@employmentimmigration.com or (+1) 248.643.4900 for guidance if you have specific questions.