Canada is changing its Express Entry points system to give greater weight to skilled workers with Canadian work experience or qualifying job offers in high-wage occupations, a move that could affect Indian professionals seeking permanent residency.
The changes, announced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on October 16, will take effect on November 3, 2026. Eligible candidates could receive additional points under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which ranks applicants for invitations to apply for permanent residence.
The revised rules cover occupations across sectors such as engineering, technology, health care, education and skilled trades. However, working in one of these sectors will not automatically make a candidate eligible: the occupation must meet IRCC’s high-wage criteria, and applicants must satisfy the relevant program requirements.
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According to the official announcement, the changes are intended to make Express Entry more responsive to Canada’s labor market needs and help attract and retain skilled workers.
How the new Express Entry points system will work
{{/usCountry}}According to the official announcement, the changes are intended to make Express Entry more responsive to Canada’s labor market needs and help attract and retain skilled workers.
How the new Express Entry points system will work
{{/usCountry}}Under the new rules, candidates may receive additional CRS points through either eligible Canadian work experience in a high-wage occupation or a qualifying job offer in such an occupation. They cannot combine the two routes; IRCC will use whichever option gives them the higher score.
For Canadian work experience, candidates with at least 12 months of eligible experience in high-wage occupations could receive additional points based on the wage level assigned to their occupation. The extra points range from 20 to 70.
Candidates with qualifying job offers in high-wage occupations could receive 50, 70 or 100 additional CRS points, depending on whether the occupation meets the relevant wage threshold.
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IRCC defines a high-wage occupation as one where the occupation’s median wage is at least 1.3 times the median wage of Canada’s overall workforce. The assessment is based on typical earnings for the occupation, rather than an individual applicant’s salary. The government will use data from Job Bank, the Labor Force Survey and the Census of Population to determine which occupations qualify.
Applicants can check the official high-wage occupations list to see whether their occupation is eligible.
LMIA requirement to be removed
A key change for applicants and employers is the removal of the Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) requirement for qualifying job offers under the revised Express Entry rules.
From November 3, an LMIA will no longer be needed for a qualifying job offer to receive the new CRS points or to meet job-offer requirements under the Federal Skilled Worker Program and Federal Skilled Trades Program.
However, the change does not mean job offers will be accepted without scrutiny. IRCC says officers will continue to assess whether offers are genuine and meet program requirements, while retaining measures to address fraud and misrepresentation.
The change could simplify part of the process for eligible candidates and employers, but a job offer alone will not guarantee permanent residency. Invitations will continue to depend on CRS scores and the criteria applied in each invitation round.
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What Indian applicants should do before November 3
Candidates who already have profiles in the Express Entry pool will have their CRS scores recalculated automatically under the new system. The process could take up to two weeks, during which IRCC will pause invitation rounds.
However, candidates seeking points for a qualifying job offer must ensure that the required information is included and accurate in their Express Entry profiles before November 3. Applicants should also verify their occupation’s eligibility rather than assuming that a high personal salary qualifies them for the new points.
The changes may alter the relative ranking of candidates in the pool, including Indian professionals already working in Canada. But the effect will depend on each candidate’s work history, occupation, job offer and overall CRS score.
Express Entry manages applications for several of Canada’s main economic immigration pathways, including the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, Canadian Experience Class and part of the Provincial Nominee Program. The new points framework changes how candidates are ranked; it does not guarantee an invitation or approval for permanent residence.