On November 3, 2026, Express Entry starts awarding extra Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for Canadian work experience or a qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation, and a qualifying job offer will no longer need a labour market impact assessment (LMIA). IRCC published the full points tables and the list of high-wage occupations on October 16, 2026, in its backgrounder on changes to Express Entry for high-wage occupations, the news release announcing them and its page on the 2026 changes to points for Canadian work experience and job offers. Here is what they say, and what candidates already in the pool need to do before November 3.
| What changes on November 3, 2026 | Details |
|---|---|
| Extra points for Canadian work experience in a high-wage occupation | 20, 40 or 70 points, on top of the existing points for the length of Canadian work experience |
| Points for a qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation | 50, 70 or 100 points |
| Maximum under this part of the score | 150 points without an accompanying spouse or common-law partner, 140 with one |
| LMIA for a qualifying job offer | No longer required |
| Profiles already in the pool | Recalculated automatically; job offer details must be added before November 3 |
What counts as a high-wage occupation
IRCC's definition is about the occupation, not your pay slip. For Express Entry, an occupation is high-wage when the median wage of everyone in Canada working in it is at least 1.3 times the average median wage of the overall Canadian workforce. In IRCC's words, this "is based on the typical earnings of an occupation, not an individual candidate's previous or current salary."
There are three levels: occupations whose median wage is at least 2 times the average median wage, at least 1.5 times, and at least 1.3 times. The list of high-wage occupations is already published and takes effect on November 3, 2026. It names 186 occupations by NOC code: 31 at the 2 times level, 89 at 1.5 times and 66 at 1.3 times. It is built from Job Bank, Labour Force Survey and Census of Population wage data, currently 2023 to 2025, and each occupation gets the highest level it reached in those years. If the list changes after you are invited to apply, IRCC keeps using the level that applied on the date you were invited.
IRCC names health care, skilled trades, engineering, technology and education as fields with eligible occupations, and mentions engineers and electricians specifically. Check the exact NOC code, though: industrial electricians (72201) and power system electricians (72202) are on the list, but electricians in NOC 72200 are not. Several other common occupations aren't on it either, including plumbers (72300), carpenters (72310), welders (72106), cooks (63200), chefs (62200), transport truck drivers (73300) and licensed practical nurses (32101).
So what counts is the occupation's typical pay, not your own salary: two people earning very different amounts in the same occupation are treated the same way.
Points for Canadian work experience in a high-wage occupation
Candidates with at least one year of eligible Canadian work experience in a high-wage occupation can receive additional points based on the occupation's wage level:
| Canadian work experience | Additional CRS points |
|---|---|
| At least 12 months in one or more occupations at the 2 times level | 70 |
| If not eligible for 70, at least 12 months combined in occupations at the 1.5 times level or above | 40 |
| If not eligible for 40 or 70, at least 12 months combined in any listed high-wage occupations (1.3 times or above) | 20 |
Twelve months means 1,560 hours. The work can be continuous or not, full-time or an equal amount of part-time, and combined across more than one listed job. If you worked two jobs at the same time, hours count only up to 30 a week.
These points sit on top of the points you already get for the length of your Canadian work experience, which go up to 80 points for 5 years. Together, Canadian work experience in a high-wage occupation can earn up to 150 points.
If your Canadian experience isn't in a high-wage occupation, nothing is taken away: you keep receiving points for its length, as before. The skill transferability points that use Canadian work experience don't change either; they still count its length, with no high-wage test.
Eligible Canadian work experience generally has to have been gained in Canada within the previous 10 years, in an occupation in TEER category 0, 1, 2 or 3 of the National Occupational Classification. IRCC notes that specific provisions also apply to certain physicians providing publicly funded medical services.
Points for a qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation
| Job offer in an occupation at | CRS points |
|---|---|
| The 2 times level | 100 |
| The 1.5 times level | 70 |
| The 1.3 times level | 50 |
| An occupation not on the list | 0 |
A qualifying job offer must generally be for full-time, continuous work in Canada for at least one year after the candidate becomes a permanent resident. Specific requirements apply to certain occupations, including skilled trades and physicians providing publicly funded medical services.
Experience or a job offer, not both
If you qualify under both, IRCC gives you whichever option is worth more. The points for Canadian work experience and for a job offer are not added together. The overall maximum for this part of the score, which IRCC calls the labour market integration factor, is 150 points for a candidate without an accompanying spouse or common-law partner and 140 points for a candidate with one.
IRCC is also clear that extra points are not an invitation: "Receiving additional CRS points does not guarantee an invitation to apply. Invitations will continue to depend on the requirements and CRS cut-off score for each invitation round."
No LMIA for a qualifying job offer
From November 3, 2026, a qualifying job offer doesn't need an LMIA to earn the new points, or to meet the job offer requirements of the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. Having an LMIA won't give you more points or give your profile priority, and the offer can be for a new or existing position, with a new or existing employer. A separate temporary public policy will also exempt candidates invited to apply on or after November 3, 2026, from all LMIA and LMIA-exemption requirements for a qualifying job offer used to establish eligibility under the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Federal Skilled Trades Program, as long as they meet the policy's conditions.
Points and program eligibility are judged separately. A job offer used to meet program requirements doesn't have to be in a high-wage occupation: for the Federal Skilled Worker Program it can be in any eligible TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 job, and for the Federal Skilled Trades Program it must be in one of that program's eligible trades. So an offer can help you qualify for a program and still earn no CRS points.
Dropping the LMIA doesn't mean job offers go unchecked. Every qualifying offer is still assessed by an officer when you apply for permanent residence, and the officer must decide that the offer is genuine, including whether:
- the employer is actively engaged in the business the offer is for;
- the offer reflects the employer's reasonable employment needs;
- the employer can reasonably meet the terms of the offer;
- the candidate is qualified and able to do the work, and is likely to accept and carry it out;
- the employer has followed federal and provincial employment and recruitment laws.
An offer that is revoked no longer qualifies. IRCC says it will keep verifying job offers and acting on fraud and misrepresentation, and that limiting job offer points to high-wage occupations helps, because many of these occupations need skills, experience or qualifications that can be checked during the application.
Our own advice: if anyone offers to sell you a job offer for these points, walk away.
If you're already in the Express Entry pool
- Scores are recalculated automatically. IRCC will recalculate the CRS score of every candidate in the pool under the new system, including the new points for eligible Canadian work experience.
- Job offer points need you to act before November 3. To receive points for a qualifying job offer, you must update your profile with the required job offer information before November 3, and IRCC asks candidates to check that it's complete and accurate.
- Expect a pause in invitations. The recalculation may take up to two weeks, and invitation rounds will be paused while it runs.
IRCC also explains that, as of November 3, its online profile won't yet reflect the new rule, so a candidate with an offer that has no LMIA will still be asked to say that a positive LMIA was issued. Its instructions are to answer "Yes", with LMIA number 00000, issuance date 2026-01-01 and expiry date 2029-01-01, under "Work history". Because these instructions apply from November 3, while job offers are to be added before that date, we recommend getting advice before entering an offer without an LMIA.
Practical checks worth doing now: confirm that the occupation codes in your profile match the work you actually did, that the dates and hours of your Canadian work experience are accurate, and, if you have an offer, that its details are entered in full.
Why IRCC is doing this
Express Entry manages applications for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, the Canadian Experience Class and part of the Provincial Nominee Program, so these points affect candidates in all of them. The news release presents the change as part of aligning Express Entry with Canada's labour market. It follows the dedicated Express Entry category for doctors with Canadian work experience announced in December 2025, and the new and renewed categories announced in February 2026 for health care, skilled trades, research, transportation and education. Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab said the changes will help Canada "identify, attract and retain the skilled newcomers who are best positioned to succeed in Canada."
What this means for your profile
Whether your Canadian work experience counts as eligible, which high-wage level your occupation sits at, and whether your job offer would be considered qualifying are questions about your own file, and the published list and your documents decide them. If you want a starting point, you can check your Express Entry eligibility here.
None of this is a verdict on any individual case. An RCIC can assess your specific situation against the new rules: book a consultation with our team and we'll go through your profile with you before November 3.