IRCC invited 792 provincial nominees to apply for permanent residence on October 26, 2026. The lowest-ranked candidate invited had 761 points under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), the points system IRCC uses to rank Express Entry candidates. On November 3, a new Labour Market Integration factor changes how Canadian work experience and job offers are scored, and IRCC will pause invitations for up to two weeks while it recalculates existing profiles. For candidates in the pool, the question now is how their own profile will score once that recalculation finishes.
Round #451 and the rounds around it
IRCC's rounds data records the October 26 round:
| Detail | Round #451 |
|---|---|
| Date | October 26, 2026 |
| Round type | Provincial Nominee Program |
| Invitations issued | 792 |
| CRS score of lowest-ranked candidate invited | 761 |
| Round | Date | Round type | Invitations | Lowest score invited |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #452 | October 27, 2026 | French-Language proficiency | 5,000 | 407 |
| #451 | October 26, 2026 | Provincial Nominee Program | 792 | 761 |
| #450 | October 16, 2026 | French-Language proficiency | 5,000 | 435 |
| #449 | October 15, 2026 | Canadian Experience Class | 2,500 | 519 |
| #448 | October 13, 2026 | Provincial Nominee Program | 752 | 772 |
| #447 | October 1, 2026 | Trades Occupations | 3,500 | 476 |
| #446 | September 29, 2026 | Canadian Experience Class | 2,000 | 518 |
| #445 | September 28, 2026 | Provincial Nominee Program | 733 | 725 |
The last three nominee rounds grew each time: 733, 752, then 792, a rise of 59 invitations in a month. Their cut-offs went from 725 to 772 to 761.
Subtracting the 600 nomination points shows what the lowest-ranked nominee earned from everything else: 161 points in round #451, against 172 on October 13 and 125 on September 28.
What the Labour Market Integration factor changes on November 3
IRCC's CRS criteria page confirms the start date and the pause. The full rules are on IRCC's 2026 changes page.
The factor compares two scores and keeps the higher one, to a maximum of 150 points.
| Score option | With a spouse or partner | Without a spouse or partner |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian work experience | 140 (70 work-length + 70 high-wage) | 150 (80 work-length + 70 high-wage) |
| Qualifying job offer | 100 | 100 |
Work-length points match today's points for Canadian work experience: 35/40 for one year, 46/53 for two, 56/64 for three, 63/72 for four and 70/80 for five or more (with/without a partner).
High-wage experience points are new and sit on top of work-length points. They require at least 12 months (or 1,560 hours) of qualifying Canadian experience in eligible high-wage occupations:
| Occupation's median wage compared with the average median wage | Points |
|---|---|
| At least twice | 70 |
| At least 1.5 times | 40 |
| At least 1.3 times | 20 |
| Less than 12 months in high-wage jobs | 0 |
The experience can be non-continuous, part-time adding up to the same total, or combined across jobs. When jobs overlap, hours count only up to 30 a week.
Job offer points return to the CRS. A valid offer is worth 100 points if the occupation pays at least twice the average median wage, 70 from 1.5 to under twice, 50 from 1.3 to under 1.5, and 0 if the job isn't on the high-wage list.
On LMIAs, the changes page says:
- an LMIA is no longer needed, and having one won't add points or give a profile priority
- offers can be for a new or existing position, with a new or existing employer
- an officer checks whether the offer is genuine when the permanent residence application is assessed
Skills transferability rules don't change.
Who will notice the recalculation, and who won't
- Canadian work experience in a high-wage occupation. Scores may rise by 20, 40 or 70 points. Whether a job counts depends on its National Occupational Classification (NOC) code, the federal job-coding system, not on the candidate's actual pay.
- Canadian experience outside the high-wage list. Work-length points stay; no high-wage points are added.
- A job offer, especially one without an LMIA. IRCC asks candidates to add the offer to their profile. Genuine offer without an LMIA only, check IRCC's page first.
- Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades applicants relying on a job offer for eligibility. That requirement doesn't change. An offer in any eligible TEER 0 to 3 job can still count toward eligibility even if it earns no CRS points.
- Provincial nominees. The 600 points aren't touched, but nominees face the same pause.
- No Canadian experience and no offer. The new factor adds nothing.
What to do before and during the pause
- Check your occupation. Look up your NOC code on the list of eligible high-wage jobs linked from IRCC's changes page, and note which of the three levels it falls in.
- Add a job offer that has no LMIA. The online system won't reflect the new rule at first, so IRCC tells candidates to enter it under "Work history" as follows:
- answer "Yes" to the positive LMIA question
- LMIA number: 00000
- issuance date: 2026-01-01
- expiry date: 2029-01-01
- Check your work history. Confirm dates and hours, keeping the 1,560-hour threshold and the 30-hour weekly cap for overlapping jobs in mind.
- Keep existing job offers in your profile if your program eligibility depends on one, as the CRS criteria page advises.
- Note the dates. The changes start November 3, and the recalculation could take up to two weeks. You can also compare your options on our Express Entry page.
An example: how three years of high-wage work could be scored
Illustration only: a candidate without a spouse has three years of Canadian experience, all in an occupation paying 1.5 times the average median wage.
- Work experience option: 64 work-length points + 40 high-wage points = 104.
- Job offer option: an offer at the same wage level would score 70.
- Result: IRCC uses the higher figure, 104. The two aren't added together.
Today, three years of Canadian work earns that candidate 64 points, so that part of the score goes from 64 to 104, a gain of 40.
The occupation makes the difference:
- At twice the average, the work option would be 64 + 70 = 134, beating a 100-point offer: a gain of 70.
- Off the list entirely, the score would stay at 64.
Where a real profile ends up overall depends on every other CRS factor.
Common questions
When do the new Express Entry points rules start?
November 3, 2026, when the Labour Market Integration factor takes effect and the LMIA requirement for job offers ends.
Will Express Entry draws stop in November 2026?
IRCC will pause invitation rounds while it recalculates existing profiles, which could take up to two weeks, and restart once that is complete. No restart date has been published.
Do I still need an LMIA for an Express Entry job offer?
Not from November 3. An LMIA won't add points or give priority, and an officer still checks the offer is genuine at the permanent residence stage.
What counts as a high-wage occupation?
One where the median wage of everyone in Canada working in that NOC code is at least 1.3 times the average median wage. Occupations are grouped into three levels: at least 1.3, 1.5 or 2 times the average.
Does a provincial nomination still add 600 points?
Yes. An accepted nomination adds 600 points, the maximum for additional points, and it can only be awarded once.
If you'd like your profile reviewed before the recalculation finishes, book a session with one of our RCICs.