Coming 3 November: Express Entry to add high-wage points and drop LMIA for job offers

Express Entry high-wage points are coming on Tuesday 3 November 2026. Announced on 16 October 2026, the change means Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will add Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for Canadian work experience and job offers in high-wage occupations, and drop the labour market impact assessment (LMIA) requirement for qualifying job offers.

If you are in the Express Entry pool, working in Canada on a temporary permit, or holding a Canadian job offer, you have until 3 November to check your profile.

What is changing on 3 November?

According to IRCC, “a job is considered a high-wage occupation if the median wage of all people in Canada performing that job is at least 1.3 times higher than the average median wage of the overall Canadian work force.” This is based on everyone in Canada working under the same National Occupational Classification (NOC) code, and “it is not determined based on a person’s specific job position or salary.” Points rise with the occupation’s level:

• Job offer in an occupation whose median wage is at least twice the average median wage: 100 points.
• Job offer in an occupation at 1.5 times, but less than twice, the average median wage: 70 points.
• Job offer in an occupation at 1.3 times, but less than 1.5 times, the average median wage: 50 points.

For at least 12 months of eligible Canadian work experience in high-wage occupations, IRCC adds 70, 40 or 20 points at the same three occupation levels. These sit on top of the existing points for length of Canadian experience, up to 80 for five years, so the combined total can reach 150.

The caps

Candidates get whichever option is worth more, work experience or a job offer, not both. The maximum is 150 points without an accompanying spouse or partner, and 140 with one. IRCC says extra points do not guarantee an invitation to apply.

No LMIA for qualifying job offers

From 3 November, a qualifying job offer will not need an LMIA to earn the new points. A temporary public policy will also exempt candidates invited on or after that date from LMIA requirements when the job offer is used to qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker or Federal Skilled Trades programmes. The offer must generally be full time and continuous for at least a year after you become a permanent resident, and an officer must be satisfied it is genuine.

What to do before 3 November

• Update your Express Entry profile. IRCC asks candidates who may qualify for job offer points to check that all job offer details are complete and accurate.
• Check your NOC code against IRCC’s Express Entry high-wage occupations list, which comes into effect on 3 November 2026. Your own salary does not decide the level; your occupation’s NOC code does.
• Expect a pause. CBC News reported that IRCC may take up to two weeks to recalculate scores, and invitation rounds will be paused during that time.
• Be wary of job offer sellers. IRCC says it will check offers for fraud, and a revoked offer no longer counts.

Who gains most?

Skilled workers already in Canada in occupations on IRCC’s high-wage list, and candidates abroad with strong job offers who previously needed an LMIA. Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab announced the change on Friday 16 October 2026, building on earlier category draws for healthcare, trades, transport and research.

Sources

• IRCC backgrounder: Changes to Express Entry for high-wage occupations
• IRCC: High-wage occupations and how we assess them
• CBC News / The Canadian Press: Ottawa adding express entry points for permanent resident applicants in ‘high-wage’ jobs (16 October 2026)

Sources last checked: Tuesday 20 October 2026.

Featured image: new citizens take the oath at a citizenship ceremony in Hamilton, Ontario, on Friday 14 June 2019 (archive photo). Photo by Joey Coleman, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons, cropped.