Express Entry Changes 3 November 2026
— 150 CRS Points, Job Offer Points Return, No LMIA

Last updated 17 October 2026

If you're working toward Canadian permanent residence, keep 3 November 2026 in mind. On 16 October, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced changes to how Express Entry CRS points are calculated. Canadian experience in a high-wage occupation earns extra points, job offer points return, and job offer points no longer require an LMIA.

Job offer points were removed in March 2025 and are coming back about 20 months later. If you're already in the Express Entry pool and have a high-wage job offer, you need to update your profile before 3 November to receive job offer points.

High-wage status comes from your NOC, not your salary

Whether an occupation counts as high-wage depends on its NOC code, not on what you earn. IRCC looks at the median wage of everyone in Canada working under the same NOC and compares it with the average across the whole workforce.

"It is not determined based on a person's specific job position or salary."

A high salary earns nothing if your NOC isn't on the list, and a below-average salary costs nothing if it is. There are three levels.

IRCC builds the list from Job Bank, the Labour Force Survey and the Census of Population, using the last three years of data. The current list uses 2023–2025 data, and each occupation gets the highest level it reached in any of those years. It covers NOC TEER 0–3 occupations.

Your NOC is set by the work you actually do, not your job title. Choose it from your title and the whole calculation can be off from the start.

All 186 high-wage occupations, searchable by NOC

As of 3 November 2026 there are 186 high-wage occupations: 31 at Level 1, 89 at Level 2 and 66 at Level 3.

Here are the examples IRCC published.

Job offer points: up to 100

From 3 November, a qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation earns the points below. The amount is the same with or without a spouse.

The offer generally has to be for full-time work in Canada lasting at least one year after you become a permanent resident, and it must meet IRCC's job offer requirements. Different rules may apply to some skilled trades and to physicians providing publicly funded services. A signed contract doesn't lock in the points on its own: eligibility and genuineness are checked when you apply.

High-wage Canadian experience adds 20–70 points

Your existing points for length of Canadian experience don't change.

On top of those, 12 months (1,560 hours) or more of Canadian experience in a high-wage occupation adds the following.

The experience doesn't have to be continuous. Part-time work equal to full-time counts, and you can combine experience from several high-wage jobs. If you held two jobs at the same time, only 30 hours a week count. It generally has to be TEER 0–3 experience gained in Canada within the last 10 years.

Job offer and experience points don't add up

The new factor gives you only the higher of the experience route and the job offer route.

"You can only receive points for Canadian work experience or an eligible job offer, not both."

So if your experience route gives 110 and you also hold a Level 1 job offer (100), you get 110, not 210. IRCC applies the higher one automatically.

No LMIA needed, and how program eligibility differs

From 3 November, you don't need an LMIA to earn job offer points. Having one gives no extra points or priority. The offer can be from your current employer or a new one, for an existing or a new position, as long as it meets the requirements.

A temporary public policy also waives LMIA-related requirements for job offers used to meet FSWP or FSTP program eligibility. IRCC describes it as applying to candidates invited on or after 3 November who meet the policy's conditions.

Without the LMIA, the check moves to the permanent residence stage: an officer assesses whether the job offer is genuine.

A job offer can be used for two different things, and the rules differ.

An offer outside the high-wage list can still help you meet FSWP or FSTP eligibility, but it earns 0 CRS points. The FSTP also has its own occupation and experience requirements, so not every TEER 0–3 offer qualifies.

Entering a job offer without an LMIA (check the timing)

IRCC says that from 3 November its rules change but its online system won't yet. So even for a job offer that no longer needs an LMIA, it tells candidates to enter the following under Work history.

Selecting 'Yes' when you have no LMIA may look odd, but this is an interim step IRCC has published on its own website. What you do need to check is when it applies.

Checklist before 3 November, and the draw pause

□ Your NOC code matches the work you actually do (not your title)
□ Which level that NOC sits at → our lookup page
□ Months and hours of Canadian experience (concurrent jobs: 30 hrs/week max)
□ Want job offer points? → update the offer before 3 November
□ Offer without an LMIA? → check the timing and IRCC's latest guidance first
□ Canadian experience points recalculate automatically (nothing to do)
□ After 3 November, re-check your new score and program eligibility

→ Find your occupation in the high-wage NOC list

Experience points are recalculated automatically. Job offer points only count once you update your profile.

On 3 November, IRCC will recalculate every profile under the new rules, which could take up to two weeks. Invitation rounds pause during that time and restart once it's done. No exact restart date has been announced.

K2 Canada's analysis

A higher CRS score doesn't guarantee an invitation. Many candidates gain points at the same time, so the actual cut-off can vary depending on who is in the pool and the type of draw.

One year of Canadian experience doesn't automatically earn extra points either. It has to be qualifying experience in a designated high-wage NOC.

The high-wage list may change. If you receive an ITA, though, the occupation level that applied on your invitation date is kept. Nothing has been announced yet about how category-based draws will be affected.

Frequently asked questions

This article is general information based on IRCC material published as at 16 October 2026. It is not legal advice for any specific case. Legislation, public policies and online entry instructions can change, and no outcome is guaranteed. Always check IRCC's official announcements before applying.