Express Entry: new points for high-wage occupations starting November 3, 2026

On October 16, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced a significant change to how Express Entry candidates are scored. Starting November 3, 2026, Canadian work experience or a job offer in a high-wage occupation can earn you additional points, and a job offer will no longer need a labour market impact assessment (LMIA) to count. Temporary workers in Canada, graduates working here and candidates holding a job offer without an LMIA are the most likely to be affected. IRCC is asking candidates to update their profile before November 3.

What changes on November 3

A new factor tied to labour market integration is being added. Points under this factor come from either your Canadian work experience or a qualifying job offer. They are not combined: IRCC uses whichever option gives you more points.

• Up to 150 points if you do not have an accompanying spouse or common-law partner
• Up to 140 points if your spouse or partner is accompanying you

Profiles will be recalculated once the change takes effect, which could take up to two weeks. No invitation rounds will be held during that time, and no date has been announced for their return. It is not possible to predict how cut-off scores will move. As IRCC points out, more points do not guarantee an invitation: each round still has its own requirements and minimum score.

Note that this change applies only to the Express Entry points system. It should not be confused with the rules of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

How an occupation is classified as high-wage

An occupation is high-wage when its national median wage is at least 1.3 times the average of median wages across the Canadian workforce. Classification is done by National Occupational Classification (NOC) code. It does not depend on your specific job or on your own salary.

The list in effect on November 3, 2026, is based on 2023 to 2025 data and has three levels. Mining engineers (21330), family physicians (31102) and nurse practitioners (31302), for example, are at the top level, while aircraft mechanics (72404) and crane operators (72500) appear at other levels. If the list changes after you receive an invitation to apply (ITA), IRCC keeps the level in effect on the date of your invitation.

Canadian work experience

Points for years of Canadian experience stay the same: from 40 points for one year to 80 points for five years or more without a spouse (35 to 70 with a spouse). The high-wage bonus is added if you have:

• at least 12 months, or 1,560 hours, of experience in a high-wage occupation;
• gained that experience in Canada, generally within the last 10 years, in a TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupation.

Your experience can be continuous or not, full-time or equivalent part-time, and spread across several eligible jobs. If you held more than one job at the same time, IRCC counts no more than the equivalent of full-time work (30 hours per week). Special rules apply to certain physicians. Skill transferability factors are unchanged and do not take high-wage points into account.

Job offers no longer need an LMIA

IRCC describes this as a return of points for job offers. As of November 3, 2026, an LMIA is no longer required for an offer to count, whether for eligibility or for points, and holding one brings neither extra points nor priority. The offer can be for an existing or new position, with your current employer or a new one. It must generally be for full-time, continuous work in Canada for at least one year after you become a permanent resident. Special rules apply to skilled trades and physicians.

For the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program and some Provincial Nominee Program streams, an offer used for eligibility can be in an occupation that is not high-wage. Such an offer can make you eligible without giving you any points. A temporary public policy also exempts candidates invited on or after November 3, 2026, from LMIA requirements for offers used for eligibility under these two federal programs; its exact conditions remain to be confirmed.

An officer will assess whether the offer is genuine: that the employer is active, has a real need, can meet the terms offered and complies with employment and recruitment laws. The officer will also check that you are qualified and likely to accept the job. A revoked offer no longer counts, and a work permit, even an open one, is not a job offer.

What to do now

• Before November 3: add or correct any job offer in your profile, including the start date, employer and address, NOC code and LMIA number if you have one.
• Check the NOC code of your experience and of your offer against the list of high-wage occupations.
• Count your hours to confirm you have at least 1,560.
• Keep a recent written offer showing salary, deductions, duties and hours.
• If you are applying under one of the two federal programs above, keep your offer in your profile even if it gives you no points.
• Expect a pause in invitations of up to two weeks.
• Be wary of fraudulent job offers: IRCC will keep verifying offers and acting against fraud.

Because the online system will not immediately reflect the end of the LMIA requirement, IRCC has published temporary instructions for entering an offer without an LMIA in the Work history section. When these entries should be made remains to be clarified, so read IRCC's instructions carefully before changing your profile.

How these changes affect your score depends on your occupation, experience and offer. Our regulated consultants can assess your situation and help you update your profile.