November 3, 2026: Express Entry Adds High-Wage CRS Points and Drops LMIA Requirement
IRCC has published the final rules for the next Express Entry scoring change. On pages last modified October 16, 2026, the department states that starting November 3, 2026, candidates can receive points under a new Labour Market Integration factor for either eligible Canadian work experience or a qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation. An LMIA will no longer be required for a qualifying job offer to earn those points or to meet job-offer eligibility under the Federal Skilled Worker Program and Federal Skilled Trades Program.
The change that matters is the effective date of the points calculation, not the date you created your profile. Existing profiles will be recalculated automatically. Invitation rounds will pause while that happens, which IRCC says can take up to two weeks.
How the new points work
You receive points for either Canadian work experience (including any high-wage bonus) or a qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation, whichever gives the higher score. You cannot add both.
A high-wage occupation is one whose median wage is at least 1.3 times the median wage of the overall Canadian workforce. The level is based on the occupation (NOC), not your personal salary. IRCC maintains the list on its website. The list currently uses 2023-2025 data.
Canadian work experience points
Duration points (already in the system) plus an additional high-wage amount:
| High-wage occupation level (at least 12 months) | Additional CRS points |
|---|---|
| At least 2 times the median wage | 70 |
| At least 1.5 times the median wage (if not eligible for 70) | 40 |
| At least 1.3 times the median wage (if not eligible for 40 or 70) | 20 |
Duration points without a spouse or common-law partner reach a maximum of 80 for five years or more. With a spouse or common-law partner the maximum is 70. Combined with the high-wage bonus, a candidate without a spouse can reach 150 points under this factor. With a spouse the combined maximum is 140.
Qualifying job offer points
| High-wage occupation level | CRS points |
|---|---|
| At least 2 times the median wage | 100 |
| At least 1.5 times the median wage | 70 |
| At least 1.3 times the median wage | 50 |
A qualifying job offer must generally be full-time and continuous in Canada for at least one year after you become a permanent resident. Officers will still assess whether the offer is genuine.
What you need to do before November 3
If you have a qualifying job offer and want the points, update your Express Entry profile with the required job-offer information before November 3, 2026. Canadian work experience points will be applied automatically from what is already in the system. Job-offer points will not appear unless the offer is recorded in the profile.
An LMIA is no longer required for the offer to qualify for points or for Federal Skilled Worker / Federal Skilled Trades job-offer eligibility. A temporary public policy exempts candidates invited on or after November 3, 2026, from LMIA and LMIA-exemption requirements for those purposes, provided they meet the policy conditions. Having an LMIA does not give extra points or priority.
What this means for your file
Candidates already working in Canada in occupations that appear on the high-wage list can see a meaningful score increase without a new job offer. Candidates with a genuine offer in a high-wage occupation can claim up to 100 points once the offer is in the profile. Both paths still require the rest of the CRS factors (age, education, language, etc.) and a CRS high enough for an invitation in a given round.
The list of high-wage occupations can change. If the list is updated after you receive an Invitation to Apply, IRCC will use the level that applied on the date of the invitation.
This update does not change category-based draws, provincial nomination points, or the core eligibility rules for the three federal programs. It only changes how points are awarded under the new Labour Market Integration factor and how job offers are assessed for points and certain program eligibility.
We previously covered the department's earlier signal that job-offer points would return. That post remains useful for background. Use this one for the published tables and the November 3 effective date.
If you want a review of how the new points apply to your current Canadian work history or job offer, contact JSR Immigration & Legals through our consultation page or the Express Entry service page.
This article is general information current to October 17, 2026, and is not legal or immigration advice. Confirm the live rules and high-wage list on Canada.ca before you act.
Immigration & paralegal practitioner at JSR Immigration & Legals, helping newcomers and Ontario residents with their cases.
This post is general information about Canadian immigration and Ontario paralegal matters and is not legal advice. Rules change and every case is different — confirm current requirements for your own situation.