November 3, 2026: Express Entry Adds High-Wage Points and Drops LMIA for Job Offers
IRCC announced on October 16, 2026 that the Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System will change on November 3, 2026. Candidates with eligible Canadian work experience or a qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation will receive additional points under a new Labour Market Integration factor. At the same time, a labour market impact assessment (LMIA) will no longer be required for a qualifying job offer to earn those points or to meet job-offer rules under the Federal Skilled Worker Program and Federal Skilled Trades Program.
The official news release (modified October 16, 2026) and the changes page (modified October 16, 2026) set out the rules. Existing profiles will be recalculated automatically. Invitation rounds will pause for up to two weeks while that happens. Candidates who want job-offer points must update their profiles before November 3.
A high-wage occupation is one whose median wage is at least 1.3 times the median wage of the overall Canadian workforce. The measure uses typical earnings for the occupation under the National Occupational Classification, not your personal salary. IRCC groups these occupations into three levels and publishes the list on its site. The list is based on the previous three years of data from the Job Bank, Labour Force Survey, and Census of Population.
Points under the new factor
You receive points for either Canadian work experience or a qualifying job offer, not both. The maximum under the Labour Market Integration factor is 150 points without a spouse or common-law partner and 140 points with one.
Canadian work experience
Work-length points continue for eligible experience in TEER 0–3 occupations:
| Length of Canadian work experience | With spouse or common-law partner (max 70) | Without spouse or common-law partner (max 80) |
|---|---|---|
| None or less than 1 year | 0 | 0 |
| 1 year | 35 | 40 |
| 2 years | 46 | 53 |
| 3 years | 56 | 64 |
| 4 years | 63 | 72 |
| 5 years or more | 70 | 80 |
Additional high-wage points apply if you have at least 12 months (1,560 hours) of qualifying Canadian experience in an eligible high-wage occupation. Experience can be continuous or not, full-time or part-time. Hours from multiple jobs are capped at the full-time equivalent.
| Qualifying high-wage experience | Points |
|---|---|
| At least 12 months in occupations at least twice the median wage | 70 |
| At least 12 months combined in occupations at least 1.5 times the median (if not eligible for 70) | 40 |
| At least 12 months combined in occupations at least 1.3 times the median (if not eligible for 40 or 70) | 20 |
| Less than 12 months | 0 |
These high-wage points sit on top of the work-length points, up to the factor maximum.
Qualifying job offer
A qualifying job offer in an eligible high-wage occupation can earn:
| High-wage occupation level | Points |
|---|---|
| At least twice the median wage | 100 |
| At least 1.5 times but less than twice | 70 |
| At least 1.3 times but less than 1.5 times | 50 |
| Not a high-wage occupation | 0 |
IRCC will continue to assess whether the offer is genuine. Having an LMIA does not give extra points or priority.
LMIA no longer required
From November 3, 2026 an LMIA is not needed for a qualifying job offer to count for program eligibility or for these CRS points. Officers still check that the offer is real, that the employer can fill it, and that you are likely to accept it.
Because the online system has not yet fully updated, IRCC instructs candidates to answer the profile questions as follows when they have a job offer without an LMIA:
| Question or field | Response |
|---|---|
| Was a positive LMIA issued for the job offer in Canada? | Yes |
| LMIA Number | 00000 |
| LMIA Issuance Date | 2026-01-01 |
| LMIA Expiry Date | 2029-01-01 |
Confirm the current instructions on the official pages before you update.
What this means for you
If you already have Canadian work experience in a listed high-wage occupation, your CRS may rise without any action from you once recalculation finishes. Check the official high-wage list for your NOC.
If you have a qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation and want the points, update your profile with the required details before November 3. Do not wait for the system to change; follow the temporary dummy-LMIA instructions IRCC published.
Invitation rounds will pause while scores are recalculated. Plan around that window. The change does not alter category-based selection categories that already exist, language requirements, or other CRS factors.
This update is separate from earlier 2026 Express Entry category announcements. Existing posts on draws, category lists, and general CRS structure do not cover the November 3 Labour Market Integration factor or the LMIA removal.
If you are in the Express Entry pool, preparing a job-offer update, or assessing whether your Canadian experience will score under the new factor, contact JSR Immigration & Legals through our consultation page or the Express Entry service page.
This article is general information current to October 18, 2026, and is not legal or immigration advice. Confirm the live rules, tables, 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.