Express Entry Changes on November 3, 2026: What the New CRS Points Mean
By Deepika Minhas, Class L3 RCIC-IRB (CICC licence R706527) · Published October 27, 2026 · Last reviewed October 27, 2026
Quick answer: From November 3, 2026, IRCC adds a new Labour Market Integration factor to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). You get points for either your Canadian work experience (up to 150 points, or 140 with a spouse or partner) or a qualifying job offer (up to 100 points), whichever gives you more. Twelve months or more in eligible high-wage occupations earns extra points, and job offers no longer need an LMIA. Invitation rounds pause for up to two weeks while profiles are recalculated.
Check your new score: use our CRS calculator for the November 3, 2026 rules, including high-wage occupation and job offer points.
Every profile is different, so read the rules below with your own occupation, experience and family situation in mind, and check IRCC’s page before you act. For help with your application, see our Express Entry and permanent residence service.
What is changing in Express Entry on November 3, 2026?
IRCC is introducing a Labour Market Integration (LMI) factor. Under it, you receive points for either your Canadian work experience or a qualifying job offer, not both. The system uses whichever gives you more points. The maximum is 150 points if you don’t have a spouse or common-law partner coming with you, and 140 if you do.
How will Canadian work experience points work?
Points for the length of your Canadian work experience stay the same as today, and the eligibility rules don’t change:
| Canadian work experience | With spouse/partner | Without spouse/partner |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
What’s new are high-wage occupation points, added on top. You need at least 12 months (1,560 hours) of qualifying Canadian experience in eligible high-wage occupations. The experience doesn’t have to be continuous, part-time hours count towards the full-time equivalent, and it can be combined across eligible jobs:
- 70 points: 12+ months in occupations whose median wage is at least 2 times the average median wage
- 40 points: at least 1.5 times the average
- 20 points: at least 1.3 times the average
Skills transferability points don’t change.
What counts as a high-wage occupation?
IRCC calls an occupation “high-wage” if the median wage of everyone in Canada in that job is at least 1.3 times the median wage of the whole Canadian workforce. It’s based on your National Occupational Classification (NOC) group, not on what your own employer pays you. IRCC publishes the list of eligible occupations on its changes page.
Are job offer points back, and do I still need an LMIA?
Yes, job offer points return for job offers in eligible high-wage occupations, up to 100 points. IRCC’s page shows the points by wage tier (100 at 2 times the average median wage or more, 70 at 1.5 to under 2 times, 50 at 1.3 to under 1.5 times); check the page for the current figures before relying on them.
From November 3, 2026, an LMIA is not required for a job offer to count for program eligibility or CRS points, and having an LMIA doesn’t add points or give priority. The offer can be for an existing or new position, with an existing or new employer. An officer still checks whether the offer is genuine.
For the Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades programs, a job offer in any eligible TEER 0 to 3 job can still make you eligible for the program, even if it earns no CRS job offer points because the occupation isn’t high-wage.
I have a job offer but no LMIA. What do I do with my profile?
IRCC says its online system doesn’t yet reflect the new rules, and candidates who want job offer points should update their profile before November 3. If your profile includes a job offer without an LMIA, IRCC’s page tells you exactly what to enter under “Work history”. Follow IRCC’s instructions precisely, and don’t enter anything you can’t support with documents.
Will Express Entry draws stop?
For a short time. IRCC will recalculate points in existing profiles when the changes take effect, which “could take up to two weeks”, and invitation rounds are paused during that period. They resume once recalculation is complete.
What does this mean for workers in Surrey and BC?
If you already work in Canada, your score may go up, stay the same or change little, depending on your NOC group and how long you’ve worked in it. If you have a job offer from a BC employer, check whether the occupation is on IRCC’s high-wage list before assuming you’ll receive points. Provincial nominee programs, including BC PNP, have their own separate rules.
How can UW Immigration help?
Deepika Minhas is a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (Class L3 RCIC-IRB, licence R706527) in Surrey, BC, and works in English, Punjabi and Hindi. In a paid consultation she can review your Express Entry profile against the new rules, explain your options and help you prepare documents. IRCC alone decides invitations, eligibility and processing, so no outcome can be guaranteed.
Next step: Request a consultation or call (778) 389-1920.
FAQ
Do I need a job offer for Express Entry?
No. A job offer isn’t required for Express Entry. From November 3, 2026 it can add CRS points if it is in an eligible high-wage occupation.
Can I get points for both Canadian work experience and a job offer?
No. Under the new factor you get points for one or the other, whichever is higher.
Does my employer need an LMIA for my job offer to count?
Not from November 3, 2026. An LMIA is no longer required, and having one doesn’t add points.
Is my job high-wage because my salary is high?
Not necessarily. IRCC uses the national median wage for your NOC group, not your personal salary.
Sources
- IRCC, 2026 changes to points for Canadian work experience and job offers (checked on October 27, 2026)
- IRCC news release, October 16, 2026
General information only, not legal advice. Reflects IRCC’s published rules as of October 27, 2026; rules can change, so check canada.ca. Written and reviewed by Deepika Minhas, Class L3 RCIC-IRB, College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants licence R706527. United World Immigration Services Inc., Surrey, BC.