Canada has made one of the biggest changes to Express Entry in years. From 3 November 2026, candidates working in, or offered jobs in, high-wage occupations can earn extra CRS points, and a qualifying job offer no longer needs an LMIA. Here’s what this means for Indian applicants and what to do next.
What is a “high-wage occupation”?
IRCC defines a high-wage occupation as one with a median wage of at least 1.3 times the median wage of the overall Canadian workforce. IRCC publishes and maintains the list using Job Bank, Labour Force Survey and Census data. Typical fields include engineering, technology, health care, skilled trades and education.
New CRS points: qualifying job offer
| Job offer wage level | CRS points |
|---|---|
| At least 2× the median wage | 100 |
| At least 1.5× the median wage | 70 |
| At least 1.3× the median wage | 50 |
The job offer must generally be full-time, continuous work in Canada for at least one year after you become a permanent resident, and IRCC officers must find it genuine.
New CRS points: Canadian work experience
| At least 12 months in high-wage occupations at… | Extra CRS points |
|---|---|
| 2× the median wage | 70 |
| 1.5× the median wage or above | 40 |
| 1.3× the median wage or above | 20 |
These points come on top of the normal points for years of Canadian work experience. Canadian work experience can now be worth up to 150 points in total. If you qualify for both the job-offer points and the work-experience points, you receive whichever gives more points. The two are not added together.
No LMIA required
From 3 November 2026, a qualifying job offer does not need a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to earn the new points. A temporary public policy also removes the LMIA requirement for job offers used to qualify under the Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades programs for candidates invited on or after this date. Employers should still be ready to prove the offer is genuine.
Who benefits most?
- Indian workers already in Canada on a work permit or PGWP who are working in IT, engineering, health care or the skilled trades.
- Candidates holding a genuine, well-paid job offer from a Canadian employer.
- Skilled tradespeople who previously could not get an LMIA-supported offer.
What you should do now
- Check your occupation against IRCC’s published list of high-wage occupations.
- Update your Express Entry profile with accurate job offer and wage details.
- Keep your documents ready: experience letters, pay slips and a detailed job offer letter.
- Watch the draws. Scores in the pool are being recalculated, and invitation rounds may pause for up to two weeks.
- Remember that points are not a guarantee. You still need to meet the cut-off for each draw.
Beware of fake job offers
Since a job offer can now be worth up to 100 points, expect more people selling “jobs” for money. IRCC checks that offers are genuine and has anti-fraud measures in place. Never pay anyone for a Canadian job offer. A fraudulent offer can lead to refusal and a ban.
How BIC can help
Best Immigration Consultant (BIC) is a Punjab Government-licensed, ISO-certified immigration consultancy with offices in Jalandhar and Ludhiana. We can recalculate your CRS score under the new rules, review your job offer and documents, and plan your Canada PR strategy, including refusal cases.
📞 96-96-631-631 | 🌐 bestimmigration.in
Source: IRCC news release and backgrounder, 16 October 2026 (canada.ca). Information is current as of 3 November 2026 and may change. Always check official IRCC pages before applying.