Canada’s Express Entry will reward high-wage jobs from 3 November: up to 100 points for a job offer, and no LMIA needed for it

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced on 16 October 2026 that it is changing Express Entry, the main route to permanent residence for skilled workers, to favour high-wage occupations. From 3 November 2026, candidates will get extra Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for Canadian work experience or a job offer in a high-wage occupation, and a qualifying job offer will no longer need a labour market impact assessment (LMIA). This matters for Indian graduates who are working in Canada on a post-graduation work permit and planning to stay.

What counts as high-wage

IRCC defines a high-wage occupation as one whose median wage is at least 1.3 times the median wage of the overall Canadian workforce. It will publish the list on its website, built from Job Bank, Labour Force Survey and Census data from the previous three years.

Extra points for Canadian work experience

Canadian work experience in high-wage occupations	Additional CRS points
At least 12 months in occupations at 2 times the median wage	70
At least 12 months combined at 1.5 times the median or above	40
At least 12 months combined across eligible high-wage occupations (1.3 times or above)	20

These come on top of the existing points for how long you have worked in Canada, which go up to 80 for five years, so a candidate can now get up to 150 points for Canadian work experience. The experience generally has to be in Canada within the previous 10 years, in an occupation in TEER category 0, 1, 2 or 3.

Points for a job offer

Qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation	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

• If you qualify through both work experience and a job offer, you get whichever gives more points. The two are not added together.
• The total for these labour market factors is capped at 150 points without an accompanying spouse or partner, and 140 with one.
• The job generally has to be full-time, continuous work in Canada for at least one year after you become a permanent resident.
• An IRCC officer still has to be satisfied the offer is genuine, and a revoked offer stops counting.
• Extra points do not guarantee an invitation. That still depends on each draw and its CRS cut-off.

What happens to people already in the pool

IRCC will recalculate every existing profile automatically under the new system, including the work experience points. But if you want points for a job offer, you must update your profile before 3 November. The recalculation may take up to two weeks, and invitation rounds will pause while it runs.

What to do now

1. If you are on a PGWP and already in the Express Entry pool, check whether your job’s occupation will be on IRCC’s high-wage list when it is published.
2. If you hold a job offer that could qualify, update your Express Entry profile before 3 November.
3. Expect a gap of up to two weeks in draws after 3 November, and plan any permit renewals with that in mind.
4. If you are still choosing a course in Canada, weigh what jobs it leads to: under these rules, the wage level of your first Canadian job now counts directly towards permanent residence.

Weighing other countries? Read our guide to study abroad scholarships for 2027-28.

CareerBox News Desk, reporting on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s news release “Canada refocusing Express Entry on top talent that drives economic growth” and its backgrounder “Changes to Express Entry for high-wage occupations”, both of 16 October 2026. Official portal: canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2026/10/changes-to-express-entry-for-high-wage-occupations.html. Dates and eligibility change; confirm them on the official portal before you act.