Canada Brings Back Job Offer Points in Express Entry, but Only for High-Wage Jobs

Key Takeaways: From 3 November 2026, a job offer in a high-wage occupation earns up to 100 Express Entry points again, after being worth nothing since March 2025.

• From 3 November 2026, a job offer in a high-wage occupation earns up to 100 Express Entry points. Job offers have been worth nothing since March 2025.
• What counts is the occupation, not the salary on the offer. IRCC has listed 186 occupations across three tiers, from doctors and lawyers to accountants and electricians.
• Qualifying offers don't need a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), the slowest and most expensive step for employers.
• A job offer is still optional. It's a boost, not a requirement to enter the Express Entry pool.
• Invitations pause for up to two weeks from 3 November while every profile is recalculated.

For 18 months, a job offer was worth nothing in Express Entry. In March 2025, Canada removed the points it used to give for arranged employment (50 for most offers, 200 for senior managers) after concerns that some offers were being bought and sold.

On 16 October 2026, Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab brought job offers back. But only some of them.

What changes on 3 November

Express Entry's ranking system gets a new factor that rewards high-wage work. Candidates can earn points in one of two ways, and get whichever is higher. They don't stack.

Occupation's median wage	With a qualifying job offer	With 12 months' Canadian experience
At least 2× the national median	100 points	+70 bonus points
At least 1.5×	70 points	+40 bonus points
At least 1.3×	50 points	+20 bonus points

Job offers. The offer generally has to be for full-time, continuous work in Canada for at least a year after the candidate becomes a permanent resident.

Canadian experience. The bonus points sit on top of the existing points for time worked in Canada (up to 80 for five years). The experience must be in a skilled occupation (NOC TEER 0 to 3), gained in Canada within the last 10 years. The combined factor is capped at 150 points, or 140 with an accompanying spouse or partner.

What counts as "high wage"

IRCC doesn't use a dollar figure, and it doesn't look at the salary on an offer. An occupation qualifies if its median wage across Canada is at least 1.3 times the average median wage of the whole Canadian workforce.

Each occupation's tier is based on the highest level its median wage reached over the past three years, using Job Bank, the Labour Force Survey and the Census. The current list uses 2023 to 2025 data.

That means two people on the same salary can earn different points. A well-paid candidate in an occupation below 1.3× earns no new points, however high their own pay.

Which jobs are on the list

IRCC has published the full list of qualifying occupations by NOC code: 186 in total, with 31 at 2×, 89 at 1.5× and 66 at 1.3×.

Examples from each tier:

• 100 points (2×): family physicians and specialists, lawyers, financial managers, computer and information systems managers, engineering managers, nurse practitioners, university professors.
• 70 points (1.5×): software engineers and developers, data scientists, cybersecurity specialists, registered nurses, civil and mechanical engineers, pharmacists, elementary and secondary school teachers, pilots.
• 50 points (1.3×): accountants, financial analysts, architects, web developers, social workers, industrial electricians, heavy-duty equipment mechanics, medical laboratory technologists.

Some results are less obvious. Human resources managers sit in the top tier, while human resources professionals sit in the lowest. Industrial electricians are on the list; construction electricians aren't.

If a candidate is invited, their tier is locked in at the date of the invitation, even if the list changes later.

No LMIA needed

This is the biggest change for employers. Until now, a job offer for the Federal Skilled Worker or Federal Skilled Trades programs usually needed an LMIA: a government check, often slow and costly, proving no Canadian could fill the role.

From 3 November, a qualifying high-wage offer doesn't need one. A temporary public policy exempts candidates invited on or after that date. Officers still check that the offer is genuine: that the employer is actively operating, can meet the terms of the offer, and follows employment and recruitment law. A withdrawn offer stops counting.

A job offer is still optional

Express Entry has never required a job offer. Candidates enter the pool and are ranked on age, education, language, work experience and other factors, and the highest-ranked are invited to apply for permanent residence.

The new points are an extra boost for candidates in high-wage occupations. Candidates without a job offer stay in the pool and are ranked as before.

Do you need a job offer at all? Read our explainer →

What happens next

• Before 3 November: candidates with a job offer are encouraged to make sure the offer details in their Express Entry profile are complete.
• From 3 November: IRCC pauses all invitation rounds for up to two weeks while it recalculates the points of everyone in the pool.
• November (date to be confirmed): Canada's 2027-2029 immigration levels plan, which sets how many permanent residents each program can admit. The minister has said it will arrive "in November as it's scheduled".

The last draws before the change

• 15 October: 2,500 invitations for the Canadian Experience Class, with a cut-off of 519 points.
• 16 October: 5,000 invitations for French-language proficiency, with a cut-off of 435 points.

The 84-point gap shows how much category draws matter. French speakers continue to be invited at far lower cut-offs than other groups.

Who benefits

Workers already in Canada in well-paid skilled jobs. A year in a listed occupation adds 20 to 70 points, with no employer paperwork.

Candidates abroad with a high-wage offer. Up to 100 points, and no LMIA.

Employers hiring senior and specialist talent. No LMIA cost or delay for listed roles.

Who it doesn't help: candidates in occupations below 1.3× the median, whatever their own salary.

What hasn't changed

• More points don't guarantee an invitation. Each draw still sets its own cut-off.
• The three Express Entry programs stay separate. IRCC has consulted on merging them, but this announcement doesn't do that. Industry reporting expects a wider reform package between April and October 2027.
• Category-based draws continue, including for French speakers, healthcare, trades, and the physician, researcher and senior manager categories added in February 2026.

What this means for you

Working in Canada in a skilled role? IRCC's high-wage list shows which occupations qualify and at which tier. The experience points are added automatically after 12 months in a listed occupation.

Holding or negotiating a Canadian job offer? The occupation's tier decides the points, not the salary.

Hiring for Canada? For roles on the list, an LMIA may no longer be needed for a candidate's Express Entry application.

Waiting in the pool? Expect a pause in early November, then cut-offs that reflect the new points.

Explore Canadian Visas

BorderProof provides visa information, not immigration or legal advice. The changes take effect on 3 November 2026 and occupation lists can change. Check IRCC or a licensed Canadian immigration consultant before acting.