IRCC plans to restore job offer points in Express Entry, i.e., Canada’s immigration department has shared new plans to bring back Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for job offers in the Express Entry system.
More specifically, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that it intends to give additional points to candidates who have job offers and Canadian work experience in high-wage occupations under Express Entry.
The department has also indicated that it may introduce additional benefits for candidates who are certified to work in regulated occupations.
These possible changes are part of a larger set of reforms planned for the Express Entry system. The information was revealed in IRCC’s latest departmental plan, which was published on March 13, 2026.
The document outlines the department’s goals and priorities for the next three fiscal years. However, it does not provide a clear timeline for when the proposed Express Entry changes will be introduced.
As of now, IRCC has not released further details about how these reforms will work or when they will begin.
Many occupations that are currently in demand across Canada are considered regulated professions. This means that individuals must receive official certification before they can work in those professions.
Certification is usually issued by professional regulatory bodies, which are often managed at the provincial level. These organizations ensure that professionals meet specific standards before they can practice in fields such as healthcare, engineering, or skilled trades.
The proposed Express Entry reforms appear to support Canada’s Talent Attraction Strategy. This strategy is part of the federal government’s broader plan to attract skilled professionals and global talent to the country.
The initiative was highlighted by Prime Minister Mark Carney during the previous election campaign as a key part of Canada’s long-term immigration strategy.
Which Occupations Are Considered “High Wage”?
IRCC’s departmental plan does not clearly define what qualifies as a “high-wage” occupation within the proposed Express Entry reforms.
At present, the Express Entry system evaluates skilled work experience using the Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities (TEER) classification under Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC) system.
Under this system, occupations are divided into different levels based on the type of training, education, and experience required. Jobs that fall under TEER 0, 1, and 2 are generally considered highly skilled and often offer higher wages.
However, the Express Entry system currently does not directly evaluate wages when assigning CRS scores.
Other Canadian immigration programs already have a working definition for high-wage jobs. IRCC may choose to follow a similar approach when introducing these new reforms.
For example, the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) already distinguishes between high-wage and low-wage positions.
Under this program, a job is considered high-wage if the hourly wage offered is equal to or higher than the median hourly wage in the province or territory where the job is located.
Because wages vary across Canada, the definition of high-wage work also changes depending on the province or territory where the employment takes place.
These median wage figures are updated regularly to reflect labour market changes.
Current median wages for Canada’s provinces and territories can be found in the table below:
Median Provincial Wages As Of June 2025
| Province/Territory | Wage Threshold As Of June 27, 2025 |
| Alberta | $36.00 |
| British Columbia | $36.60 |
| Manitoba | $30.16 |
| New Brunswick | $30.00 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $32.40 |
| Northwest Territories | $48.00 |
| Nova Scotia | $30.00 |
| Nunavut | $42.00 |
| Ontario | $36.00 |
| Prince Edward Island | $30.00 |
| Quebec | $34.62 |
| Saskatchewan | $33.60 |
| Yukon | $44.40 |
Why Were Job Offer Points Removed Earlier?
The planned return of job offer points comes after Canada previously removed them from the Express Entry system.
In March 2025, the federal government stopped awarding additional CRS points to candidates who had valid job offers, including those supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
The change officially took effect on March 25, 2025, although it was first announced in December 2024.
Under the earlier system, candidates with valid job offers could receive 50 or 200 additional CRS points, depending on the type of job and the skill level of the position.
These extra points often made a significant difference in whether a candidate received an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence.
IRCC removed these points mainly because of concerns about fraud in the system.
In particular, there were reports that some candidates were buying LMIA-supported job offers in order to increase their CRS scores artificially.
By removing the points linked to job offers, the government aimed to reduce the demand for fraudulent LMIAs and improve the integrity of the immigration system.
The rule change did not affect candidates who had already received an ITA or those who had permanent residence applications in progress.
However, candidates still waiting in the Express Entry pool who had previously claimed job offer points experienced an immediate drop in their CRS scores.
For many candidates, their scores decreased by 50 or 200 points overnight.
This change significantly altered the competitive balance within the Express Entry pool. Candidates who did not have job offers suddenly found themselves in a stronger position relative to others whose scores dropped.
Even though job offer points were removed from CRS scoring, valid job offers are still important in other parts of the Express Entry system.
They can still help candidates meet eligibility requirements under programs such as:
- The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
- The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
- Certain Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams
Because of this, job offers continue to play a role in Canada’s immigration system even without the additional CRS points.
If IRCC moves forward with the proposed reforms, the Express Entry system could once again reward candidates who secure job offers, especially those in high-wage and regulated professions.
CWRVisa, a Canadian immigration leader, promises excellence and tailored pathways for your Canadian journey. Get in touch with us at CWRVisa.ca.