Effective November 3, 2026, Express Entry will introduce a new Labour Market Integration Factor that rewards eligible Canadian work experience and qualifying job offers in high-wage occupations. LMIA-supported offers will no longer receive special priority, and an LMIA will not be required for a job offer to qualify for CRS points or certain FSW and FST eligibility requirements.

A New Labour Market Integration Factor

On October 16, 2026, IRCC announced major changes to the Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System. The changes take effect on November 3, 2026.

A new Labour Market Integration Factor will compare:

• points for the length of eligible Canadian work experience, plus any high-wage occupation bonus; and
• points for a qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation.

Candidates receive the higher result—not both. The maximum under this factor is 150 points without an accompanying spouse or partner and 140 points with an accompanying spouse or partner. Canada.ca

Extra Points for High-Wage Canadian Work Experience

The existing CRS points based on the length of eligible Canadian experience remain in place. Candidates with at least 12 months of qualifying experience in listed high-wage occupations may receive an additional bonus.

The 12 months may be accumulated across more than one listed occupation and may be full-time or the equivalent in part-time work. Concurrent hours are capped at the full-time equivalent of 30 hours per week. Canada.ca

Job Offer Points Return—but Only for Listed Occupations

Qualifying job-offer points are being reintroduced under the new factor.

A qualifying offer generally must be written, paid, full-time and continuous for at least one year after permanent residence is granted. IRCC will continue assessing whether the employer is actively conducting business, genuinely needs the position, can fulfil the offer and complies with employment and recruitment laws. Canada.ca

High-Wage Status Is Based on the NOC, Not Personal Salary

IRCC does not determine high-wage status from an individual candidate’s actual salary. It uses the national median wage for everyone working in the same NOC.

The list uses three years of data from the Job Bank, Labour Force Survey and Census. The initial list, effective November 3, is based on 2023–2025 data.

A highly paid candidate will not receive the bonus if their NOC is not on the official list. Check IRCC’s official high-wage occupation list.

An LMIA Is No Longer Required for Express Entry Job-Offer Assessment

From November 3, a qualifying Express Entry job offer will not need an LMIA to receive CRS points. IRCC will also use a temporary public policy to remove LMIA and LMIA-exemption requirements for qualifying offers used to establish FSW or FST eligibility for candidates invited on or after that date.

This does not abolish the LMIA system. An employer may still require an LMIA to support:

• an employer-specific work permit;
• hiring under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program; or
• another federal or provincial program with separate requirements.

A job offer also does not create authorization to work in Canada. Immigration program eligibility, CRS points and temporary work authorization remain separate legal questions. Canada.ca

What Existing Candidates Should Do

IRCC will automatically recalculate Canadian work-experience points in existing profiles. The system update may take up to two weeks, and invitation rounds will be paused during the recalculation.

Candidates with a job offer not already declared should update the profile before November 3. While the online system is being transitioned, IRCC instructs candidates entering an LMIA-free offer to temporarily use:

• Positive LMIA: Yes
• LMIA number: 00000
• Issue date: 2026-01-01
• Expiry date: 2029-01-01

These entries are a specific IRCC transitional instruction—not permission to invent LMIA information in other applications. Candidates should recheck the official page before updating or submitting a profile. Canada.ca

Please note that Canadian work experience points and job offer points cannot be combined under the new CRS system.

Instead, only the higher of the following two scores will be counted: the combined points awarded for the length of eligible Canadian work experience and the applicable high-wage occupation bonus, or the points awarded for a qualifying job offer.

Therefore, if you have at least one year of eligible Canadian work experience (meeting the minimum work experience requirement for the Canadian Experience Class, or CEC), receiving a job offer may not necessarily increase your CRS score, depending on your occupation’s high-wage classification and the length of your Canadian work experience.

Estimated CRS Score Comparison

Not Every Reform Discussed in 2026 Is Now Law

The consultation report discussed wider possibilities, including merging the three federal programs and changing language, age, Canadian-study or family-related factors.

Those broader proposals were not all included in the October 16 announcement. IRCC says regulatory amendments arising from the consultation process would be published in the Canada Gazette, Part I. Canada.ca

FAQ

Q1. Can a candidate receive both job-offer points and Canadian-experience points?
No. IRCC calculates both options and applies the one producing the higher Labour Market Integration Factor score.

Q2. Is high-wage status based on what the candidate personally earns?
No. It is based on IRCC’s national NOC-level median-wage assessment.

Q3. Does the LMIA change allow someone to work in Canada without a work permit?
No. The reform concerns Express Entry points and certain program-eligibility rules. Legal authorization to work must be established separately.

Disclaimer

This article provides general information based on IRCC materials published on October 16, 2026, and is not legal advice. Candidates should review the latest instructions before updating a profile or submitting an application because transitional system instructions may change.