New immigration changes will reward eligible workers in 186 occupations and remove certain LMIA requirements starting November 3, 2026.
Canada is introducing major changes to its Express Entry immigration system, allowing skilled workers in 186 higher-paying occupations to earn additional points toward permanent residence.
The federal government announced the changes on October 16, 2026, following Immigration Minister Lena Diab's announcement in Kitchener, Ontario.
Starting November 3, eligible candidates can receive up to 100 additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points based on qualifying job offers or Canadian work experience. The government will also remove certain Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) requirements.
The government will introduce a new CRS category called the Labour Market Integration Factor (LMIF).
Candidates with eligible high-wage job offers can receive:
Workers with at least 12 months of qualifying full-time Canadian work experience can also earn additional points.
They will receive 70, 40 or 20 points, depending on their occupation's wage category.
Candidates can receive points from whichever category gives them the higher score, rather than combining both.
The changes cover 186 occupations across healthcare, engineering, technology, finance, construction and other industries.
Eligible positions include family physicians, registered nurses, software engineers, dentists, financial managers, electricians and university professors.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will determine eligibility using occupation-specific wage information and Canada's National Occupational Classification system.
The department assesses wage categories using the highest median wage recorded for each occupation over the previous three years.
Under the updated rules, qualifying job offers will no longer require an LMIA to receive the new CRS points.
The government will also remove LMIA requirements for job offers used to meet eligibility conditions under the Federal Skilled Worker Program and Federal Skilled Trades Program.
Candidates seeking points for qualifying job offers must update their Express Entry profiles.
According to the announced instructions, applicants must select the positive LMIA option when entering their job offer details, even though an LMIA is no longer required.
Eligible candidates with Canadian work experience already recorded in their profiles will receive points automatically.
IRCC will temporarily pause Express Entry invitations while it recalculates candidates' scores.
The department expects the process could take up to two weeks.
Candidates who have already received an invitation to apply will remain subject to the eligible occupation list that applied when their invitation was issued.
The announcement follows the government's decision to eliminate CRS points for arranged employment in March 2025.
Previously, qualifying job offers could provide 50 or 200 additional points.
Canada is now placing greater emphasis on higher-paying occupations and Canadian employment experience.
The government has also outlined plans to simplify Express Entry's existing immigration streams, with broader reforms expected between April and October 2027.
These changes could improve permanent residence prospects for eligible skilled workers while reshaping competition within the Express Entry pool.
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