Express Entry points change November 3 for Canadian work and high-wage jobs

Canada will revise the Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System on November 3, giving additional points for eligible Canadian work experience and qualifying job offers in high-wage occupations.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced the changes October 16. The department says a high-wage occupation is one whose median wage is at least 1.3 times the median for the overall Canadian workforce. Eligible fields include health care, skilled trades, engineering, technology and education.

A labour market impact assessment will no longer be required for a qualifying job offer to receive the new Express Entry points or meet job-offer requirements under the Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades programs. IRCC says it will still assess whether offers are genuine and meet program rules.

Scores for candidates already in the Express Entry pool will be recalculated automatically for Canadian work experience. Candidates seeking job-offer points must update their profiles before November 3. Invitation rounds will pause during the recalculation, which IRCC says may take up to two weeks.

Illustrative image: a workplace meeting. Photo by Redd Francisco via Unsplash; cropped and resized.