How Will the 2026 Express Entry Updates Affect You?
Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant | R1040420
Starting November 3, 2026, job offer points will return under Express Entry. Eligible job offers will no longer require an LMIA. This means that even if you have an open work permit, your job offer may qualify. However, you must prove that your job offer is genuine.
Not all job offers qualify for points. Only job offers in high-wage occupations are eligible. They can give you up to 100 points.
You can receive points for either a job offer or Canadian work experience.
Canadian work experience can give you up to 150 points. Almost half of these points are based on how long you have worked in Canada. The other half is based on having at least 12 months of work experience in a high-wage occupation.
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How Do I Know if My Job Offer or Work Experience Is Considered High-Wage?
The important thing to understand is that high-wage eligibility is based on your NOC code, not your personal salary.
In simple terms, only certain NOC codes qualify for high-wage job offer points or high-wage work experience points.
You can find the list here: High-wage occupations and how we assess them – Canada.ca.
This list may change from time to time, similar to many provincial programs.
The number of points you receive depends on whether your job offer or work experience falls under an occupation that pays twice, 1.5 times, or 1.3 times the average median wage. These categories receive different points, from highest to lowest, respectively.
How Can You Prove That Your Job Offer Is Genuine?
Since an LMIA is no longer required for job offer points, officers will assess whether your job offer is genuine.
They will examine whether the employer:
- Is actively operating a business.
- Can meet the terms of the job offer, including paying the high wage.
- Needs your position based on its business activities.
- Follows recruitment laws.
You must also prove that you are qualified for the position offered. For example, you must have the required education or work experience. You must also show that you are likely to accept the job offer.
This means you need to provide careful documentation from your employer. The documents should show the employer’s financial capacity and business needs, as well as your qualifications for the job.
What Will Determine the Chances of Success?
It is too soon to know how these changes will affect the cut-off scores for candidates already in the Express Entry pool.
It is also unclear how IRCC will assess job offers and prevent fraud.
We should therefore wait for at least the first few rounds of invitations after the changes take effect to better understand their impact.
What Should I Do if I Am Already in the Express Entry Pool?
IRCC will begin recalculating existing Express Entry profiles when the changes take effect on November 3, 2026. This process may take up to two weeks, during which invitation rounds will be paused. You do not need to take any action unless you are now eligible for job offer points.
For example, if you previously had a job offer but could not receive points because you held an open work permit, you may now qualify. In this case, you must manually update your profile to receive the points.
Even if you are exempt from the LMIA requirement, you must still select “Yes” when asked whether a positive LMIA was issued for your job offer.
In the Work History section of your profile, indicate that you have a job offer and enter the following information:
| Question or Field | Response |
|---|---|
| Was a positive LMIA issued for the job offer in Canada? | Yes |
| LMIA Number | 00000 |
| LMIA Issuance Date | 2026-01-01 |
| LMIA Expiry Date | 2029-01-01 |
Questions about your Express Entry profile?
Book a 30-minute immigration consultation for $99.
Official IRCC references