(Ottawa, Canada) – Canada’s revised Express Entry scoring rules took effect November 3, changing how skilled immigration candidates are ranked and temporarily pausing invitation rounds while existing profiles are recalculated.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada says the recalculation could take up to two weeks, with invitations resuming once that work is complete. The changes were announced October 16 in Kitchener; the new development is their implementation, independently reported November 3 by immigration.ca.

The overhaul introduces a Labour Market Integration factor within the Comprehensive Ranking System. Candidates receive points through eligible Canadian work experience, with additional credit for experience in designated high-wage occupations, or through a qualifying high-wage job offer. They cannot combine the two routes under that factor.

According to immigration.ca’s account of the revised rules, eligible Canadian work experience can generate up to 150 points for a candidate without an accompanying spouse or partner, or 140 with one. A qualifying high-wage job offer can generate up to 100 points.

The high-wage designation depends on earnings across an occupation, rather than an individual applicant’s salary. IRCC says eligible occupations must meet a threshold of at least 1.3 times the median wage of the overall Canadian workforce. Its announcement identifies health care, skilled trades, engineering, technology and education among the affected fields.

The government has also removed the labour market impact assessment requirement for qualifying offers used for Express Entry points or job-offer eligibility under the Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades programs. Immigration officers must still determine that offers are genuine and meet the applicable requirements.

That change does not abolish labour market impact assessments across Canada’s immigration system. As immigration.ca notes, employers may still need an assessment to support hiring through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Permanent-residence ranking and permission to work temporarily remain separate questions.

IRCC’s implementation guidance also distinguishes program eligibility from ranking points: an offer may help someone qualify for an immigration program without qualifying for high-wage job-offer points. The department says its online system does not yet fully reflect the changed assessment requirement.

The immediate consequence is a pause in selections while candidates’ scores are recalculated. Additional points do not themselves guarantee an invitation to apply for permanent residence.

Accompanying image: editorial illustration.

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