Canada to Award Up to 100 CRS Points for High-Wage Jobs

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Canada to Award Up to 100 CRS Points for High-Wage Jobs Under New Express Entry Rules

Canada is preparing a major change to its Express Entry selection system, introducing additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for candidates working in eligible high-paying occupations. The new measures will recognize qualifying job offers and Canadian work experience across 186 occupations, with the highest-scoring candidates eligible for up to 100 additional points.

Announced on October 16, 2026, by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the changes are scheduled to take effect on November 3, 2026. The reforms will also remove the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) requirement for qualifying job offers under certain federal economic immigration programs.

How the New High-Wage CRS Points System Will Work

The new Labour Market Integration Factor (LMIF) will introduce a wage-based component into the CRS. Points will depend on how an occupation’s qualifying median wage compares with Canada’s national median wage, using three thresholds: 1.3 times, 1.5 times and twice the national figure.

Candidates will be assessed under two categories: eligible high-wage job offers and qualifying Canadian work experience. However, applicants will receive points only under the category that gives them the higher score, rather than adding both sets of points together.

Wage threshold	Points for a qualifying job offer	Points for Canadian work experience
2 times the national median wage	100	70
1.5 times the national median wage	70	40
1.3 times the national median wage	50	20

To qualify for work experience points, candidates must have at least 12 months of full-time Canadian work experience at the relevant wage threshold. Experience can be accumulated across one or more eligible occupations, subject to IRCC’s assessment rules.

A higher CRS score can improve a candidate’s position in the Express Entry pool and increase their chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. However, additional points do not guarantee an invitation, as selection also depends on the type of draw and the applicable cutoff score.

Which Occupations Qualify for the New CRS Points?

IRCC has published a list of 186 eligible occupations, divided into three wage-based groups. The applicable category depends on the occupation’s assessed wage factor, rather than simply the candidate’s job title or individual salary.

The department determines an occupation’s wage category using the highest median wage recorded for that occupation over the previous three years. Its assessment draws on information from Canada’s Job Bank, Labour Force Survey and Census of Population.

IRCC also considers the duties performed in the job, using Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC) system to identify the relevant occupation.

Occupations Eligible at the 1.3x Wage Threshold

Candidates in the following occupations may qualify for 50 CRS points through an eligible job offer or 20 points through qualifying Canadian work experience.

Job title	NOC code
Accommodation service managers	60031
Agricultural representatives, consultants and specialists	21112
Aircraft instrument, electrical and avionics mechanics, technicians and inspectors	22313
Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors	72404
Architects	21200
Archivists	51102
Assessors, business valuators and appraisers	12203
Authors and writers (except technical)	51111
Biologists and related scientists	21110
Border services, customs, and immigration officers	43203
Bricklayers	72320
Broadcast technicians	52112
Chemists	21101
Conservators and curators	51101
Construction inspectors	22233
Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades	72013
Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews	72021
Contractors and supervisors, machining, metal forming, shaping and erecting trades and related occupations	72010
Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades	72020
Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers	72014
Correctional service officers	43201
Crane operators	72500
Deck officers, water transport	72602
Dietitians and nutritionists	31121
Education policy researchers, consultants and program officers	41405
Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians	22310
Engineer officers, water transport	72603
Financial advisors	11102
Financial and investment analysts	11101
Financial auditors and accountants	11100
Fishing masters and officers	83120
Gas fitters	72302
Heavy-duty equipment mechanics	72401
Human resources professionals	11200
Industrial electricians	72201
Insulators	72321
Insurance adjusters and claims examiners	12201
Ironworkers	72105
Land surveyors	21203
Landscape architects	21201
Legislators	00010
Managers in customer and personal services	60040
Medical laboratory technologists	32120
Medical radiation technologists	32121
Medical sonographers	32122
Natural and applied science policy researchers, consultants and program officers	41400
Occupational health and safety specialists	22232
Other financial officers	11109
Other professional occupations in social science	41409
Paramedical occupations	32102
Producers, directors, choreographers and related occupations	51120
Pulping, papermaking and coating control operators	93102
Railway carmen/women	72403
Railway conductors and brakemen/women	73311
Recreation, sports and fitness program and service directors	50012
Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists	32103
Retail and wholesale trade managers	60020
Sheet metal workers	72102
Social policy researchers, consultants and program officers	41403
Social workers	41300
Supervisors, logging and forestry	82010
Supervisors, mineral and metal processing	92010
Technical occupations in geomatics and meteorology	22214
Technical writers	51112
Underground production and development miners	83100
Web developers and programmers	21234

Occupations Eligible at the 1.5x Wage Threshold

Jobs in this category may qualify for 70 CRS points through a high-wage job offer or 40 points through eligible Canadian work experience.

Job title	NOC code
Administrators - post-secondary education and vocational training	40020
Advertising, marketing and public relations managers	10022
Aerospace engineers	21390
Air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors	72600
Air traffic controllers and related occupations	72601
Audiologists and speech-language pathologists	31112
Boilermakers	72103
Business development officers and market researchers and analysts	41402
Business systems specialists	21221
Central control and process operators, mineral and metal processing	93100
Central control and process operators, petroleum, gas and chemical processing	93101
Chemical engineers	21320
Civil engineers	21300
College and other vocational instructors	41210
Commissioned officers of the Canadian Armed Forces	40042
Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)	21311
Computer systems developers and programmers	21230
Construction managers	70010
Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations	72011
Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services	82021
Contractors and supervisors, pipefitting trades	72012
Cybersecurity specialists	21220
Data scientists	21211
Database analysts and data administrators	21223
Dental hygienists and dental therapists	32111
Dentists	31110
Economists and economic policy researchers and analysts	41401
Educational counsellors	41320
Electrical and electronics engineers	21310
Electrical power line and cable workers	72203
Elementary school and kindergarten teachers	41221
Elevator constructors and mechanics	72406
Engineering inspectors and regulatory officers	22231
Facility operation and maintenance managers	70012
Firefighters	42101
Forestry professionals	21111
Geological engineers	21331
Geoscientists and oceanographers	21102
Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers	41404
Industrial and manufacturing engineers	21321
Industrial instrument technicians and mechanics	22312
Information systems specialists	21222
Librarians	51100
Library, archive, museum and art gallery managers	50010
Managers - publishing, motion pictures, broadcasting and performing arts	50011
Managers in health care	30010
Managers in social, community and correctional services	40030
Managers in transportation	70020
Manufacturing managers	90010
Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries	21210
Mechanical engineers	21301
Metallurgical and materials engineers	21322
Meteorologists and climatologists	21103
Nursing coordinators and supervisors	31300
Occupational therapists	31203
Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers	83101
Other administrative services managers	10019
Other business services managers	10029
Other professional engineers	21399
Other professional occupations in physical sciences	21109
Pharmacists	31120
Physicists and astronomers	21100
Physiotherapists	31202
Police investigators and other investigative occupations	41310
Police officers (except commissioned)	42100
Postal and courier services managers	70021
Power engineers and power systems operators	92100
Power system electricians	72202
Probation and parole officers	41311
Professional occupations in business management consulting	11201
Program officers unique to government	41407
Psychologists	31200
Public and environmental health and safety professionals	21120
Railway and yard locomotive engineers	73310
Railway traffic controllers and marine traffic regulators	72604
Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses	31301
School principals and administrators of elementary and secondary education	40021
Secondary school teachers	41220
Securities agents, investment dealers and brokers	11103
Senior managers - construction, transportation, production and utilities	00015
Senior managers - trade, broadcasting and other services	00014
Software developers and programmers	21232
Software engineers and designers	21231
Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers	72301
Supervisors, mining and quarrying	82020
Supervisors, petroleum, gas and chemical processing and utilities	92011
Supervisors, railway transport operations	72023
Telecommunication carriers managers	10030
Urban and land use planners	21202

Occupations Eligible at the 2x Wage Threshold

This group carries the highest potential benefit. Eligible job offers can attract 100 CRS points, while qualifying Canadian work experience can provide 70 points.

Job title	NOC code
Architecture and science managers	20011
Banking, credit and other investment managers	10021
Commissioned police officers and related occupations in public protection services	40040
Computer and information systems managers	20012
Corporate sales managers	60010
Engineering managers	20010
Financial managers	10010
Fire chiefs and senior firefighting officers	40041
General practitioners and family physicians	31102
Government managers - economic analysis, policy development and program administration	40011
Government managers - education policy development and program administration	40012
Government managers - health and social policy development and program administration	40010
Human resources managers	10011
Insurance, real estate and financial brokerage managers	10020
Judges	41100
Lawyers and Quebec notaries	41101
Managers in natural resources production and fishing	80010
Mining engineers	21330
Nurse practitioners	31302
Other managers in public administration	40019
Petroleum engineers	21332
Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals	31303
Purchasing managers	10012
Senior government managers and officials	00011
Senior managers - financial, communications and other business services	00012
Senior managers - health, education, social and community services and membership organizations	00013
Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine	31100
Specialists in surgery	31101
University professors and lecturers	41200
Utilities managers	90011
Veterinarians	31103

What Express Entry Candidates Need to Do

Candidates should check their occupation, NOC code and job-offer details before the new system is implemented. Job titles alone will not determine eligibility; IRCC will assess the actual duties associated with the position.

Applicants who qualify through a job offer must update their Express Entry profiles with the required information. According to IRCC instructions, applicants must select the option indicating they have a positive LMIA when entering the qualifying job offer, even though an LMIA is no longer required for this purpose.

Candidates whose profiles already contain eligible Canadian work experience are expected to receive the applicable LMIF points automatically. IRCC has also stated that a candidate who receives an ITA will be assessed using the eligible-occupation list that was in effect on the invitation date. Subsequent changes to that list will not alter the applicable assessment for that invitation.

Express Entry Invitations to Be Paused During CRS Updates

The government has announced a temporary pause in Express Entry invitations while candidate scores are recalculated to reflect the new CRS rules. The adjustment process may take up to two weeks, according to the October 16 announcement.

Candidates planning to enter the pool or waiting for a draw should account for this temporary interruption. Once the revised scoring system is operational, the new wage-based points could change rankings for eligible candidates and affect competition within the pool.

Conclusion

The revised scoring model could benefit professionals and tradespeople in eligible occupations whose job offers or Canadian work experience meet the required wage benchmarks. Senior managers, engineering professionals, certain healthcare workers, technology specialists and other listed occupations appear across the three categories.

However, working in a listed occupation does not automatically qualify someone for additional points. Candidates must meet the applicable wage threshold and other relevant conditions, and satisfy the requirements of an eligible immigration program.

Express Entry continues to manage applications under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). Candidates must qualify for at least one of these programs, create an Express Entry profile and receive an ITA before applying for permanent residence. For prospective applicants, the key steps are to verify their NOC classification, review the wage category assigned to their occupation and ensure their profile accurately reflects their employment details before the new rules take effect on November 3, 2026.

Also check out Canada Immigration Levels Plan 2027–2029 | Canada 2026-2028 immigration levels plan | Canada Immigration Plan 2025 to 2027 | Canada Immigration Levels Plan For 2024-2026 | Canada Immigration Level Plan for 2023-2025

FAQs

1. When will Canada announce its 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan?

The plan has not been announced in the information provided. Applicants should monitor official Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announcements for the release and confirmed targets under the Canada Immigration Levels Plan 2027-2029.

2. Will Canada reduce PR targets in 2027?

A reduction is possible, but no specific 2027 target should be treated as confirmed until the government releases its new plan. The final Canada PR targets 2027 and Canada immigration targets 2027 will depend on the government’s official announcement.

3. Which immigration pathways may remain important?

Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Programs are likely to remain important pathways for eligible skilled workers, although future selection priorities and admission allocations may change. The Canada PR admissions targets will provide further insight into the government’s planned allocation for these pathways.

4. How can I improve my chances of getting Canada PR?

Improving language scores, gaining eligible skilled work experience, exploring suitable PNP streams, and checking French-language selection opportunities can help strengthen your profile. No single factor guarantees an invitation or permanent residence. Applicants should also follow the New Canada immigration targets and any future Canada immigration announcement to understand potential policy changes.

3. Full-Time Equivalency Standard

Full-time work is defined as at least 30 hours per week. Candidates must accumulate the equivalent of 12 months at this standard.

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