LumenWhat are Canada's new Express Entry high-wage occupation points that start in November 2026?
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From November 3, 2026, Express Entry adds a Labour Market Integration factor: up to 150 CRS points for Canadian work experience or a qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation. Points scale with wage: 20-70 for work experience, 50-100 for a job offer. No LMIA required.
Key facts
| What | The rule from November 3, 2026 | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Work experience at 2× median wage | +70 CRS points | IRCC, Changes 2026 |
| Work experience at 1.5× median wage | +40 CRS points | IRCC, Changes 2026 |
| Work experience at 1.3× median wage | +20 CRS points | IRCC, Changes 2026 |
| Job offer at 2× median wage | +100 CRS points | IRCC, Changes 2026 |
| Job offer at 1.5× median wage | +70 CRS points | IRCC, Changes 2026 |
| Job offer at 1.3× median wage | +50 CRS points | IRCC, Changes 2026 |
| Maximum (without spouse) | 150 points | IRCC, Changes 2026 |
| Maximum (with spouse) | 140 points | IRCC, Changes 2026 |
| LMIA | No longer required for CRS job-offer points | IRCC, October 2026 news |
| High-wage occupation | NOC group median wage ≥ 1.3× national average | IRCC, Changes 2026 |
What the Labour Market Integration factor is
Starting November 3, 2026, IRCC adds a new factor to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) that rewards candidates in high-wage occupations — both those already working in Canada and those with a qualifying job offer. The higher the wage relative to the median, the more points.
The factor gives you points for either your Canadian work experience or your job offer, whichever score is higher — you do not get both.
Work experience points
If you have Canadian work experience in a high-wage occupation worth at least 12 months or 1,560 hours, you can earn:
- 70 points if your wage is at or above 2× the occupation’s median wage.
- 40 points if your wage is at or above 1.5×.
- 20 points if your wage is at or above 1.3×.
The baseline work-experience points for the length of your Canadian employment (35 to 80 points) remain unchanged and are added separately.
Job offer points
A qualifying job offer from a Canadian employer in a high-wage occupation earns:
- 100 points at 2× the median wage.
- 70 points at 1.5×.
- 50 points at 1.3×.
Job offers in occupations that are not high-wage earn 0 points under this factor. The job offer must still be assessed by an officer as genuine: the employer must be active and able to fulfil the offer, the candidate must be qualified and likely to perform the work, and the offer itself must be lawful.
No LMIA required
A significant change: a Labour Market Impact Assessment is no longer required for a job offer to qualify for CRS points. This removes what was a major bottleneck. Having an LMIA gives no extra points.
What counts as a high-wage occupation
IRCC defines a high-wage occupation as one whose NOC group median wage is at or above 1.3× the national average. IRCC publishes the occupations and their median wages so candidates can check whether theirs qualifies.
Related questions
- The Labour Market Integration factor is separate from the existing CRS core points (age, education, language, work experience) and skill transferability points.
- A provincial nomination is still worth 600 CRS points and remains the single biggest point boost in Express Entry.
Sources
- IRCC: Changes to Express Entry (2026) checked 2026-10-26
- IRCC: Changes to Express Entry for high-wage occupations (October 2026 news release) checked 2026-10-26
Change history
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