In a significant development for Canadian immigration, Express Entry candidates will soon no longer receive additional points in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) for having a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)-based job offer.
Previously, candidates could gain 50 or 200 CRS points for an LMIA-based job offer, which often played a decisive role in securing an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency. The removal of these points could impact many candidates vying for Canadian permanent residency.
Announcement by Immigration Minister
Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced the change on December 17, 2024, during a televised interview. While the exact implementation date is yet to be confirmed, as of December 18, the government’s online CRS calculator still awards 50 points for valid job offers.
Implications for Express Entry Candidates
The CRS is the scoring system used to rank Express Entry candidates based on factors such as age, education, language proficiency, and work experience. Candidates can achieve a maximum of 600 points for “core human capital” factors and up to an additional 600 points through factors like arranged employment or provincial nominations.
Under the current system:
- Candidates receive 50 additional CRS points for arranged employment in most NOC TEER occupations.
- Candidates in executive-level (TEER 0) roles can earn up to 200 points.
These additional points often determine whether a candidate receives an ITA, especially in draws with cut-off scores above 500, which have been common throughout 2024.
With this change, candidates relying on LMIA-based job offers to boost their scores will need to explore alternative pathways to strengthen their profiles.
Rationale for the Change
Minister Miller cited the need to reduce fraud and enhance the integrity of Canada’s immigration system as the primary reasons for this decision. “By removing additional points for job offers under Express Entry, we aim to eliminate incentives for fraudulent LMIA purchases and promote fairness in the system,” Miller explained.
Understanding the CRS and its Impact
The CRS assigns points based on various factors:
- Core human capital factors: Age, education, language skills, and work experience, with a maximum of 600 points.
- Additional points: Factors such as a provincial nomination, French language skills, or arranged employment can add up to 600 more points.
The announced change will remove the additional points awarded for LMIA-based job offers, which is expected to level the playing field and discourage misuse of the system.
Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and LMIA
LMIAs are issued under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), which allows Canadian employers to hire foreign workers when no Canadian citizens or permanent residents are available for the role.
Recent changes to the TFWP include:
- Suspension of LMIA processing for the low-wage stream.
- Higher wage requirements for the high-wage stream, effective November 2024.
These changes align with the government’s broader immigration policies as outlined in the Immigration Levels Plan, which includes specific targets for temporary resident permits.
What’s Next for Candidates?
Express Entry candidates are encouraged to assess their CRS scores and explore other ways to enhance their profiles, such as improving language proficiency, gaining Canadian work or education experience, or obtaining a provincial nomination.
Stay tuned as more details about the implementation of this policy change emerge.