- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has published a list of 186 occupations eligible for additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points under Express Entry
- The occupations are divided into three wage tiers, offering between 20 and 70 additional points for qualifying Canadian work experience and between 50 and 100 points for eligible job offers
- The new rules take effect on November 3, 2026, with existing Express Entry candidates set to have their CRS scores recalculated automatically
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Canada has published a list of 186 occupations that could help eligible foreign workers improve their chances of obtaining permanent residence through the Express Entry immigration system.
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released the official list of high-wage occupations eligible for additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points under revised rules taking effect on November 3, 2026.
The occupations span several industries, including healthcare, engineering, technology, skilled trades, education, finance, law enforcement, natural resources and transportation.
The list was shared by Immigration News Canada on X on October 16, 2026, ahead of the changes to the points-based immigration system.
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How Canada classifies the 186 eligible occupations
Under the revised framework, an occupation qualifies as high-wage when its national median wage is at least 1.3 times the overall median wage across the Canadian workforce.
IRCC uses information from Job Bank, the Labour Force Survey and the Census of Population to assess wage levels over the most recent three-year period. For the current assessment, the period covers 2023 to 2025.
Each eligible National Occupational Classification (NOC) code is assigned to the highest wage tier it reached during any of those three years.
The 186 occupations are divided into three tiers, with the number of additional CRS points depending on the wage category and whether the candidate qualifies through Canadian work experience or a job offer.
Tier 1: 31 occupations qualify for the highest additional points
The top tier contains 31 NOC codes covering occupations with median wages at least twice the national average.
Eligible candidates can receive:
- 70 additional CRS points for qualifying Canadian work experience.
- 100 additional CRS points for a qualifying job offer.
Occupations in this tier include senior government managers, physicians, surgeons, general practitioners, nurse practitioners, lawyers, judges and engineering managers.
Tier 2: 89 occupations fall into the middle wage category
The second tier is the largest, with 89 NOC codes covering occupations whose median wages are at least 1.5 times but less than twice the national average.
The additional points available are:
- 40 CRS points for qualifying Canadian work experience.
- 70 CRS points for a qualifying job offer.
Examples of occupations in this category include software developers, registered nurses, civil engineers, pharmacists, secondary school teachers, police officers, firefighters and several skilled trades.
Tier 3: 66 occupations qualify for entry-level high-wage points
The third tier contains 66 NOC codes for occupations with median wages between 1.3 and 1.5 times the national average.
Candidates in this category can receive:
- 20 additional CRS points for qualifying Canadian work experience.
- 50 additional CRS points for a qualifying job offer.
Occupations listed in this group include financial auditors and accountants, architects, social workers, web developers, paramedics, heavy-duty equipment mechanics, crane operators and industrial electricians.
Summary of the new Express Entry points
Wage tier | Number of occupations | Canadian work experience | Qualifying job offer |
Tier 1 | 31 | 70 points | 100 points |
Tier 2 | 89 | 40 points | 70 points |
Tier 3 | 66 | 20 points | 50 points |
Total | 186 | — | — |
Candidates can claim either the additional points for qualifying Canadian work experience or those for a qualifying job offer, but not both simultaneously. The system awards the higher applicable value.
Canada removes the LMIA requirement for qualifying job-offer points
Another major change is the removal of the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) requirement for qualifying job offers to attract additional CRS points under Express Entry.
An LMIA is a document used to assess whether hiring a foreign worker would affect Canada's labour market. Under the revised framework, candidates will no longer need an LMIA for a qualifying job offer to earn these additional points.
However, candidates seeking the work-experience points must have at least 12 months of qualifying Canadian work experience in an eligible occupation.
The removal of the LMIA requirement for these CRS points does not, by itself, mean that all job offers qualify or that other immigration and work authorisation requirements no longer apply.
What existing Express Entry candidates need to know
Foreign nationals already in the Express Entry pool will have their CRS scores recalculated automatically when the new rules come into effect on November 3, 2026.
Candidates seeking additional points through a qualifying job offer must update their Express Entry profiles before that date to ensure their information is considered under the revised framework.
The changes could affect candidates' positions in the Express Entry pool, where CRS scores are used to rank eligible applicants for invitations to apply for permanent residence.
Foreign workers considering Canada's immigration pathways should check their occupation's NOC code against IRCC's official list, confirm that they meet the relevant work-experience or job-offer conditions, and review the updated requirements before relying on additional points in their immigration plans.
Source: TUKO.co.ke