- Canada's Immigration Minister announced sweeping changes to the Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System on October 16
- Starting November 3, 2026, IRCC will award additional points to candidates with eligible Canadian work experience or qualifying high-wage job offers
- The changes also eliminate the labour market impact assessment requirement for qualifying job offers under two major federal programmes
TUKO.co.ke journalist Japhet Ruto has over eight years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting, offering insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.
Canada has revised its Express Entry immigration system to place greater weight on candidates holding high-wage job offers or Canadian work experience, with the changes set to take effect on November 3, 2026.
Source: Twitter
Minister Metlege Diab announced the updates on Friday, October 16, outlining adjustments to the Comprehensive Ranking System that will reshape how points are awarded to prospective immigrants applying through the federal programme.
How the new points system will work
Under the revised framework, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will grant additional points to applicants who hold qualifying job offers in high-demand, high-wage occupations, citing roles such as engineers and electricians as examples.
Candidates with eligible Canadian work experience will similarly benefit from the recalculated scoring.
"Starting November 3, 2026, IRCC will award additional points to candidates with eligible Canadian work experience or a qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation, including jobs such as engineers and electricians," the department stated.
Candidates already sitting in the Express Entry pool will have their scores automatically recalculated under the new system.
However, those seeking points for a qualifying job offer must update their profiles before November 3 to be considered. IRCC noted the recalculation process could take up to two weeks, during which invitation rounds will be suspended.
What did IRCC scrap?
Alongside the points overhaul, IRCC is removing a long-standing administrative requirement: as of November 3, a labour market impact assessment (LMIA) will no longer be mandatory for a qualifying job offer to attract Express Entry points or satisfy job offer conditions under the Federal Skilled Worker Programme and the Federal Skilled Trades Programme.
The department said it will continue to verify that job offers are genuine and compliant with programme requirements, with anti-fraud safeguards remaining in place.
The move is intended to simplify the process for both candidates and employers without compromising the integrity of the system.
What were Canada's earlier reforms?
The November changes build on a series of targeted adjustments introduced over the past year.
In December 2025, Canada unveiled dedicated Express Entry measures for medical doctors with Canadian work experience.
In February 2026, new and renewed category-based selection streams were announced to prioritise candidates with experience in health care, skilled trades, research, transportation and education.
IRCC framed the latest round of changes as part of a broader effort to align the immigration pathway with the country's evolving labour market demands and long-term economic priorities.
Source: TUKO.co.ke