Candidates for Express Entry should be aware that the term “arranged employment” under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) only applies to qualified job offers.
Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points play a significant role in an applicant’s economic immigration path through Express Entry. These points are significant in deciding who gets an Invitation to Apply (ITA) from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). They are used to rank candidate profiles against each other.
Therefore, regardless of whether they apply to the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), or the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), all Express Entry candidates are continuously seeking methods to raise their CRS score and increase their chances of being granted permanent residence in Canada.
A candidate’s CRS score might be raised by having “arranged employment” ready for their arrival in Canada. The benefit of arranged employment is that it might provide an applicant an extra 50 or 200 CRS points.
FSWP and CEC
For FSWP and CEC candidates to qualify for CRS points in the category of “arranged employment,” they need to have a job offer that is:
- For one employer, any of the following Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities (TEER) categories apply to an employment that is classified under a National employment Classification (NOC) 2021 code: 0,1,2 or 3.
- Constant, full-time, and compensated (at least 30 hours each week)
- Not seasonal
- Valid/offered for a minimum of a year following the candidate’s permanent residence (PR) visa being issued by the IRCC
The qualified employer(s) must possess a work permit that was issued* based on a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or a fresh positive LMIA that accepts the offer and names the worker and their job.
**This is applicable to foreign nationals who have NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 jobs and are actively employed in Canada.
Those who apply for the FSTP and CEC and who currently hold an LMIA-based work permit are required to:
- Be employed by the company that is mentioned on their work permit.
- Possess the right to work in Canada from the time they apply for a PR visa until the visa is granted.
- Be offered, by their current employer(s), a full-time job if accepted as a PR
A valid LMIA-exempt work permit in a NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 position allows foreign nationals to earn CRS points for “arranged employment” if they meet the following requirements:
- As stated in the work permit, they are currently employed by this employer.
- They have worked for that firm full-time for a year (or an equivalent number of months on a part-time basis).
- They have a legitimate work offer from that employer that will last for at least a year starting on the day the IRCC grants the candidate a PR visa.
FSTP
The following conditions must be met by FSTP personnel in order to qualify for CRS points under “arranged employment”:
- Total(s) 30 hours worked each week (if up to two different companies must make separate job offers)
- Is/are for ongoing, full-time, paid employment (at least 30 hours per week) for a minimum of one year
- Is or are for employment that comes under a qualified NOC for a skilled craft occupation.
The eligible employer(s) must possess a work permit that was issued* on the basis of a positive LMIA, or a fresh positive LMIA that accepts the offer and names the worker and their position.
**This is applicable to foreign nationals who hold skilled trade employment in Canada at the moment.
It is important for FSTP candidates to know that foreign nationals with an active LMIA-based work permit are required to:
- Be employed by the company that is mentioned on their work permit.
- Possess the right to work in Canada from the time they apply for a PR visa until the visa is granted.
- Be given the option to work full-time by their present employer(s) if they are hired as PRs.
Note: This full-time employment offer needs to be for a position in the same three-digit level of the NOC as your existing position, and it needs to be extended for at least a year.
In addition, foreign nationals may earn CRS points for “arranged employment” provided they hold a valid LMIA-exempt work visa for any of the skilled trade jobs on the list.
- Right now, they are employed by the company listed on their work permit.
- The employer(s) on your work permit who are making the job offer have one year of full-time work experience (or an equivalent amount of part-time employment).
- They have a legitimate work offer from that company that will last for at least a year after the candidate’s PR visa is issued by the IRCC.
Does an Express Entry job offer come with a work permit?
IRCC makes it clear that a work visa does not count as a job offer for the purpose of earning CRS points as an Express Entry applicant, regardless of the candidate’s employment status in Canada or elsewhere.
A employment offer should include the following details for each Express Entry-managed program in addition to the ones mentioned above:
- Recent
- For a full-time, non-seasonal job
- At least one year in length from the date the candidate is accepted as a Canadian PR
- accompanied, unless LMIA-exempt, by a valid LMIA from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)
- Not from a Canadian high commission, embassy, or consulate
- gives particular information on the position being offered, such as the salary, benefits, responsibilities, and working circumstances (such as hours worked)
