As of March 25, 2025, Express Entry candidates will no longer receive additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for having a valid job offer, including those backed by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
What Does This Mean for Express Entry Candidates?
Previously, candidates could earn 50 or 200 extra CRS points for arranged employment, significantly increasing their chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence (PR). With this change, candidates who had these additional points will see their CRS scores decrease accordingly.
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However, candidates without job offers may see their chances improve, as their scores remain unchanged while others in the pool experience a drop.
Example Scenario
Consider two Express Entry candidates, Andrew and Anita, both eligible under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC):
- Before the change:
- Andrew: 540 CRS points (including 50 points for a job offer)
- Anita: 500 CRS points
- Andrew had an advantage over Anita.
- After the change:
- Andrew: 490 CRS points
- Anita: 500 CRS points
- If the CRS cutoff in a CEC draw is 495, Anita will receive an ITA, while Andrew will not.
Who Is Affected?
This policy impacts all candidates in the Express Entry pool who previously benefited from additional points for arranged employment. However, candidates who have already received ITAs or have PR applications in progress are not affected.
Temporary Measure with No End Date
In a December 23, 2024 press release, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) confirmed that this is a temporary measure but did not specify when it will end.
While the updated Ministerial Instructions (March 25, 2025 version) removed the section awarding CRS points for job offers, it retained most sections defining what qualifies as arranged employment.
Adjustments to Physician Employment Rules
This update also removes special provisions for physicians. Previously, physicians with job offers lasting less than one year could still qualify for arranged employment if their offer came from a provincial government, government agency, or healthcare organization. This exception has now been eliminated.
CRS Scoring System in Express Entry
The CRS ranks candidates in the Express Entry pool based on:
✅ Age
✅ Education
✅ Language proficiency
✅ Work experience
Additional CRS points can still be earned through:
- French language proficiency
- Canadian post-secondary education
- Having a sibling in Canada (citizen or PR)
- A provincial or territorial nomination
Why Did Canada Remove CRS Points for Job Offers?
Former Immigration Minister Marc Miller first proposed this change on December 17, 2024, citing concerns over fraudulent LMIA practices. The Canadian government aims to eliminate incentives for candidates to “purchase an LMIA,” a practice that is illegal.
This decision is part of Canada’s broader effort to combat immigration fraud and strengthen the integrity of the immigration system. IRCC has introduced additional anti-fraud measures, including a compensation fund for victims of unethical immigration consultants.
What’s Next?
IRCC has indicated that CRS scores may take a few days to update, and candidates should only contact them if their scores remain incorrect for over a week.
