Canada is preparing to change how it rewards skilled workers in the Express Entry system, and the occupation you work in could affect your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. Starting November 3, 2026, eligible candidates may receive additional points for qualifying Canadian work experience in high-wage occupations or for a qualifying job offer in one of these occupations.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has published a list of eligible occupations divided into three wage levels. The new rules cover professionals, healthcare workers, technology specialists, managers, educators and skilled tradespeople. However, appearing on the list does not automatically qualify someone for permanent residence or guarantee an invitation to apply.
What Is Changing in Express Entry on November 3, 2026?
The upcoming changes introduce a new Labour Market Integration factor into Express Entry’s CRS system. This factor will recognize eligible Canadian work experience in high-wage occupations or a qualifying job offer in one of the listed occupations. The number of additional points available will depend on the occupation’s wage category and whether the candidate qualifies through Canadian work experience or a job offer.
The new system also changes how qualifying job offers are assessed. From November 3, 2026, a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) will no longer be required for a qualifying job offer to earn these points or meet job-offer requirements under the Federal Skilled Worker Program and Federal Skilled Trades Program. Employers and job offers must still satisfy IRCC’s applicable requirements, including checks to establish that the offer is genuine.
Existing Express Entry candidates should pay attention to the implementation date because IRCC plans to recalculate scores in existing profiles automatically. The recalculation may take up to two weeks, during which invitation rounds will be paused. Candidates with job offers should also review IRCC’s instructions for updating their profiles under the new rules.
How Does IRCC Define a High-Wage Occupation?
IRCC does not decide whether an occupation is high-wage by looking only at an individual applicant’s salary. Instead, it considers the median wage earned by people across Canada working in the same National Occupational Classification (NOC) occupation and compares it with the median wage of the overall Canadian workforce.
An occupation qualifies for this list when its median wage reaches at least 1.3 times the overall Canadian workforce median. IRCC uses information from Job Bank, the Labour Force Survey and the Census of Population, covering the three-year period from 2023 to 2025 for the current list. Each occupation is assigned the highest wage level it met during that period.
This distinction matters for workers whose personal salaries differ from the national median. A person does not automatically qualify because their own pay is high, and a lower individual salary does not by itself remove an occupation from the list. Candidates must first match their actual job duties to the correct NOC code and then check whether that code is included in IRCC’s official list.
How Many CRS Points Can Eligible Candidates Receive?
The official list contains 186 eligible NOC codes divided into three wage levels. Each level carries a different number of additional CRS points for qualifying Canadian work experience or a qualifying job offer.
| High-wage occupation level | Additional points for eligible Canadian work experience | Points for a qualifying job offer |
|---|---|---|
| Median wage at least 2 times the overall workforce median | 70 | 100 |
| Median wage at least 1.5 times but less than 2 times the median | 40 | 70 |
| Median wage at least 1.3 times but less than 1.5 times the median | 20 | 50 |
| Occupation below the qualifying high-wage threshold | 0 | 0 |
These points are part of the new Labour Market Integration factor. Candidates can qualify through eligible Canadian work experience or through a qualifying job offer, but they cannot combine both sets of points under this factor. IRCC will award points through the applicable route rather than adding the two together.
For the Canadian work experience route, applicants generally need at least 12 months, equivalent to 1,560 hours, of qualifying experience in one or more eligible high-wage occupations. The experience must meet the existing Express Entry requirements. Eligible work may be continuous or non-continuous, full-time or an equivalent amount of part-time work, and qualifying experience can be combined across more than one eligible occupation.
Full List of Express Entry High-Wage Occupations Effective November 3, 2026
The following tables reproduce the eligible occupation names and NOC codes published by IRCC, grouped according to their official wage levels. Use the code as well as the occupation name when checking eligibility, since similar job titles can fall under different NOC classifications.
Level 1: Occupations With a Median Wage at Least Twice the Overall Workforce Median
A qualifying job offer in this group can receive 100 additional CRS points, while eligible Canadian work experience can receive 70 additional points. The group includes senior management, financial management, engineering, medical professions, public administration, law and public protection leadership.
| NOC code | Eligible occupation |
|---|---|
| 00011 | Senior government managers and officials |
| 00012 | Senior managers – financial, communications and other business services |
| 00013 | Senior managers – health, education, social and community services and membership organizations |
| 10010 | Financial managers |
| 10011 | Human resources managers |
| 10012 | Purchasing managers |
| 10020 | Insurance, real estate and financial brokerage managers |
| 10021 | Banking, credit and other investment managers |
| 20010 | Engineering managers |
| 20011 | Architecture and science managers |
| 20012 | Computer and information systems managers |
| 21330 | Mining engineers |
| 21332 | Petroleum engineers |
| 31100 | Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine |
| 31101 | Specialists in surgery |
| 31102 | General practitioners and family physicians |
| 31103 | Veterinarians |
| 31302 | Nurse practitioners |
| 31303 | Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals |
| 40010 | Government managers – health and social policy development and program administration |
| 40011 | Government managers – economic analysis, policy development and program administration |
| 40012 | Government managers – education policy development and program administration |
| 40019 | Other managers in public administration |
| 40040 | Commissioned police officers and related occupations in public protection services |
| 40041 | Fire chiefs and senior firefighting officers |
| 41100 | Judges |
| 41101 | Lawyers and Quebec notaries |
| 41200 | University professors and lecturers |
| 60010 | Corporate sales managers |
| 80010 | Managers in natural resources production and fishing |
| 90011 | Utilities managers |
Level 2: Occupations With a Median Wage at Least 1.5 Times but Less Than Twice the Overall Workforce Median
This category offers 40 additional CRS points for eligible Canadian work experience and 70 points for a qualifying job offer. It covers a broad mix of technology, engineering, healthcare, education, business, transportation, management and skilled trade occupations.
| NOC code | Eligible occupation |
|---|---|
| 00014 | Senior managers – trade, broadcasting and other services |
| 00015 | Senior managers – construction, transportation, production and utilities |
| 10019 | Other administrative services managers |
| 10022 | Advertising, marketing and public relations managers |
| 10029 | Other business services managers |
| 10030 | Telecommunication carriers managers |
| 11103 | Securities agents, investment dealers and brokers |
| 11201 | Professional occupations in business management consulting |
| 21100 | Physicists and astronomers |
| 21102 | Geoscientists and oceanographers |
| 21103 | Meteorologists and climatologists |
| 21109 | Other professional occupations in physical sciences |
| 21111 | Forestry professionals |
| 21120 | Public and environmental health and safety professionals |
| 21202 | Urban and land use planners |
| 21210 | Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries |
| 21211 | Data scientists |
| 21220 | Cybersecurity specialists |
| 21221 | Business systems specialists |
| 21222 | Information systems specialists |
| 21223 | Database analysts and data administrators |
| 21230 | Computer systems developers and programmers |
| 21231 | Software engineers and designers |
| 21232 | Software developers and programmers |
| 21300 | Civil engineers |
| 21301 | Mechanical engineers |
| 21310 | Electrical and electronics engineers |
| 21311 | Computer engineers, except software engineers and designers |
| 21320 | Chemical engineers |
| 21321 | Industrial and manufacturing engineers |
| 21322 | Metallurgical and materials engineers |
| 21331 | Geological engineers |
| 21390 | Aerospace engineers |
| 21399 | Other professional engineers |
| 22231 | Engineering inspectors and regulatory officers |
| 22312 | Industrial instrument technicians and mechanics |
| 30010 | Managers in health care |
| 31110 | Dentists |
| 31112 | Audiologists and speech-language pathologists |
| 31120 | Pharmacists |
| 31200 | Psychologists |
| 31202 | Physiotherapists |
| 31203 | Occupational therapists |
| 31300 | Nursing coordinators and supervisors |
| 31301 | Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses |
| 32111 | Dental hygienists and dental therapists |
| 40020 | Administrators – post-secondary education and vocational training |
| 40021 | School principals and administrators of elementary and secondary education |
| 40030 | Managers in social, community and correctional services |
| 40042 | Commissioned officers of the Canadian Armed Forces |
| 41210 | College and other vocational instructors |
| 41220 | Secondary school teachers |
| 41221 | Elementary school and kindergarten teachers |
| 41310 | Police investigators and other investigative occupations |
| 41311 | Probation and parole officers |
| 41320 | Educational counsellors |
| 41401 | Economists and economic policy researchers and analysts |
| 41402 | Business development officers and market researchers and analysts |
| 41404 | Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers |
| 41407 | Program officers unique to government |
| 42100 | Police officers, except commissioned |
| 42101 | Firefighters |
| 50010 | Library, archive, museum and art gallery managers |
| 50011 | Managers – publishing, motion pictures, broadcasting and performing arts |
| 51100 | Librarians |
| 70010 | Construction managers |
| 70012 | Facility operation and maintenance managers |
| 70020 | Managers in transportation |
| 70021 | Postal and courier services managers |
| 72011 | Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations |
| 72012 | Contractors and supervisors, pipefitting trades |
| 72023 | Supervisors, railway transport operations |
| 72103 | Boilermakers |
| 72202 | Power system electricians |
| 72203 | Electrical power line and cable workers |
| 72301 | Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers |
| 72406 | Elevator constructors and mechanics |
| 72600 | Air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors |
| 72601 | Air traffic controllers and related occupations |
| 72604 | Railway traffic controllers and marine traffic regulators |
| 73310 | Railway and yard locomotive engineers |
| 82020 | Supervisors, mining and quarrying |
| 82021 | Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services |
| 83101 | Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers |
| 90010 | Manufacturing managers |
| 92011 | Supervisors, petroleum, gas and chemical processing and utilities |
| 92100 | Power engineers and power systems operators |
| 93100 | Central control and process operators, mineral and metal processing |
| 93101 | Central control and process operators, petroleum, gas and chemical processing |
Level 3: Occupations With a Median Wage at Least 1.3 Times but Less Than 1.5 Times the Overall Workforce Median
The third group provides 20 additional CRS points for eligible Canadian work experience and 50 points for a qualifying job offer. It includes financial professionals, architects, scientists, social workers, technical specialists, construction supervisors, mechanics, transport workers and other occupations.
| NOC code | Eligible occupation |
|---|---|
| 00010 | Legislators |
| 11100 | Financial auditors and accountants |
| 11101 | Financial and investment analysts |
| 11102 | Financial advisors |
| 11109 | Other financial officers |
| 11200 | Human resources professionals |
| 12201 | Insurance adjusters and claims examiners |
| 12203 | Assessors, business valuators and appraisers |
| 21101 | Chemists |
| 21110 | Biologists and related scientists |
| 21112 | Agricultural representatives, consultants and specialists |
| 21200 | Architects |
| 21201 | Landscape architects |
| 21203 | Land surveyors |
| 21234 | Web developers and programmers |
| 22214 | Technical occupations in geomatics and meteorology |
| 22232 | Occupational health and safety specialists |
| 22233 | Construction inspectors |
| 22310 | Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians |
| 22313 | Aircraft instrument, electrical and avionics mechanics, technicians and inspectors |
| 31121 | Dietitians and nutritionists |
| 32102 | Paramedical occupations |
| 32103 | Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists |
| 32120 | Medical laboratory technologists |
| 32121 | Medical radiation technologists |
| 32122 | Medical sonographers |
| 41300 | Social workers |
| 41400 | Natural and applied science policy researchers, consultants and program officers |
| 41403 | Social policy researchers, consultants and program officers |
| 41405 | Education policy researchers, consultants and program officers |
| 41409 | Other professional occupations in social science |
| 43201 | Correctional service officers |
| 43203 | Border services, customs and immigration officers |
| 50012 | Recreation, sports and fitness program and service directors |
| 51101 | Conservators and curators |
| 51102 | Archivists |
| 51111 | Authors and writers, except technical |
| 51112 | Technical writers |
| 51120 | Producers, directors, choreographers and related occupations |
| 52112 | Broadcast technicians |
| 60020 | Retail and wholesale trade managers |
| 60031 | Accommodation service managers |
| 60040 | Managers in customer and personal services |
| 72010 | Contractors and supervisors, machining, metal forming, shaping and erecting trades and related occupations |
| 72013 | Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades |
| 72014 | Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers |
| 72020 | Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades |
| 72021 | Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews |
| 72102 | Sheet metal workers |
| 72105 | Ironworkers |
| 72201 | Industrial electricians |
| 72302 | Gas fitters |
| 72320 | Bricklayers |
| 72321 | Insulators |
| 72401 | Heavy-duty equipment mechanics |
| 72403 | Railway carmen/women |
| 72404 | Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors |
| 72500 | Crane operators |
| 72602 | Deck officers, water transport |
| 72603 | Engineer officers, water transport |
| 73311 | Railway conductors and brakemen/women |
| 82010 | Supervisors, logging and forestry |
| 83100 | Underground production and development miners |
| 83120 | Fishing masters and officers |
| 92010 | Supervisors, mineral and metal processing |
| 93102 | Pulping, papermaking and coating control operators |
Which Industries May Benefit From the New High-Wage Rules?
The list covers considerably more than technology and healthcare. It includes several professional and technical fields, as well as supervisory and operational occupations that may not always receive attention in general Express Entry discussions. This makes checking the precise NOC code particularly important for applicants whose roles have specialized responsibilities.
Healthcare and medical professions: Physicians, surgeons, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, pharmacists, dentists, psychologists, physiotherapists, medical laboratory technologists and other healthcare occupations appear at different wage levels. Their placement depends on the NOC classification rather than simply being part of the healthcare sector.
Technology, science and engineering: Software engineers, software developers, cybersecurity specialists, data scientists, computer systems professionals, civil engineers, electrical engineers and other engineering occupations are included. However, not every technology or engineering role automatically qualifies, so applicants should confirm their exact NOC code.
Skilled trades and industrial work: The list includes occupations such as boilermakers, industrial electricians, gas fitters, crane operators, elevator constructors, heavy-duty equipment mechanics, sheet metal workers and power system electricians. Some candidates in these fields may find that their work experience falls into a different wage tier than expected.
Education, management and public services: Teachers, university professors, college instructors, construction managers, financial managers, public administration managers, police officers and firefighters also appear. The relevant wage tier varies by occupation, so applicants should not assume that all jobs within a sector receive the same number of points.
What Happens If IRCC Changes the Occupation List After an Invitation?
IRCC has explained how it will handle changes to the high-wage occupation list after an Invitation to Apply (ITA) has been issued. If an occupation is added, removed or moved to a different wage level after the invitation date, the applicable level will remain the one that was in effect on the date the candidate received the ITA.
This means candidates should keep a record of their profile information and the relevant rules when their invitation is issued. It is also sensible to retain employment letters, job descriptions and other evidence supporting the NOC code claimed in the profile. Such records can help demonstrate that the candidate’s work experience matches the occupation requirements when the permanent residence application is assessed.
What Existing Express Entry Candidates Should Do Before November 3
Candidates already in the Express Entry pool should review their profiles before the changes take effect. The new rules may alter their CRS scores, but the impact will depend on their qualifying Canadian work experience, occupation and any eligible job offer. A candidate should not assume that being employed in a well-paid role automatically results in additional points.
Here are practical steps to take:
- Confirm your NOC code. Compare your actual duties and responsibilities with the official NOC description instead of relying only on your job title.
- Check the official high-wage list. Identify the wage tier assigned to your occupation and verify that the code appears on IRCC’s list effective November 3, 2026.
- Review your Canadian work experience. Confirm that the experience meets Express Entry’s existing requirements and that you have at least 12 months of qualifying experience if you are seeking high-wage occupation work-experience points.
- Review any job offer. Check whether it meets IRCC’s definition of a qualifying job offer and whether the employer and position can satisfy the applicable requirements.
- Update your profile where necessary. Follow IRCC’s instructions for reporting a qualifying job offer, particularly where the offer does not have an LMIA.
- Monitor the transition. IRCC says automatic CRS recalculations may take up to two weeks, and invitation rounds will pause during this process.
The most useful preparation is to verify the underlying evidence before changing a profile. If your occupation is listed but your work duties do not match the NOC description, claiming that code could create problems later. If you are unsure how your role should be classified, seek qualified immigration advice rather than selecting a code simply because it appears to offer more points.
Frequently Asked Questions
The new list is scheduled to take effect on November 3, 2026. The published list uses wage data from 2023 to 2025 and groups eligible NOC codes into three levels according to their median wages relative to the overall Canadian workforce median.
The list published by IRCC contains 186 eligible NOC codes across three wage levels. The correct tier is determined by the NOC code, so applicants should verify their specific occupation rather than relying on a broad industry label.
No. Being employed in a listed occupation does not automatically guarantee additional points. Candidates must satisfy the applicable requirements for qualifying Canadian work experience or a qualifying job offer, and their employment must match the relevant NOC classification.
No. Under the new Labour Market Integration factor, candidates can receive points through qualifying Canadian work experience or a qualifying job offer, but cannot combine the two sets of points. The applicable route and number of points depend on the candidate’s circumstances and the occupation’s wage tier.
Under the announced changes, an LMIA will no longer be required for a qualifying job offer to receive the relevant CRS points or to meet job-offer requirements under the Federal Skilled Worker Program and Federal Skilled Trades Program. The job offer must still meet IRCC’s requirements, including the assessment of whether it is genuine.
Fact Check: This article is based on IRCC's official High-wage occupations and how we assess them list and its announcement of changes to Express Entry points for Canadian work experience and job offers, published October 16, 2026. The occupation list is scheduled to take effect on November 3, 2026. Verify the latest requirements directly with the official IRCC high-wage occupations list and the official Express Entry changes page.
Disclaimer: This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or immigration advice. Immigration rules and eligibility requirements may change, so readers should verify the latest information with IRCC or consult a qualified immigration professional before making decisions about their applications.
