On December 17, Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced that Express Entry candidates will no longer receive additional points for job offers supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
Previously, candidates with valid job offers could gain an extra 50 or 200 points in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), giving them a significant advantage. A higher CRS score increases the likelihood of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency through Express Entry.
While Minister Miller confirmed removing these job offer points, further details about changes to the CRS scoring system have not yet been provided. It remains unclear how the CRS will function once these changes take effect.
Can I still earn CRS points for having arranged employment?
Before the recent changes, Canada’s Express Entry system awarded extra points for arranged employment. This applied to candidates under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).
To earn these points, candidates needed a valid job offer from a Canadian employer. A “valid job offer” had to meet specific requirements, including three possible scenarios, two of which involved LMIA-based jobs.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will no longer award additional points for job offers. While he did not specify an exact date, Miller stated that the changes would be implemented “as quickly as possible.”
It remains unclear whether current Express Entry candidates can still benefit from these points before the changes are enforced or if IRCC will pause non-PNP Express Entry draws until the new system is in place.
How will removing CRS points for job offers impact Express Entry?
Once this change is implemented, candidates with valid job offers will see their CRS scores decrease, reducing their likelihood of receiving Invitations to Apply (ITAs) through Express Entry.
Conversely, candidates without valid job offers may see their chances improve, as the scores of those with job offers will drop.
For instance, consider two hypothetical candidates, Aisha and Daniel. Aisha has a valid job offer in NOC 1, while Daniel does not. Before the change, their scores might look like this:
- Aisha: 530 points (including 50 points for the job offer).
- Daniel: 490 points.
After the change, Aisha’s score would drop to 480, while Daniel’s score would remain at 490. As a result, Daniel would have a better chance of receiving an ITA than Aisha.
Additionally, we can expect CRS cut-off scores for Express Entry draws to decrease, as candidates with job offers will no longer benefit from the extra points.
How can I boost my CRS score?
Here are some ways to increase your CRS score:
- Improve your language proficiency: If you’re not scoring the highest in your stronger official language, improving your language skills can boost your CRS score. For example, raising your score from CLB 6 to CLB 9 could add over 60 points in the human capital factors section.
- Enhance your skills in your weaker official language: In addition to improving your proficiency in your stronger language, you can earn extra points for your second language. For example, you could gain 50 points for French proficiency, which benefits English speakers the most.
- Get educational credential assessments (ECAs) for all your degrees: To have any foreign degree count for immigration, you need an ECA. By getting ECAs for additional degrees completed abroad, you can boost your score.
- Secure a provincial or territorial nomination: A provincial nomination can add 600 points to your CRS score. Consider exploring Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) and apply to the ones you’re eligible for.
- Obtain a Canadian degree: If you don’t already hold a Canadian degree, obtaining one can add 30 points to your CRS score in the education category.
