Candidates applying through Express Entry 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).
This change officially took effect on March 25, 2025, as per the latest Ministerial Instructions.
What This Means for Express Entry Candidates
Previously, candidates could gain either 50 or 200 CRS points if they had arranged employment, significantly boosting their chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency. Now, those extra points have been removed, directly impacting the CRS scores of affected candidates.
However, individuals who have already received an ITA or have ongoing PR applications will not be affected by this adjustment.
Temporary Measure With No End Date Announced
In a press release on December 23, 2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) described this as a temporary measure but did not provide a timeline for when it might be reversed.
Despite the removal of additional points, most sections outlining what qualifies as a valid job offer remain unchanged in the updated Ministerial Instructions.
Updates to CRS Scores
IRCC has acknowledged that the changes will take a few days to reflect in candidates’ CRS scores. They have advised applicants not to contact them unless discrepancies persist for over a week.
Even though job offers no longer provide CRS points, they remain important for eligibility in programs like the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and certain Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams.
Impact on Express Entry Candidates
With this change, candidates who previously benefited from extra CRS points for job offers will see their scores decrease by 50 or 200 points.
For example, consider two candidates, Jane and Dave, both applying under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC):
Before the change:
- Jane: 540 points (including 50 points for a job offer)
- Dave: 500 points
After the change:
- Jane: 490 points
- Dave: 500 points
If a future Express Entry draw has a cutoff of 495, Dave would receive an ITA while Jane would not.
This change levels the playing field for candidates without job offers, as their scores remain unchanged while others lose additional points.
Changes for Physicians’ Job Offers
Another key update in the Ministerial Instructions is the removal of an exception that previously allowed certain physicians to qualify for arranged employment points with job offers of less than one year.
This exception applied to job offers from provincial governments, government agencies, or healthcare organizations. With its removal, physicians must now meet standard job offer criteria.
How the CRS System Works
The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) is a points-based system used to rank candidates in the Express Entry pool based on factors such as:
- Age
- Education
- Language proficiency
- Work experience
Additional points can still be earned through factors like:
- French language proficiency
- Canadian post-secondary education
- Having a sibling in Canada
- A provincial or territorial nomination
IRCC regularly conducts Express Entry draws, inviting the highest-scoring candidates to apply for permanent residence.
Why Did Canada Remove CRS Points for Job Offers?
This decision follows a December 17, 2024, announcement by former Immigration Minister Marc Miller, who cited concerns over fraudulent LMIA purchases.
By eliminating CRS points for job offers, the government aims to reduce fraud and strengthen the integrity of Canada’s immigration system.
This move is part of a broader effort to combat immigration fraud, which has included proposed regulations such as a compensation fund for victims of unethical immigration consultants.
