Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) says it is working on a broader set of Express Entry reforms that includes adding CRS points for job offers again. IRCC also says it wants to add points for Canadian work experience in high-wage occupations, and to consider how to reward candidates who are certified to work in regulated occupations.
This information appears in IRCC’s official 2026–27 Departmental Plan. The plan does not provide an implementation date, so these are best understood as planned reforms, not rules that are already in force.
What IRCC says it wants to change
In the departmental plan, IRCC lists planned Express Entry reforms that include:
- Adding points for job offers
- Adding points for Canadian work experience in high-wage occupations
- Considering how to reward candidates who are certified to work in regulated occupations
Source: IRCC 2026–27 Departmental Plan.
Why this matters: job offer points were removed in March 2025
IRCC removed job offer points from Express Entry on March 25, 2025. IRCC’s official Express Entry job offer guidance page states that points were removed for all candidates in the pool (including those who would previously have received 50 or 200 points depending on the job type).
Official IRCC page: Job offer – Express Entry (IRCC).
IRCC first announced this removal as an anti-fraud measure in December 2024, saying it would reduce incentives to illegally buy or sell LMIAs.
Official IRCC release: Canada takes action to reduce fraud in Express Entry system.
What “high-wage occupations” could mean (IRCC has not defined it yet)
IRCC’s departmental plan uses the term “high-wage occupations” but does not define what wage threshold would apply inside Express Entry.
One existing federal definition appears in the Temporary Foreign Worker Program context, where wage thresholds for high-wage/low-wage positions are based on wage benchmarks published by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). These wage threshold pages are updated and used for program administration, but IRCC has not confirmed that the same approach will be used for Express Entry scoring.
Official ESDC wage threshold reference: Wage thresholds by province/territory (TFWP).
What candidates should do now (while details are still unknown)
Because IRCC has not announced timelines or the exact scoring model, the practical approach for candidates is to plan based on the current rules, while preparing for possible future scoring updates.
- Know your current CRS: use Canadianow’s CRS calculator to estimate where you stand today.
- Don’t rely on rumors about “job offer points returning next month”: IRCC has not published dates or Ministerial Instructions yet.
- If you are building Canadian work experience: review realistic pathways through work in Canada, including Canadianow’s Foreign Worker guide.
- If you’re targeting Ontario pathways: provincial nomination can still be a major advantage, so keep an eye on Ontario options via Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP).
- If you’re in a regulated occupation: start learning the provincial licensing steps early, because IRCC specifically mentions rewarding candidates who are certified to work in regulated roles (even though the point system is not published yet).
FAQ
Are Express Entry job offer points already back?
No. IRCC confirms job offer points were removed as of March 25, 2025. Any return of points would require new official instructions or policy updates. See: Job offer – Express Entry (IRCC).
When will IRCC bring back job offer points?
IRCC has not provided a timeline. The 2026–27 departmental plan describes planned reforms over upcoming fiscal years, but it does not commit to a specific implementation date. Source: IRCC Departmental Plan.
Will the points be the same as before (50 or 200)?
IRCC has not confirmed the number of points or the design. The only confirmed information right now is that IRCC intends to add points for job offers again as part of wider reforms, including high-wage Canadian work experience and regulated-occupation certification.
Reality check
IRCC’s departmental plan is an important signal, but it is not the same as a finalized rule change. Until IRCC publishes formal instructions and scoring details, candidates should avoid making expensive decisions based only on headlines. The safer approach is to optimize what still counts today (language, education, Canadian experience, and provincial nomination options) while monitoring IRCC’s official updates for the final design of any job-offer CRS changes.
