The new Express Entry rules are live: what to do this week

The Express Entry changes IRCC announced in October started on November 3, 2026. If you are in the pool, or planning to enter it, three things matter this week: how your score is now worked out, why invitation rounds have stopped for a short time, and whether you need to update your profile. For the background, see our full explanation and the before-and-after table.

What changed today

IRCC added a new Labour Market Integration factor to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). It is worth up to 150 points without a spouse or partner, or 140 with one. You score for either your Canadian work experience or a qualifying job offer, never both. IRCC gives you whichever is higher.

The work-length points are the same as before. What is new is the extra high-wage amount. It depends on the occupation’s median wage across Canada (its NOC code), not on what your own employer pays you.

Job offers earn points again, but only for a valid offer in an eligible high-wage occupation: 100 points at 2× the average wage, 70 at 1.5× and 50 at 1.3×. An offer no longer needs a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). Having one adds no points and gives no priority.

Skills transferability points do not change. They still use the length of your Canadian work only.

Why there are no draws right now

IRCC is recalculating the score of every profile in the pool under the new rules. It says this could take up to two weeks, and invitation rounds are paused until it is finished. The last rounds before the pause were a Provincial Nominee Program round on October 26 (cut-off 761), a French-language round on October 27 (407) and a transport occupations round on October 28 (477).

Those cut-offs were set under the old points system, so they are only a rough guide until rounds restart under the new scores. You can follow every round on our draw tracker.

What to do this week

1. Canadian work experience only: nothing. IRCC recalculates your points automatically. Log in once the recalculation is done and check your new score.
2. You have a job offer that is not in your profile: add it under Work history. Until IRCC updates the online form, it tells candidates to answer Yes to “Was a positive LMIA issued?” and enter LMIA number 00000, issue date 2026-01-01 and expiry date 2029-01-01.
3. Check your occupation: look up your NOC code on IRCC’s high-wage list, or let our CRS calculator do it for you.
4. Watch your work permit: a higher score does not extend your status. If your permit expires before you are invited, apply to extend it before the expiry date. Here is what to do if you applied late, and how restoration of status works.

An example: a two-year Canadian diploma graduate

Take a single candidate aged 20 to 29 with a two-year Ontario college diploma, CLB 9 in all four English skills and one year of full-time Canadian work. Under the new rules:

• If that year was in an occupation that is not on the high-wage list, the score stays at about 425. Nothing changes.
• If the year was in an occupation at the 1.5× level, such as software engineers and designers (NOC 21231), the extra 40 points take it to about 465.
• If instead they hold a valid job offer in an occupation at the 2× level, the factor becomes 100 instead of 40, for about 485.

Your own numbers depend on your age, education, test results and spouse. Our free CRS calculator uses the new rules and shows each line.

What has not changed

• You still need to qualify for the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program or the Federal Skilled Trades Program to enter the pool.
• If a job offer is part of how you qualify, for example in the Federal Skilled Trades Program, that rule stays. The offer can be in any eligible occupation, high-wage or not, and it no longer needs an LMIA.
• Category-based rounds continue, and a provincial nomination still adds 600 points.

Get your profile checked

If you have a job offer, work in a high-wage occupation, or a work permit ending soon, small profile details now move your score. Our licensed consultants at our Brampton and London offices can review your profile line by line before the next round. Book a consultation.

Sources: IRCC, 2026 changes to points for Canadian work experience and job offers; Check your score; High-wage occupations; Rounds of invitations. General information only, not legal advice. Confirm current requirements on canada.ca. IRCC makes all final decisions.