Express Entry candidates will no longer receive additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for holding a genuine job offer, including those accompanied by a Labour Market Impact Assessment. The update was made to the Ministerial Instructions, which became effective March 25, 2025.
Prior to this change, Express Entry candidates may earn an additional 50 or 200 CRS points for arranged employment, increasing their chances of receiving an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residence (PR) via Express Entry.
This change impacts the CRS scores of all Express Entry candidates who previously received bonus points for organized employment.
Candidates who have already received ITAs or are currently pursuing PR applications are unaffected.
In a press release issued on December 23, 2024, IRCC indicated that the removal of additional points is a temporary measure, but did not specify when the action will end.
The Ministerial Instructions as of March 25, 2025 retain the majority of the parts explaining what makes a qualifying offer of arranged employment, notwithstanding the removal of the portion that awards points for such an offer.
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) advises on their CRS homepage that "it may take a few days" for candidates' new scores to appear correctly, and requests that impacted candidates do not contact them until their score remains inaccurate for more than a week.
A genuine job offer will still be considered for eligibility under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and several Provincial Nominee Program streams.
This is a breaking news article. CIC News will continue to update this post as new information becomes available.
How does this change affect Express Entry candidates?
Now that this adjustment is in force, candidates with genuine job offers will see their CRS scores drop by the amount rewarded for their valid job offer (50 or 200).
This means that people with valid employment offers will have a lower likelihood of acquiring ITAs via Express Entry.
Candidates without a genuine job offer, on the other hand, can expect their chances of earning an ITA to increase since, while their scores remain unchanged, the scores of other candidates in the pool will have fallen.
How does Canada's Comprehensive Ranking System work?
CRS is a points-based system that evaluates and ranks qualified individuals in the Express Entry pool.
Because Express Entry is so competitive, additional CRS points, such as those previously provided for a genuine job offer, can sometimes mean the difference between getting PR and not being able to move to Canada.
This pertains to candidates applying under.
Candidates receive a score out of 1200 depending on a range of elements, including
Age;
Education;
Language proficiency; and
Work experience.
Other ways for applicants to earn extra points include
French language skills;
Post-secondary education in Canada;
Having a sibling living in Canada as a Canadian citizen or permanent resident; and
Having a provincial or territorial nomination.
The government conducts frequent drawings, and the top candidates are invited to apply for PR.
Why did Canada withdraw valid job offers with CRS points from Express Entry?
Former Immigration Minister Marc Miller first announced plans to modify the CRS points on December 17, 2024.
At the time, Miller stated that this would eliminate incentives for candidates to "purchase an LMIA," which is prohibited in Canada.
The federal government has now indicated that this policy will assist minimize fraud while also "strengthening the integrity of Canada's immigration system."
Over the last few months, the federal government has intensified its efforts to combat immigration fraud.
Earlier this year, the IRCC suggested a series of new laws to prevent fraud, including the establishment of a compensation fund for victims of unethical immigration consultants.
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