Canada's Express Entry program removes job offer points

Starting March 25, Canada's Express Entry program will not award extra points for job offers. This change is intended to cut down on fraud and will affect the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores of all candidates, including those already in the application pool. The decision was announced in December by the former immigration minister Marc Miller. Today, a ministerial instruction confirmed that job offers, which previously provided additional points of either 50 or 200 when supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), will no longer impact the CRS scores. Candidates who have already received invitations to apply for permanent residency are not affected by this change. However, it will influence future applications and recalibrate the scores of candidates currently in the selection pool. Despite the removal of extra points for job offers, having a valid job offer will still be necessary for some application streams under the Express Entry system. Immigration officials advise candidates to keep job offer information in their profiles. The main goal of this adjustment is to reduce fraud related to buying or selling LMIAs. Under the Express Entry system, candidates receive a CRS score based on several factors, including age, education, language skills, and work experience. Age plays a significant role in scoring. For example, applicants aged 20-29 can earn up to 110 points without a spouse, while those over 45 receive no points. The elimination of job offer points removes a crucial advantage for experienced professionals, particularly those in their 40s. Canada's plan for 2025-2027 focuses on converting temporary residents in key sectors into permanent residents. Over 40% of new permanent residents will be former temporary residents, helping to ease the impact on housing and the economy. A target of 55,000 applicants per year for the Provincial Nominee Program has been set for the next three years. India continues to be the largest source country for new permanent residents. In 2023, nearly 52,100 Indians received invitations, making up 47% of the total invitations issued.