Ottawa is changing how it selects skilled immigrants, giving an edge to candidates who have Canadian work experience or a job offer in well-paid fields such as engineering, health care and the skilled trades. 

Starting early November, candidates in Express Entry, the system that manages applications for Canada’s main economic immigration programs, will be able to earn extra points for Canadian work experience or a job offer in a “high wage” occupation.  

“Canada is competing globally for people with the skills we need to build a prosperous economy and stronger public services. These changes will help us identify, attract, and retain the skilled newcomers who are best positioned to succeed in Canada,” Immigration Minister Lena Diab said on Friday. 

The announcement also comes weeks before Ottawa is expected to release its 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan, which sets annual targets for new permanent residents. 

Express Entry ranks candidates using the Comprehensive Ranking System, which scores them out of 1,200 points. These points come from factors such as age, education, official language ability and work experience, along with extra points like a provincial nomination or strong French skills. 

Under the new rules, a high-wage occupation meets a salary that’s at least 1.3 times the the overall median wage of the Canadian workforce. The test is based on typical earnings for the occupation, not on what an individual candidate is paid. 

A job offer will also no longer require a Labour Market Impact Assessment, a sometimes lengthy process where employers must prove why they need a foreign worker to count toward the candidate’s score. Instead, IRCC will check that the offers are genuine.

IRCC has yet to say how many points the new factors are worth, but candidates who are already in the pool will have their scores recalculated automatically, but those who want points for a job offer will need to update their profile before Nov. 3.