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Express Entry Job Offer CRS points – Officially Removed
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has officially implemented the proposed changes to the Express Entry (EE) system that will impact the ranking of many immigration candidates seeking Canadian permanent residency. As of March 25, 2025, individuals with a valid Labour Market Impact Assessment LMIA-based job offer will no longer receive additional points for their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.
Exceptions to Earning Job Offer Points
If you are applying for programs such as the Federal Skilled Trades Program, Federal Skilled Worker Program, or certain streams under Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP), where a job offer is part of the program’s eligibility requirements, this change to the Express Entry system will not affect your eligibility for these programs. If you’re applying through any of these three programs, make sure to update your Express Entry profile and indicate your job offer details to ensure that you maintain your eligibility. For more information regarding program-specific requirements please visit the Government of Canada website.
Why did Canada Remove Job Offer Points for Express Entry?
As we mentioned in our previous article, this decision from the Canadian government comes as a response to concerns over candidates purchasing, manipulating or even fabricating their LMIA-based job offers to boost their CRS scores. By doing so, these candidates gained an unfair advantage in receiving an invitation to apply (ITA), leading to an unjust immigration process.
What is a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) Score?
The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) is a points-based system used by Canada to rank skilled workers who wish to immigrate through the Express Entry program. The CRS grants points to candidates based on a variety of factors indicated in their application, such as their age, education, language ability, and work experience. The points assigned are summed up to create your CRS score, which varies from person to person. The higher your CRS score, the better your chances of receiving an ITA.
Impact of Job Offer Removal on CRS Score
With the removal of an additional 200 or 50 CRS points for having a valid job offer, for those who have valid job offers and are currently in the candidate pool, CRS scores will drop by however many points they were initially granted. This decrease in points will make it harder for some candidates to meet high CRS cutoffs, thus, individuals with valid job offers will have a lower chance of receiving an ITA for permanent residency as their applications may not compete with the applications of those who are unaffected by the change.
Due to the recent implementation of this change, IRCC has stated that it may take several days for the new CRS scores to be displayed correctly in the system. IRCC has instructed candidates not to contact them unless their scores have not been updated within a week.
For more information on how these changes may affect your Express Entry application or how to update your profile, contact us at Canadim today.
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