Maple News reports that Canada’s Immigration Minister Marc Miller has announced a major policy shift affecting Express Entry candidates. As of December 17, job offers supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) will no longer grant additional points under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), a move that could significantly alter the competitive landscape of the immigration pool.
Until now, Express Entry candidates with a valid job offer backed by an LMIA were eligible to receive either 50 or 200 bonus CRS points—depending on the role’s skill level. These points often gave applicants a substantial boost, improving their chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence.
This change impacts those applying through the three core federal programs managed under the Express Entry system: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). For years, arranged employment, particularly with an LMIA-supported offer, was a common strategy to increase CRS scores.
Maple News explains that removing these bonus points is expected to shift the dynamics within the Express Entry pool. With less weight given to Canadian job offers, the CRS cut-off scores for future draws may decline slightly, potentially benefiting highly skilled candidates without employer backing who previously fell just short of receiving an ITA.
Though the change was confirmed by Minister Miller, precise details on how the CRS scoring system will be recalibrated moving forward have yet to be released. This leaves many prospective immigrants and immigration professionals in a state of speculation while awaiting further clarification from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
It remains unclear whether any points will still be awarded under the ‘arranged employment’ category in the absence of LMIA backing or if other forms of job offers—such as exempt positions under international agreements or intra-company transfers—will still earn applicants a competitive edge.
This shift aligns with broader goals of Canada’s evolving immigration strategy, which appears to move away from employer-dependent pathways in favor of a more skills-based, targeted selection process. Recent months have already seen the introduction of category-based Express Entry draws, enabling Canada to select candidates based on labor market needs in areas like healthcare, STEM, and trades.
As Maple News continues to monitor these developments, one thing is clear: the Express Entry system is undergoing transformations that will affect how applicants prepare their profiles, set expectations, and plan their immigration journeys to Canada.