Maple News reports that Canada is considering reforms to the Express Entry system that would give greater weight to applicants in higher-wage occupations, via a new high-wage occupation factor in the CRS.
Under the proposed framework, candidates whose jobs pay at least twice the national median wage, or 1.5x or 1.3x the median, would earn extra CRS points. The boost would be tied to either Canadian work experience or a confirmed job offer in a qualifying occupation.
IRCC has not published an official list of qualifying occupations. The final list will be anchored to Statistics Canada wage data and the Job Bank’s median wages by National Occupational Classification (NOC) code.
Using the 2025 Job Bank median hourly wages and the 2024 national median wage data by NOC, CIC News sketches an illustrative map of possible tiers. It emphasizes that this is not a final list and should not be treated as IRCC’s definitive plan.
Representative occupations by tier (illustrative only):
– 2x national median wage (Tier 2x)
– Specialists in surgery (31101)
– General practitioners and family physicians (31102)
– Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine (31100)
– Senior managers – financial, communications and other business services (00012)
– Government managers – education policy development and program administration (40012)
– Government managers – economic analysis, policy development and program administration (40011)
– Senior government managers and officials (00011)
– Petroleum engineers (21332)
– Computer and information systems managers (20012)
– Architecture and science managers (20011)
– 1.5x national median wage
– Government managers – economic analysis, policy development and program administration (40012)
– Administrators – post-secondary education and vocational training (40020)
– Software engineers and designers (20041)
– School principals and administrators of elementary and secondary education (40021)
– Mining engineers (20036)
– Cybersecurity specialists (21122)
– Electrical and electronics engineers (20032)
– Managers in transportation (70020)
– Secondary school teachers (41220)
– Software engineers and designers (21231)
– 1.3x national median wage
– Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations (72011)
– Central control and process operators, mineral and metal processing (93100)
– Systems testing technicians (20046)
– Business development officers and market researchers and analysts (41402)
– Financial and investment analysts (11101)
– Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers (72111)
– Ironworkers (72105)
– Crane operators (72500)
– Securities agents, investment dealers and brokers (11103)
– Land surveyors (21203)
The occupations listed here are illustrative and not exhaustive. The final IRCC eligibility list will determine which roles qualify for the high-wage points boost, and how the tiers are applied in practice.
Looking ahead, the high-wage factor could shift the Express Entry mix toward high-demand sectors such as healthcare, tech and energy. It may also pose challenges for regions with lower wage baselines and for applicants in mid-skill roles. Maple News will monitor official IRCC updates and provide analysis as details emerge.