Maple News reports that foreign nationals in Canada’s Express Entry system can gain a significant advantage by understanding how Canadian employers engage with this pathway to hire international talent. As immigration continues to be the driving force behind Canada’s labour market growth—accounting for nearly all workforce expansion—employers are increasingly tapping into the Express Entry pool to address critical labour shortages.
Importantly, Canadian employers can only make job offers through Express Entry under specific conditions. First, the role must be classified as skilled work under the National Occupation Classification (NOC) system—specifically within Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibility (TEER) categories 0, 1, 2, or 3. These generally include management roles, professional occupations, and technical jobs.
Employers must also demonstrate that they have made reasonable efforts to hire Canadian citizens or permanent residents before offering positions to foreign candidates. This includes advertising the job on the Government of Canada’s Job Bank and at least two additional recruitment channels.
Most employers find potential candidates through the Job Bank’s ‘Job Match’ feature. This tool cross-references job postings with candidate profiles to identify potential fits. While the tool considers all users of the Job Bank, it can also connect employers to individuals already in the Express Entry pool.
To formally issue a job offer to an Express Entry candidate, employers often need to obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), which evaluates the necessity and impact of hiring a foreign worker. A positive or neutral LMIA bolsters the candidate’s Express Entry profile by awarding them extra points, hence increasing their likelihood of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency. Some job offers, however, may be exempt from the LMIA requirement, depending on the specific program or candidate circumstances.
Once all conditions are met, the employer issues a valid job offer under Express Entry guidelines, tightening the connection between Canada’s immigration system and workforce needs. This structure not only supports employers facing talent shortages but provides foreign professionals a clear pathway to permanent residency.
For Express Entry candidates, having an eligible job offer can dramatically improve their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score and speed up the immigration process. Candidates are encouraged to create thorough Job Bank profiles, align their skills with in-demand occupations, and proactively engage with the Canadian labour market.
As Canada continues to lean on skilled immigration for economic development, the synergy between employment and immigration policies will play a crucial role in shaping the country’s future workforce.