Canada drops CRS bonus for job offers: Impact on Express Entry applicants

Applying to live and work in Canada? You must note that effective March 25, 2025, those seeking permanent residency through the Express Entry system will no longer receive additional points for having a job offer.

 

The change, first mentioned in December 2024 by Marc Miller, who was then immigration minister, was confirmed on Tuesday through a ministerial instruction issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

 

What’s changing for Express Entry candidates

 

From March 25, candidates will no longer earn extra Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for valid job offers.

Previously, candidates could receive 50 or 200 additional points for job offers supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

 

The change affects all profiles currently in the Express Entry pool and new applicants going forward.

 

Those who have already received invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residence or whose applications are being processed will not be impacted. But for candidates currently in the pool, their CRS scores will be recalculated to reflect the removal of these job offer points.

 

IRCC's notice

 

IRCC has acknowledged the update on its CRS score webpage and advised that recalculated scores may take a few days to appear correctly. “It may take a few days for your new score to appear. Please don’t contact us unless your score hasn’t been updated after one week,” said the department.

 

While the job offer no longer adds CRS points, it will still be relevant for eligibility under:

 

The Federal Skilled Worker Program  

The Federal Skilled Trades Program  

Some Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams

 

The March 25 version of the Ministerial Instructions retains sections on what qualifies as an arranged job offer, despite removing the section on awarding points for it.

 

Buying fake LMIAs had become a problem

 

An LMIA is a document issued by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) allowing Canadian employers to hire foreign workers if no Canadian is available for the job. Until now, this report could give applicants an extra boost in CRS points.

 

But the system had been misused. “Earlier, candidates with a CRS score of around 470, 480, or 500, where the cut-off for invitations could be as high as 540, 550, or 560, were purchasing fake LMIA job offers for large sums of money, between $30,000 and $50,000,” said Ajay Sharma, an immigration expert. “This would raise their points and improve their chances of receiving an invitation to apply.”

 

Sharma said removing the 50 points linked to LMIA-backed job offers is expected to reduce misuse and make the process fairer.

 

Impact on high-demand occupations and future cut-offs

 

While job offer points are being removed, candidates in high-demand sectors such as healthcare could still have an edge.

 

“For those outside of Canada without a job offer, the change could open up more opportunities,” said Sharma. “The CRS cut-off is expected to drop to between 450 and 500 in the next six months, making it easier for ordinary candidates to be invited to apply.”

 

IRCC said the removal of points is a temporary measure, but no date has been set for when or whether they will be reintroduced.