Express Entry candidates will no longer receive additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for holding a valid job offer—even those backed by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
This change took effect under new Ministerial Instructions issued on March 25, 2025.
Previously, candidates with arranged employment could gain an extra 50 or 200 CRS points, significantly improving their chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency through Express Entry.
Now, all candidates who previously benefitted from those extra points will see their CRS scores decrease accordingly. However, individuals who have already received an ITA or submitted a permanent residency application are not impacted by this change.
In a press release dated December 23, 2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) confirmed that the removal of these bonus points is a temporary measure, though no timeline was given for when it might end.
Interestingly, the March 25 update to the Ministerial Instructions retains definitions and criteria for what constitutes a valid job offer, even though it eliminates the associated CRS points.
On its official CRS page, IRCC has noted that it may take a few days for updated scores to appear correctly and has asked candidates not to reach out unless the issue persists for more than a week.
Despite this change, valid job offers remain important for eligibility in the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and certain Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams.
Impact on Express Entry Candidates
With this policy now in effect, candidates who had received extra CRS points for a job offer will lose those points (either 50 or 200), resulting in lower overall scores.
This will make it more difficult for such candidates to receive ITAs in future Express Entry draws.
Conversely, those without job offers may benefit, as their scores remain unchanged while others in the pool drop in rank, increasing their chances of selection.
Example Scenario
Consider two hypothetical candidates, Andrew and Anita, both eligible under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC):
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Before the change:
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Andrew: 540 points (including 50 points for a job offer)
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Anita: 500 points
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After the change:
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Andrew: 490 points (loss of 50)
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Anita: 500 points (unchanged)
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If the next CEC draw has a CRS cutoff of 495, Anita would receive an ITA, but Andrew would not.
Change in Employment Offer Rules for Physicians
The updated instructions also eliminated Section 29(4), which had allowed job offers of less than one year for physicians to qualify—provided the offer came from a provincial government, government-related agency, or healthcare organization. This pathway for short-term physician offers no longer applies.
Understanding the CRS System
The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores candidates out of 1200 points based on several criteria, including:
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Age
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Educational background
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Language proficiency
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Work experience
Additional points may also be awarded for:
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French language ability
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Canadian education
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A sibling living in Canada (as a citizen or permanent resident)
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A provincial nomination
IRCC regularly conducts draws, inviting the highest-ranking candidates to apply for permanent residence.
Why Were CRS Points for Job Offers Removed?
On December 17, 2024, then-Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced the planned removal of CRS points for job offers, citing concerns over the illegal “purchase” of LMIAs.
According to the federal government, this measure is intended to combat immigration fraud and uphold the integrity of the immigration system. The change comes amid broader efforts by IRCC to prevent fraudulent practices, including a proposal to create a compensation fund for victims of unethical immigration consultants.
