Effective March 25, 2025, Express Entry candidates will no longer receive additional CRS points for having a valid job offer, including those supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). This is a long-anticipated change, first announced in December 2024, and is now in effect and could impact your chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply for permanent residency.
- No More Job Offer Points: Previously, candidates could earn 50 or 200 CRS points for arranged employment. These points have now been removed from the CRS calculation.
- Temporary Measure: IRCC has stated this is a temporary change to combat fraud (e.g., fake job offers/LMIAs), but no end date has been confirmed.
- Who’s Affected: All active Express Entry candidates with job offers will see their scores drop by 50 or 200 points. Candidates with ITAs or PR applications in progress are not affected. Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) and some federal streams (FSWP, FSTP) still consider job offers for eligibility.
Impact of the New Policy on the Applicants
- If You Had a Job Offer: Your CRS score just decreased—recalculating your points is important to understanding your new position in the pool.
- If You Don’t Have a Job Offer: Your score stays the same, but you may now have a better chance in draws as others’ scores drop.
- Physicians previously qualifying under Section 29(4) must now meet standard employment duration requirements.
Example
- Before: Joe (500 CRS = 450 + 50 job offer points) vs. Maryjane (500 CRS).
- After: Joe’s score falls to 450, while Maryjane’s remains at 500; if the cutoff is 490, Maryjane gets the ITA—not Joe.
Program-Specific Implications
While the CRS point adjustment is sweeping, job offers retain importance in several immigration pathways:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program: Job offers remain part of the minimum eligibility requirements
- Federal Skilled Trades Program: Valid offers continue to be mandatory for qualification
- Provincial Nominee Programs: Most provincial streams still consider job offers for nomination criteria
Recommended Actions for the Applicants
Affected applicants should:
- Recalculate CRS scores using official tools
- Monitor provincial nomination opportunities
- Consider alternative point enhancement strategies (language testing, credential assessments)
- Allow 5-7 business days for system updates before inquiring about score discrepancies, as although this change will officially take effect on March 25, 2025, it may take a few days for your CRS points to be updated accordingly in your profile.
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This policy change represents the most major Express Entry modification since the introduction of category-based draws. Immigration experts anticipate it may temporarily reduce draw cut-off scores while applicants and employers adjust to these changes.
Keshav Sharma, a licensed expert and Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant, leads a team of seasoned professionals handling all immigration matters. Our team is equipped with the knowledge and experience to guide you through every step of the process. Don’t leave your immigration journey to chance. You can contact our experts today to get started on your Canada visa application.
