What is changing on November 3, 2026
From November 3, Canadian work experience becomes a labour market integration factor. The first table is the most each part of that factor can add. Years of Canadian experience change with a partner. The high-wage extra and a job offer do not. You receive the high-wage extra or the job offer, whichever is higher, not both. The whole factor then stops at the last row.
| Part | Without a partner | With a partner |
|---|---|---|
| Years of Canadian experience | 80 | 70 |
| High-wage experience | 70 | 70 |
| Job offer | 100 | 100 |
| Total Work Experience maximum | 150 | 140 |
Years of Canadian experience
These points stay. A partner lowers each row.
| Years of Canadian experience | Without a partner (up to 80) | With a partner (up to 70) |
|---|---|---|
| None or less than a year | 0 | 0 |
| 1 year | 40 | 35 |
| 2 years | 53 | 46 |
| 3 years | 64 | 56 |
| 4 years | 72 | 63 |
| 5 years or more | 80 | 70 |
High-wage experience
Added on top of the years table when you have at least 12 months of Canadian experience in a listed occupation. Only the highest row that applies counts.
| High-wage Canadian experience | Points |
|---|---|
| At least 12 months in a high-wage occupation with a median wage of at least twice the Canadian median | 70 |
| Otherwise, at least 12 months in a high-wage occupation with a median wage of at least 1.5 times the Canadian median | 40 |
| Otherwise, at least 12 months in a high-wage occupation with a median wage of at least 1.3 times the Canadian median | 20 |
| Less than 12 months of Canadian experience in a high-wage occupation | 0 |
Job offer
A set amount. It does not grow with years in Canada, and it no longer needs an LMIA.
| Job offer | Points |
|---|---|
| A job in a high-wage occupation with at least twice the Canadian median wage | 100 |
| A job in a high-wage occupation with at least 1.5 times, but less than twice, the Canadian median wage | 70 |
| A job in a high-wage occupation with at least 1.3 times, but less than 1.5 times, the Canadian median wage | 50 |
| A job that is not in a high-wage occupation | 0 |
Put a job offer on your existing profile before November 3 if you want these points.
Calculate your score with the new rules
Recent Express Entry rounds and cut-offs
Each row is one round type. Under Score in latest rounds, the cells run newest first. A blank cell means that round is not in the file yet. These cut-offs were set before November 3, and they do not predict the next round.
| Round | Score in latest rounds | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian Experience Class | 519 Oct 15 | 518 Sep 29 | 519 Sep 15 | 521 Sep 1 |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 772 Oct 13 | 725 Sep 28 | 734 Sep 14 | 697 Aug 31 |
| French-language proficiency | 435 Oct 16 | 382 Aug 19 | 391 Aug 6 | 399 Jul 22 |
| Healthcare and social services | 475 Sep 4 | 475 Jun 25 | 467 Feb 20 | — |
| Trade occupations | 476 Oct 1 | 477 Apr 2 | — | — |
| Senior managers with Canadian work experience | 389 Sep 16 | 392 Jul 10 | — | — |
| Physicians | 198 Sep 3 | — | — | — |
| Transport | 470 Aug 7 | — | — | — |
| Military | 368 Jul 23 | — | — | — |
Source: IRCC's Express Entry rounds.
How the CRS score is built
Four blocks. With a partner included, your own core points are lower and the partner block is added. A provincial nomination is 600 of the additional points.
| Block | Without a partner | With a partner |
|---|---|---|
| Core human capital | 500 | 460 |
| Spouse or partner | — | 40 |
| Skill transferability | 100 | 100 |
| Additional points | 600 | 600 |
Core human capital factors
Your own age, education, language and Canadian work experience. With a partner, each of these is worth less.
Age
Age points rise to a peak from 20 to 29, then fall every year and reach zero at 45. The table shows the peak and two ages on the way down, not every year between them.
| Age | Without a partner | With a partner |
|---|---|---|
| 17 or under | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | 99 | 90 |
| 19 | 105 | 95 |
| 20 to 29 | 110 | 100 |
| 30 | 105 | 95 |
| 40 | 50 | 45 |
| 45 or over | 0 | 0 |
Education
Your highest completed credential. A credential still in progress does not count.
| Highest education | Without a partner | With a partner |
|---|---|---|
| Less than secondary school | 0 | 0 |
| Secondary school | 30 | 28 |
| One-year post-secondary program | 90 | 84 |
| Two-year post-secondary program | 98 | 91 |
| Bachelor's degree, or a program of three years or longer | 120 | 112 |
| Two or more credentials, one of them three years or longer | 128 | 119 |
| Master's degree, or a professional degree for a licensed profession | 135 | 126 |
| Doctoral degree (PhD) | 150 | 140 |
First official language
Reading, writing, listening and speaking are scored separately. Every row is the points for one ability.
| Level | Without a partner | With a partner |
|---|---|---|
| Below CLB 4, each ability | 0 | 0 |
| CLB 4, each ability | 6 | 6 |
| CLB 5, each ability | 6 | 6 |
| CLB 6, each ability | 9 | 8 |
| CLB 7, each ability | 17 | 16 |
| CLB 8, each ability | 23 | 22 |
| CLB 9, each ability | 31 | 29 |
| CLB 10 or higher, each ability | 34 | 32 |
The same first-language level also opens skill transferability, further down. That section uses the lowest of your four abilities.
Second official language
A second official language adds fewer points. Every row is the points for one ability.
| Level | Points |
|---|---|
| Below CLB 4, each ability | 0 |
| CLB 4, each ability | 0 |
| CLB 5, each ability | 1 |
| CLB 6, each ability | 1 |
| CLB 7, each ability | 3 |
| CLB 8, each ability | 3 |
| CLB 9, each ability | 6 |
| CLB 10 or higher, each ability | 6 |
The second language cannot add more than 24 points without a partner, or 22 with one.
Canadian work experience
From November 3 these duration points stay, and a high-wage occupation can add a supplement on top. See high-wage occupation points.
| Canadian work experience | Without a partner | With a partner |
|---|---|---|
| None or less than a year | 0 | 0 |
| 1 year | 40 | 35 |
| 2 years | 53 | 46 |
| 3 years | 64 | 56 |
| 4 years | 72 | 63 |
| 5 years or more | 80 | 70 |
Spouse or partner factors
Only when a spouse or common-law partner is included. The three parts together cannot pass 40 points.
Partner's education
| Highest education | Points |
|---|---|
| Less than secondary school | 0 |
| Secondary school | 2 |
| One-year post-secondary program | 6 |
| Two-year post-secondary program | 7 |
| Bachelor's degree, or a program of three years or longer | 8 |
| Two or more credentials, one of them three years or longer | 9 |
| Master's degree, or a professional degree for a licensed profession | 10 |
| Doctoral degree (PhD) | 10 |
Partner's first official language
Per ability. This part stops at 20 points.
| Level | Points |
|---|---|
| Below CLB 4 | 0 |
| CLB 4 | 0 |
| CLB 5 | 1 |
| CLB 6 | 1 |
| CLB 7 | 3 |
| CLB 8 | 3 |
| CLB 9 | 5 |
| CLB 10 or higher | 5 |
Partner's Canadian work experience
| Canadian work experience | Points |
|---|---|
| None or less than a year | 0 |
| 1 year | 5 |
| 2 years | 7 |
| 3 years | 8 |
| 4 years | 9 |
| 5 years or more | 10 |
Skill transferability
These tables are the rules. Find your row. Take the points in the first-language column that matches you, and the points in the Canadian-experience column that matches you, and add them. That section then stops at 50 points. Education and foreign experience are separate sections, and all sections together stop at 100. The language level is the lowest of your four first-language abilities. Below CLB 7, the language column is zero. With no Canadian experience, the experience column is zero.
Education rule
| Your education | First official language | Canadian experience | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLB 7 or 8 | CLB 9 or higher | 1 year | 2 or more years | |
| One post-secondary credential | 13 | 25 | 13 | 25 |
| Two or more credentials, a master's, or a doctorate | 25 | 50 | 25 | 50 |
One post-secondary credential with CLB 9 and two years in Canada is 25 plus 25. Added together, that is the 50-point cap for this section.
Foreign work experience rule
| Experience abroad | First official language | Canadian experience | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLB 7 or 8 | CLB 9 or higher | 1 year | 2 or more years | |
| 1 or 2 years abroad | 13 | 25 | 13 | 25 |
| 3 or more years abroad | 25 | 50 | 25 | 50 |
Trade certificate
Scored on its own, from the same lowest first-language ability. CLB 4 or below adds nothing.
| First official language | Points |
|---|---|
| CLB 5 or 6 | 25 |
| CLB 7 or higher | 50 |
Additional points
A provincial nomination is 600 points on its own. The whole additional block cannot exceed 600.
| Factor | Points |
|---|---|
| Provincial nomination | 600 |
| French at NCLC 7 or higher in all four abilities, with English at CLB 5 or higher | 50 |
| French at NCLC 7 or higher in all four abilities, otherwise | 25 |
| Canadian post-secondary credential of three years or longer, or a master's, professional, or doctoral degree | 30 |
| Canadian post-secondary credential of one or two years | 15 |
| Brother or sister who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident | 15 |
| Additional points, maximum | 600 |
High-wage occupation points (from November 3, 2026)
The November 3 table has three tiers. Canadian experience in the occupation and a job offer in it do not stack — you receive whichever is worth more. The factor stops at 150 without a partner and 140 with one.
Tier 1 — 31 occupations. One to five years in the occupation is 110–150 without a partner and 105–140 with one. A job offer is 100. Examples: Computer and information systems managers, Financial managers, General practitioners and family physicians, Lawyers and Quebec notaries, University professors and lecturers, Petroleum engineers.
Tier 2 — 89 occupations. One to five years in the occupation is 80–120 without a partner and 75–110 with one. A job offer is 70. Examples: Software engineers and designers, Software developers and programmers, Computer systems developers and programmers, Civil engineers, Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses, Physiotherapists.
Tier 3 — 66 occupations. One to five years in the occupation is 60–100 without a partner and 55–90 with one. A job offer is 50. Examples: Human resources professionals, Financial auditors and accountants, Financial advisors, Architects, Web developers and programmers, Chemists.
Every NOC in these tiers is listed on IRCC's high-wage occupations page.
These occupations had a national median wage of at least 1.3 times the Canadian median over 2023–2025. Tier 1 is the highest band. Your own salary does not set the tier — the occupation does. A job offer still has to be full-time, continuous, and for at least a year after permanent residence, and it no longer needs an LMIA.
Calculate your score with the new rules
What actually moves a CRS score
A provincial nomination adds 600 points and outweighs everything else on this page combined. After that, language is the largest lever available to most candidates: reaching CLB 9 in all four abilities raises both the direct language points and the skill transferability points, because transferability reads the lowest of your four abilities rather than an average. French at NCLC 7 in all four abilities is worth up to 50 bonus points and opens French-language rounds, which have issued invitations at scores well below the general cut-off. Canadian work experience counts twice, directly and through transferability. Age points fall every year from 30 onward, so time works against a profile that waits.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What is changing in Express Entry on November 3, 2026? A: IRCC is adding a labour market integration factor that awards extra CRS points for working in, or holding a job offer in, a high-wage occupation. Canadian work experience in such an occupation adds 20, 40 or 70 points depending on the occupation's wage tier; a job offer that meets the rules adds 50, 70 or 100. The two do not combine — you receive whichever is higher. Job offers also no longer require an LMIA.
Q: How many CRS points can I gain from the November 2026 changes? A: The labour market integration factor is capped at 150 points without a spouse or common-law partner and 140 with one, and that cap includes the Canadian work experience duration points you already earn. The gain over your current score therefore depends on how much Canadian experience you already have: the more you have, the sooner the cap limits the new points.
Q: Which occupations are high-wage for Express Entry? A: An occupation is on the list when its national median wage is at least 1.3 times the median wage of the Canadian workforce overall. IRCC published a list of NOC codes split into three tiers — at least 2 times, at least 1.5 times, and at least 1.3 times the median. The tier depends on the occupation's median wage, not on what you personally are paid.
Q: Do I need to update my Express Entry profile before November 3? A: Only if you want the job-offer points. Those require the job offer details to be in your profile before November 3, 2026. Points for Canadian work experience in a high-wage occupation are applied automatically when IRCC recalculates the pool. IRCC advises against creating a second profile.
Q: Will Express Entry draws be paused? A: Yes. IRCC pauses rounds of invitations while it recalculates the CRS score of every profile in the pool, a process it says may take up to two weeks from November 3, 2026. Applications already submitted are not affected.
Q: What happens if my occupation is not on the high-wage list? A: Your CRS score does not change. Because a large share of the pool gains points, however, cut-off scores in future rounds may settle higher than they have been, so an unchanged score can still mean a weaker position. Category-based rounds and a provincial nomination remain the routes that move a score most for candidates outside the high-wage list.
Q: What is a good CRS score for Express Entry in 2026? A: There is no single threshold. Cut-offs vary widely by round type: provincial nominee rounds run in the 700s because a nomination alone adds 600 points, Canadian Experience Class rounds have run around 510 to 530, and category-based rounds have gone considerably lower. The score you need depends on which rounds apply to your profile, not on an overall average.
Q: How is the CRS score calculated? A: Four blocks: core human capital (age, education, language and Canadian work experience) up to 500 points on your own or 460 with a partner included; partner factors up to 40; skill transferability up to 100, which scores combinations of education, experience and language; and additional points up to 600, mostly a provincial nomination at 600.
Q: Does a job offer add CRS points? A: Not under the rules in force until November 2, 2026 — IRCC removed arranged employment points on March 25, 2025. From November 3, 2026, a job offer in a high-wage occupation is worth 50 to 100 points depending on the occupation's wage tier, and no longer requires an LMIA.
Q: How many CRS points is a provincial nomination worth? A: 600 points. It is the single largest factor in the Comprehensive Ranking System, which is why provincial nominee rounds have cut-offs in the 700s.
Q: How many points do I get for French? A: French at NCLC 7 or above in all four abilities is worth 25 bonus points, or 50 if you also have English at CLB 5 or above in all four. It also adds second-language points and opens French-language rounds, which have issued invitations at scores well below the general cut-off. All four abilities must reach the level — the lowest one governs.
Q: Does my CRS score change as I get older? A: Yes. Age points are highest from 20 to 29 and fall every year after 30, reaching zero at 45. The drop is steepest in the early 40s. Your age is assessed when you submit your profile and again when an invitation is issued.