Express Entry candidates must be aware that only qualifying job offers are eligible for Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points under “arranged employment.”
CRS points are an important part of the economic immigration journey for Express Entry candidates. These points are used to rank candidate profiles against one another, and they play an important role in determining who receives an Invitation to Apply (ITA) from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Accordingly, all Express Entry candidates – regardless of whether they apply to the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) or the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) – are constantly looking for ways to improve their CRS score and their chances of immigrating to Canada.
One way candidates can improve their CRS score is by having “arranged employment” for when they arrive in Canada. Arranged employment is valuable because it can provide a candidate with 50 or 200 additional CRS points.
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However, IRCC clarifies that only certain job offers qualify as eligible for CRS points. IRCC also clarifies that what qualifies as eligible employment changes depending on the program.
FSWP and CEC
To be eligible for CRS points under “arranged employment”, FSWP and CEC candidates must have a job offer that is:
- For one employer in an occupation that falls under a National Occupation Classification (NOC) 2021 code that is in any of the following Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) categories: 0, 1, 2 or 3
- Continuous, paid and full-time (at least 30 hours a week)
- Not seasonal
- Valid/offered for at least 1 year after IRCC issues the candidate their permanent resident (PR) resident visa
*The qualifying employer(s) must either have a new positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) that approves the offer and names the worker and their position or a work permit that was issued** based on a positive LMIA.
**This applies to foreign nationals who are currently working in Canada in an NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 job
Applicants, to both the FSTP and CEC, who have an existing LMIA-based work permit must:
- Be working for an employer listed on their work permit
- Be authorized to work in Canada, both on the day they apply for a PR visa and when the visa is issued
- Be offered, by their current employer(s), a full-time job if accepted as a PR
Foreign nationals with a valid LMIA-exempt work permit (in an NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 job) may also obtain CRS points for “arranged employment” if:
- They are currently working for an employer specified on the work permit
- They have one year of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work) for that employer
- They have a valid job offer of at least one year in length from that employer from the date that IRCC issues the candidate their PR visa
FSTP
To be eligible for CRS points under “arranged employment”, FSTP workers must have a job offer (or job offers) that:
- Total(s) 30 hours of employment per week (if separate job offers made by up to two individual employers* are needed)
- Is/are for continuous, paid, full-time work (at least 30 hours a week) spanning at least one year
- Is/are for work that falls under a qualifying skilled trade occupation (under a qualifying NOC)
*The qualifying employer(s) must either have a new positive LMIA that approves the offer and names the worker and their position or a work permit that was issued** based on a positive LMIA.
**This applies to foreign nationals who are currently working in Canada in a skilled trade job
FSTP applicants should be aware that foreign nationals with an existing LMIA-based work permit must:
- Be working for an employer listed on their work permit
- Be authorized to work in Canada, both on the day they apply for a PR visa and when the visa is issued
- Be offered, by their current employer(s), a full-time job if accepted as a PR
Note: This full-time job offer must be at least one year in length and be offered in a job that is in the same three-digit level of the NOC as your current job
Foreign nationals with a valid LMIA-exempt work permit for one of the listed skilled trade occupations may also obtain CRS points for “arranged employment” if:
- They are currently working for an employer specified on the work permit
- They have one year of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work) for the employer(s) on your work permit who is making the job offer
- They have a valid job offer from that employer for at least one year from the date that IRCC issues the candidate their PR visa
Does my work permit qualify as a job offer for Express Entry?
IRCC clarifies, whether the candidate is working in Canada or abroad, that a work permit does not qualify as a job offer for the purpose of obtaining CRS points as an Express Entry candidate.
In addition to the above-listed information for each Express Entry-managed program, a job offer should also be:
- Recent
- In writing
- For a full-time, non-seasonal job
- At least one year in length from the date the candidate is accepted as a Canadian PR
- Accompanied by a positive LMIA from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), unless LMIA-exempt
- Not from an embassy, high commission or consulate in Canada
- Provides specific details about the job being offered, including: pay, deductions, duties and employment conditions (hours of work etc.)
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