Effective November 3, 2026, Express Entry candidates will compete for permanent residence under a new version of the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which will award them the higher of
- Up to 150* points for Canadian work experience; or
- Up to 100 points for a high-wage job offer.
The points awarded for Canadian work experience will be the sum of
- Up to 80* points for length of Canadian work experience; and
- Up to 70 points for having at least 12 months’ Canadian work experience across one or more high-wage occupations.
To demonstrate how scoring under the new Labour Market Integration Factor (LMIF) will work, CIC News has calculated scores under the current and new rules for three fictional candidates.
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The federal government announced the scheduled changes to the CRS on Oct 16, 2026.
*For a candidate accompanied by a spouse or common-law partner, the maximum is 140 points, with 70 for length of Canadian work experience.
Arjun’s CRS score rises from 483 to 513 (+30)
Arjun is 27. He got an MBA from a Canadian university, after which he took his first job in Canada as a financial auditor and accountant (NOC 11100), a position he started in May 2025.
In Jan 2026, Arjun started his current job as a management consultant (NOC 11201).
He has a foreign bachelor’s degree, advanced English (CLB 8), and two years of skilled foreign work experience.
When the high-wage changes take effect in November 2026, Arjun will gain 30 CRS points.
He will score 70 points for having a job offer in a 1.5x occupation.
Arjun will score no points for Canadian work experience under the LMIF, because his total would be only 60 points: 40 for one year in duration, plus 20 for having at least 12 months’ Canadian work experience meeting the 1.3x factor (18 months across his two jobs).
Breakdown of Arjun’s score with and without LMIF:
| Component of CRS | Points awarded for | Prior to high-wage changes | With high-wage changes (LMIF) |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-wage job offer | 1.5x factor job offer | -- | 70 |
| High-wage Canadian work experience | 1.3x factor work experience | -- | 20 |
| Length of Canadian work experience | 1 year | 40 | 40 |
| Total for Canadian work experience under LMIF | -- | 60 | |
| Points scored under LMIF | High-wage job offer | -- | 70 |
| Age | 27 | 110 | 110 |
| Education | Master's degree | 135 | 135 |
| First official language proficiency | CLB 8 in all abilities | 92 | 92 |
| Skill transferability - Education + Canadian work experience | master's with CLB 8 (25) + master's with 1 year Canadian work experience (25) | 50 | 50 |
| Skill transferability - Foreign work experience + Canadian work experience | Foreign work experience (max 50): 2 years with CLB 8 = 13; 2 years with 1 year Canadian work experience = 13 | 26 | 26 |
| Canadian post-secondary education | Master's degree | 30 | 30 |
| Total | 483 | 513 | |
If Arjun continues in his current role until January 2027, his CRS score will rise from 513 to 523, as he will score 80 points for Canadian work experience (40 for one year, plus 40 for 1.5x factor high-wage), rather than counting 70 points for his job offer.
If Arjun continues in the same job until May 2027, his CRS will rise from 523 to 548, on account of
- Scoring 93 points (up from 80) for Canadian work experience (due to an increase from 40 to 53 in moving from 1 to 2 years for length of Canadian work experience); and
- Scoring 88 points (up from 76) for skill transferability (an increase from 13 to 25 for foreign work experience + Canadian work experience).
Sarah’s score rises from 467 to 567 (+100)
Sarah is 33. She completed a PhD at the University of Toronto in August 2025, and worked from September 2025 to April 2026 as a sessional instructor.
In Sept 2026, Sarah started on a three-year postdoctoral fellowship.
Both positions fall under NOC 41200 – University professors and lecturers.
She has two years of skilled foreign work experience, and advanced English (CLB 9).
When the high-wage changes take effect in November 2026, Sarah will gain 100 CRS points for having a job offer in a 2x factor occupation.
Breakdown of Sarah’s score with and without LMIF:
| Component of CRS | Points awarded for | Prior to high-wage changes | With high-wage changes (LMIF) |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-wage job offer | 2x factor job offer | -- | 100 |
| High-wage Canadian work experience | N/A | -- | 0 |
| Length of Canadian work experience | <1 year | 0 | 0 |
| Total for Canadian work experience under LMIF | -- | 0 | |
| Points scored under LMIF | High-wage job offer | -- | 100 |
| Age | 33 | 88 | 88 |
| Education | PhD | 150 | 150 |
| First official language proficiency | CLB 9 in all abilities | 124 | 124 |
| Skill transferability - Education | PhD with CLB 9 | 50 | 50 |
| Skill transferability - Foreign work experience | 2 years with CLB 9 | 25 | 25 |
| Canadian post-secondary education | PhD | 30 | 30 |
| Total | 467 | 567 | |
If Sarah keeps working in the postdoc through to January 2027, her CRS score will rise from 567 to 590, on account of
- Scoring 110 points for Canadian work experience (up from 100 for a 2x job offer), viz. the sum of 40 (one year in duration) + 70 (2x high-wage factor).
- Scoring 88 points (up from 75) for skill transferability (due to an increase from 0 to 13 for the foreign work experience + Canadian work experience factor).
Emeka’s score rises from 488 to 528 (+40)
Emeka is 35. He has been working in Canada for four years as an information systems specialist (NOC 21222), an occupation listed at 1.5x under the new high-wage factor.
He has a foreign bachelor’s degree, advanced English proficiency (CLB 9), and over three years of foreign skilled work experience.
His accompanying spouse has a bachelor’s degree, advanced English (CLB 8), and two years of Canadian work experience.
In October 2026, Emeka receives a promotion, and starts his new role as a computer and information systems manager (NOC 20012), a 2x factor occupation.
When the CRS changes take effect, Emeka will gain 40 CRS points for having 12 months of Canadian work experience at a 1.5x factor occupation.
He does not count 100 points for his 2x factor high-wage job offer, because he scores 103 points under the Canadian work experience component of the LMIF.
Breakdown of Emeka’s score with and without LMIF:
| Component of CRS | Points awarded for | Prior to high-wage changes | With high-wage changes (LMIF) |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-wage job offer | 2x factor job offer | -- | 100 |
| High-wage Canadian work experience | 1.5x factor work experience | -- | 40 |
| Length of Canadian work experience | 4 years | 63 | 63 |
| Total for Canadian work experience under LMIF | -- | 103 | |
| Points scored under LMIF | Canadian work experience | -- | 103 |
| Age | 35 | 70 | 70 |
| Education | Bachelor's degree | 112 | 112 |
| First official language proficiency | CLB 9 in all abilities | 116 | 116 |
| Skill transferability - Education | Bachelor's with CLB 9 (25) + bachelor's with 2 years Canadian work experience (25) | 50 | 50 |
| Skill transferability - Foreign work experience | 3 years with CLB 9 (50) | 50 | 50 |
| Spouse's education | Bachelor's degree | 8 | 8 |
| Spouse's official language proficiency | CLB 8 in all abilities | 12 | 12 |
| Spouse's Canadian work experience | 2 years | 7 | 7 |
| Total | 488 | 528 | |
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Calculations in this article incorporate only the announced scheduled changes to the CRS. They are accurate as of the time of writing in accordance with CIC News’ interpretation of the information published by the federal government. Government policies, including the calculation of the CRS, are subject to change without notice. The official government document establishing the calculation of the CRS is the Ministerial Instructions published on the government website.