Everything we know about the “high-wage occupation factor” in Canada’s proposed Express Entry overhaul
Under the proposed Express Entry reforms, candidates in higher-earning occupations are set to be prioritized for selection as Canadian permanent residents in the future.
The proposed “high-wage” occupation factor in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) would award extra points to candidates in jobs paying 2x, 1.5x, and/or 1.3x the annual median wage.
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High-wage points will be awarded to candidates on the basis of their Canadian work experience or their job offer.
Which occupations could qualify under the high-wage factor? A CIC News estimate
The official list will be based on Statistics Canada data and Employment and Social Development Canada’s Job Bank, which tracks median hourly wages by National Occupational Classification (NOC) code across Canada.
Since this is in the proposal phase as of now, an official list of qualifying occupations has not yet been published by IRCC.
However, based on Statistics Canada and ESDC's most recent Job Bank median hourly wage figures (2025 data) — compared against the most recent data on Canada‘s national median wage (2024 data) by NOC code — CIC News has produced the following illustrative estimate of sample occupations which may fall under each tier.
Note that this is an estimate only, not a complete list, and not intended as a prediction of what occupations will be included in IRCC’s final list.
| Tier | Occupation | NOC Code |
| 2x national median wage | Specialists in surgery | 31101 |
| General practitioners and family physicians | 31102 | |
| Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine | 31100 | |
| Senior managers – financial, communications and other business services | 00012 | |
| Government managers - education policy development and program administration | 40012 | |
| Government managers - economic analysis, policy development and program administration | 40011 | |
| Senior government managers and officials | 00011 | |
| Petroleum engineers | 21332 | |
| Computer and information systems managers | 20012 | |
| Architecture and science managers | 20011 | |
| 1.5x national median wage | Government managers – economic analysis, policy development and program administration | 40012 |
| Administrators - post-secondary education and vocational training | 40020 | |
| Software engineers and designers | 20041 | |
| School principals and administrators of elementary and secondary education | 40021 | |
| Mining engineers | 20036 | |
| Cybersecurity specialists | 21122 | |
| Electrical and electronics engineers | 20032 | |
| Managers in transportation | 70020 | |
| Secondary school teachers | 41220 | |
| Software engineers and designers | 21231 | |
| 1.3x national median wage | Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations | 72011 |
| Central control and process operators, mineral and metal processing | 93100 | |
| Systems testing technicians | 20046 | |
| Business development officers and market researchers and analysts | 41402 | |
| Financial and investment analysts | 11101 | |
| Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers | 72111 | |
| Ironworkers | 72105 | |
| Crane operators | 72500 | |
| Securities agents, investment dealers and brokers | 11103 | |
| Land surveyors | 21203 |
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What is the high-wage occupation factor?
Under the proposal, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is considering introducing new CRS points for candidates with Canadian work experience or a Canadian job offer in a high-wage occupation.
High wage occupations, in this context, refer to occupations that tend to earn wages above the national Canadian median wage.
It is important to note that this factor will be based on occupational earnings rather than individual earnings. This means that candidates with work experience in the same occupation will be treated the same way, regardless of whether their pay differs due to location, gender, or any other reason. IRCC has said this approach irons out operational and integrity concerns.
IRCC has proposed three tiers based on how far above the national median an occupation's wages sit:
- 2 times the national median wage (e.g. physicians and professors)
- 1.5 times the national median wage (e.g. engineers, teachers, transportation managers)
- 1.3 times the national median wage (e.g. financial analysts, bricklayers, heavy duty equipment operators).
According to the slide deck shared by IRCC to immigration lawyers, a full list of qualifying occupations “will be published on the IRCC website and updated regularly, likely annually.”
The return of job offer points?
This proposal would reintroduce job offer points, but only for job offers in high-wage occupations.
IRCC has stated that the definition of what constitutes a "job offer" is still being developed, but that it will likely align with current regulations, requiring a full-time job offer in a high-wage occupation, with LMIA requirements or exemptions.
Why is IRCC focusing on high-wage occupations now?
IRCC's focus on occupational earnings is grounded in data the department has gathered on economic outcomes for Express Entry immigrants.
According to a slide deck IRCC recently shared with immigration lawyers, the higher the pre-landing earnings that Express Entry immigrants had, the more likely they were to be employed and earn more post-landing.
The department also shared an example: Express Entry immigrants who arrived with a job offer in a senior management position earned three times the weekly wages of those who arrived with no job offer at all.
Candidates in skilled jobs below the high-wage threshold will continue to remain eligible for the Express Entry pool and can still receive an invitation to apply based on other CRS factors — including age, education, and language proficiency — should these changes be implemented.
What is the status of these proposals?
These proposals have not been finalized. IRCC is currently accepting public feedback through its online consultation, which remains open until May 24, 2026.
Input gathered during this period will inform how the department moves forward with changes to Express Entry programs and the CRS. Any program changes will ultimately be published in the Canada Gazette.
The full suite of planned changes to Express Entry is expected to be implemented 12 to 18 months from now. However, in an IRCC webinar for immigration lawyers, a high-ranking official at IRCC stated that the high-wage occupation factor may be prioritized sooner. No official dates have been released.
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