In a move welcomed by employers and skilled migrants alike, IRCC will remove the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) requirement for certain job offers used in Express Entry applications starting November 3, 2026. The change—outlined in departmental instructions published October 16 and widely reported on October 20—means that qualifying job offers paying at least 1.3 times the Canada-wide median wage can be used to prove eligibility and to claim Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points without a positive LMIA. Under the new wage-tiered grid, offers paying twice the median wage can earn 100 CRS points; those at 1.5–1.99 times earn 70 points; and those at 1.3–1.49 times earn 50 points. Lower-wage offers continue to earn no CRS points, although they may still establish program eligibility. Applicants must temporarily enter a placeholder LMIA number 00000 until IRCC’s online system is updated; genuine LMIAs remain valid and should be entered normally. The reform tackles two longstanding criticisms: administrative duplication between the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and Express Entry, and inequities that disadvantaged high-earning intra-company transferees who are LMIA-exempt. IRCC expects processing times to fall and draw scores to decline modestly once existing profiles are recalculated. For corporate mobility teams, the priority is to audit pending or planned applications. Candidates with high-salary offers but no LMIA could gain 50-100 CRS points—enough to secure an invitation in the next draw cycle. Employers should also review compensation packages to ensure they meet the wage multipliers if they wish to capitalise on the new points grid. Consultants caution that the LMIA exemption applies only to Express Entry. Employers that need a work permit for a new hire must still obtain an LMIA or use another exemption under the International Mobility Program. Compliance audits and advertising requirements for TFWs remain unchanged.
Source: The Economic Times
