Effective March 25, 2025, Canada’s Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that Express Entry candidates will no longer be awarded additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for having a job offer.
Previously, candidates could earn up to 200 points for senior management positions and 50 points for other skilled jobs, enhancing their chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency.
While job offers will still play a role in specific immigration programs, they will no longer grant bonus CRS points. IRCC has referred to this change as a “temporary measure” but has not indicated when or if the points will be reinstated.
The reasoning behind the decision remains unclear, though it may involve prioritizing factors such as education, language skills, and work experience over employer connections. There are also concerns regarding the authenticity of job offers and the shifting demands of the labor market.
Candidates currently in the Express Entry pool who were depending on job offer points will experience an immediate decrease in their CRS scores. Future applicants will need to focus on other aspects, such as language proficiency, education, and Canadian work experience, to remain competitive. Applicants who have already received an ITA will not be affected by this change.
To boost their CRS scores, candidates can improve their language proficiency, gain Canadian work experience, pursue provincial nominations, or leverage their spouse’s profile.
