Canada drops LMIA requirement for eligible Express Entry job offers

Canada will introduce changes to its Express Entry system from November 3, 2026, allowing eligible candidates to use qualifying job offers without a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) for certain immigration eligibility and points-related purposes.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) published instructions on October 16 explaining how applicants should update their profiles while the department’s online system is being modified to reflect the new rules.

The changes could affect Indian professionals seeking permanent residence in Canada through Express Entry, particularly those whose job offers meet the new requirements but do not have an LMIA.


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An LMIA is a document that an employer generally obtains to demonstrate that hiring a foreign worker will not adversely affect Canada’s labour market. Under the revised arrangements, eligible job offers will no longer need an LMIA for the relevant Express Entry programme eligibility or Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) job-offer points.

How applicants should update their profiles

IRCC’s online system will not immediately reflect the changes. From November 3, eligible candidates who have a qualifying job offer but no LMIA will need to use a temporary workaround when completing the relevant section of their Express Entry profile.

They will have to answer “Yes” when asked whether a positive LMIA has been issued and enter the placeholder LMIA number 00000. The instructions also specify an issue date of January 1, 2026, and an expiry date of January 1, 2029.

The placeholder is a technical measure intended to allow the system to process eligible applications under the new rules. It is not an actual LMIA and should not be treated as one.

The procedure is authorised from November 3. Applicants should not use it before that date or submit a fabricated LMIA document. Candidates who already have a valid LMIA should continue to provide the genuine details requested.

Job offers may not automatically earn CRS points

The removal of the LMIA requirement does not mean every job offer will earn points under the CRS. The revised points structure links job-offer points to eligible occupations and the wage offered.

Under the guidance, qualifying high-wage job offers paying at least twice the median wage can attract 100 points. Offers paying at least 1.5 times but less than twice the median wage can receive 70 points, while those paying at least 1.3 times but less than 1.5 times the median wage can receive 50 points. Other job offers will receive no CRS points under this structure.

A qualifying job offer may still help establish eligibility for an Express Entry programme even if it does not earn CRS points. Applicants must continue to meet the relevant programme requirements, and the job offer must be genuine.

What happens to existing Express Entry profiles?

IRCC has said existing profiles will be recalculated automatically under the revised rules. The process could take up to two weeks, during which invitation rounds will be paused.

Also read: Canada revives Express Entry job offer points; Indian workers in high-wage jobs could gain an edge

Candidates should review their profiles and follow the department’s instructions carefully. However, those without an LMIA should distinguish between guidance to update their profiles ahead of the changes and the specific placeholder procedure, which is authorised only from November 3.

The reform applies to the specified Express Entry requirements and points arrangements. It does not mean that LMIAs have been abolished for all Canadian work permits or other immigration processes.