Immigration | November 02, 2026 Express Entry Overhaul Takes Effect November 3: High-Wage and Canadian Experience Points Return

1. Express Entry Overhaul Takes Effect November 3: High-Wage and Canadian Experience Points Return

Source: Immigration.ca

Express Entry candidates with skilled work experience in Canada reached a key milestone this week as the new scoring rules were confirmed for implementation. Immigration.ca reports that Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab announced the new Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) factor on October 16, with the changes taking effect on November 3, this Tuesday.

At the centre of the change is the new Labour Market Integration Factor. Candidates receive points for either a qualifying job offer or their Canadian work experience, whichever is higher, and the two are never combined: up to 100 points for a job offer, and up to 150 points for Canadian work experience, or 140 for candidates with an accompanying spouse or common-law partner.

The Canadian work experience score consists of the existing points for length of employment plus a new high-wage bonus of up to 70 points for at least one year of experience in a high-wage occupation. A high-wage occupation is one whose median wage in Canada is at least 1.3 times the average median wage of the workforce. IRCC has identified 186 eligible occupations across three wage levels (1.3x, 1.5x and 2x), with job offers worth 50, 70 or 100 points depending on the level.

Job-offer points also return without the need for a Labour Market Impact Assessment. IRCC removed job-offer points on March 25, 2025. To recalculate scores, IRCC will temporarily pause invitation rounds for up to about two weeks. Candidates who want job-offer points must add the offer to their profile before November 3.

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2. Ottawa Scraps 90-Day Cap for Work Permit Applicants Awaiting LMIA Decisions

Source: CIC News

Work permit applicants in Canada waiting on their employer's LMIA will no longer be refused because of processing delays. CIC News reports that IRCC updated its "Labour Market Impact Assessment Review – Temporary Foreign Worker Program" page on October 28, directing officers not to decide a work permit application under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) until a decision has been made on the LMIA.

The previous version of the instructions told officers to hold the application for a maximum of 90 days. The change affects applications filed under concurrent processing, which allows a worker in Canada to submit a TFWP work permit application while the employer's LMIA is still pending. To qualify, the worker's existing permit must expire in two weeks or less, and the employer must have submitted the LMIA early enough that processing could reasonably have been expected before the permit expired.

IRCC raised the concurrent processing limit from 60 days to 90 days on August 21, 2026. As of the time of writing, employers in 30 urban areas face a ban on LMIA applications for non-exempt jobs paying less than 120 per cent of the median provincial wage, from October 9, 2026 to January 7, 2027. Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa-Gatineau, Halifax, Fredericton and Regina are among the areas covered.

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3. Canada Invites 5,000 French-Speaking Candidates for Permanent Residence

Source: CIC News

Express Entry candidates with strong French-language ability received another large round of invitations this week. CIC News reports that IRCC issued 5,000 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residence in the October 27 French-language proficiency draw, with a minimum CRS score of 407, 28 points lower than the 435 cut-off in the previous French draw on October 16.

The round brought Canada to 64 Express Entry draws this year, for a total of 149,259 ITAs issued in 2026. French-language draws account for 12 rounds and 60,000 ITAs, Canadian Experience Class draws for 18 rounds and 57,250 ITAs, and Provincial Nominee Program draws for 21 rounds and 10,814 ITAs.

Two other draws were held the same week: 792 invitations to provincial nominees on October 26 at a cut-off of 761, and 150 invitations in the Transport category on October 28 at a cut-off of 477. Candidates in Canada who have applied for permanent residence and whose work permit is expiring may be eligible for a bridging open work permit; applying before the current permit expires allows them to keep working under the same conditions through maintained status while awaiting a decision.

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4. New Penalties of Up to $1.5 Million for Immigration Representative Misconduct Now in Force

Source: Canadian Immigrant

Licensed consultants, lawyers and other authorized representatives who provide paid immigration or citizenship advice in Canada, along with unlicensed individuals who charge for the same services, face a new penalty regime that took effect on October 28. Canadian Immigrant reports that the measures are intended to protect applicants from fraud and exploitation and to uphold the integrity of Canada's immigration and citizenship systems.

Under the new rules, monetary penalties can reach a maximum of $1.5 million for all violations combined under a single notice of violation. Additional penalties may apply if an application is approved on the basis of false or misleading information, and penalties increase for repeat violations. The penalties also apply to representatives operating outside Canada, and the government can publish the names of those penalized along with details of their violations.

IRCC is expected to launch a public online registry in 2027, after the first penalties are issued, so the public can check whether a representative has been sanctioned. The final regulations will be published in the Canada Gazette, Part II, on November 4. Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab said anyone hoping to build a future in Canada deserves access to trustworthy and accurate advice, adding that while most paid representatives follow the rules, "those who do not will face consequences."

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5. British Columbia Invites 722 Workers in Its Largest Draw of 2026

Source: CIC News

British Columbia selected 722 skilled workers in its October 29 provincial immigration draw, the province's largest of 2026. CIC News reports that invitations were based on candidates' wage or salary, or their registration score, in the province's 29th draw of the year.

Of those invited, 524 were selected through the wage/salary plus job offer stream, which required a TEER 0–3 job offer with an offered wage of at least $49 per hour and $99,000 per year. Another 248 were invited on registration score, with a minimum of 131 points. The $49-per-hour and $99,000-per-year threshold fell below $50 per hour and $100,000 per year for the first time in 2026.

The round fell under British Columbia's "innovate" objective, and the province did not disclose which occupations or sectors were represented. As of October 29, the BCPNP had issued a combined 4,746 invitations through draws targeting candidates by wage and job offer or by registration score, and no fewer than 7,220 invitations across all streams in 2026. Invited workers have 30 days to submit a provincial nomination application, and can then apply to the federal government for permanent residence if nominated.

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6. Indian Students Look to Norway and Germany as Canada Loses Its Appeal

Source: The Globe and Mail

Indian students planning to study abroad are crossing Canada off their lists. The Globe and Mail reported on November 1 that Muskan Thakur, 22, a third-year biochemistry honours student at Panjab University in the northern city of Chandigarh, has a year and a half left in her degree and already plans to apply to universities in Norway when she finishes in early 2028.

The newspaper reports that many Indian families who budget carefully for study abroad now compare Canada unfavourably with Germany, Italy and Australia. Students cite changes to international student policies, visa restrictions, uncertain post-study work opportunities and concerns about personal safety. Rohan Sawant, a first-year commerce student at Narsee Monjee College in Mumbai, had wanted to enrol in the business administration program at York University's Schulich School of Business but changed his mind because of visa restrictions and attacks on Indian people.

The numbers reflect the shift. ICEF Monitor data show study permit rejection rates for Indian applicants rose from 38 per cent in 2023 to 52 per cent in 2024, and Canada doubled its proof-of-funds requirement from $10,000 to more than $20,000 in 2024. GeeBee Education, a consultancy in Mumbai, says Canada enquiries have dropped 80 per cent.

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7. Canada Opens Talks to Expand Role in the EU's Erasmus+ Student Exchange

Source: CIC News

Canadian universities and students may soon find it easier to take part in the EU's Erasmus+ exchange and funding program. CIC News reports that the federal government announced on October 30 that Canada is launching negotiations with the European Union to deepen its participation in Erasmus+.

The proposed expansion was among the initiatives announced during the October 29–30 Canada–EU Summit in Montreal, where the two sides unveiled a broader partnership called the Alliance for the Future. Erasmus+ is an EU funding program supporting learning abroad, training and exchanges. Full participation is limited to the 27 EU member states and six associated countries, and Canada is currently classified as a "third country not associated to the Programme," able to take part only in certain actions.

In practice, Canadian universities cannot apply for Erasmus+ exchange funding on their own; institutions in EU member states or associated countries partner with them and apply on their behalf, allowing students to spend two to 12 months abroad for credit. European Commission figures show projects selected from 2022 to 2024 planned for 1,007 students and staff to move from Canada to Europe and 866 to move to Canada, while 91 recipients from Canada were selected for Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters scholarships between 2021 and 2024. The current program period ends in 2027, and Ottawa has not released details on the scope of expanded participation or a negotiation timeline.

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8. Wait Times Fall for Work and Study Permit Extensions

Source: CIC News

Work and study permit holders waiting on extension decisions in Canada saw shorter processing times this week. CIC News reports that IRCC updated its temporary residence processing times on October 29, with declines across several categories compared with the October 21 figures.

Study permit extensions submitted from within Canada fell from eight weeks to six, work permit extensions from 12 weeks to 11, and visitor records from 341 days to 321 days. For initial study permits, processing times dropped by one week for applications from within Canada (seven to six weeks), Pakistan (seven to six) and the United States (five to four), while India, Nigeria and the Philippines were unchanged. Work permit processing times did not change for any tracked country, the first such week in at least five months.

As of October 29, IRCC's inventory included 195,900 work permit extension applications, down 4,200 from the previous week, and 25,900 study permit extension applications, down 1,900. IRCC is expected to publish its next update on or around November 4. The department notes that processing times are estimates rather than guarantees, and individual applications may be processed faster or slower.

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