What I Would Tell Applicants Preparing to Claim Express Entry Job Offer Points

Now, you might read that and think, “Great. I’ll ask my employer for a letter and claim the points.” 

I would be careful about making that assumption.  

Removing the LMIA requirement could make a qualifying job offer more accessible. But IRCC has also made it clear that an officer must be satisfied the offer is genuine. That assessment goes beyond whether you have a letter with a job title and salary on it. [1] 

So, while we wait to see whether IRCC publishes more detailed instructions, here is how I would prepare.

First Check Whether Your Job Offer Could Give You Points 

A qualifying offer in one of IRCC’s 186 eligible high-wage occupations could be worth 50, 70 or 100 points. The tier depends on the occupation, rather than your personal salary. Earning a high wage does not automatically make your occupation eligible. 

These points sit within the Labour Market Integration factor. You can either get points for high-wage Canadian experience OR a high-wage job offer. 

IRCC compares your Canadian work experience option with your job offer option and awards whichever is higher. You cannot combine them. 

Before asking your employer for documents, check whether an offer would actually improve your score. 

What Counts as a Qualifying Job Offer  

Having a job in Canada and having a qualifying Express Entry job offer are not automatically the same thing.  

For the new CRS points, the offer must generally be: 

• For paid work in Canada. 

• Full-time, meaning at least 30 hours per week. 

• Continuous and non-seasonal. 

• For at least one year after you become a permanent resident. 

• In an occupation on IRCC’s eligible high-wage list. 

•  Genuine, with an employer able to meet the terms and an applicant qualified and likely to perform the work.  

The offer must also be recent and in writing. IRCC excludes offers from embassies, high commissions and consulates in Canada. 

It remains unclear whether program-specific rules also apply to these new points. For example, the Federal Skilled Trades Program allows offers from up to two employers. I would not assume that carries over without clarification. We do know special provisions apply to certain physicians providing publicly funded medical services. 

Equally, “permanent employment” is not a substitute for stating that it will be for at least one year after you become a PR. A qualifying offer does not generally have to promise employment forever, but it does need to meet the applicable duration requirement. 

Does Remote Work Count? 

IRCC has not yet specifically addressed remote or hybrid job offers under the new points system. If your offer involves remote work, I would make sure it clearly explains where you will physically work and whether workplace attendance is required. The published requirement is generally for work in Canada, so I would not assume that working remotely for a company in Canada from overseas qualifies. 

No LMIA Does Not Mean No Employer Assessment 

An LMIA will no longer be required for a qualifying Express Entry offer from November 3. Having one will not give you extra points or priority. Offers can involve new or existing positions and employers. 

But IRCC will still assess whether the business operates actively, needs the position, can meet the terms, and follows employment and recruitment laws. It will also consider your ability and intention to do the work. 

That is why I would look carefully at the documents you already have. IRCC explicitly says a work permit alone is not a job offer. 

In most cases you will need a clear job offer and supporting documents to satisfy the employer assessment.  

Start With a Clear Job Offer 

IRCC says an offer must be recent, in writing and include details such as your pay, duties and employment conditions. The official backgrounder to the change says a qualifying offer must generally be for full-time, continuous work in Canada for at least one year after you become a permanent resident. Specific rules apply to certain occupations, including skilled trades and physicians. 

As a starting point, I would want the offer to clearly explain: 

• Who is employing you and where you will work. 

• Your job title, actual duties that correspond to the appropriate NOC code. 

• Your salary or hourly wage, benefits and applicable deductions.  

• Your weekly hours and whether the work is continuous and non-seasonal.  

• When the employment will begin and how long it is being offered for after permanent residence. 

• Who has authorized the offer, with their name, position, signature and contact details.  

How I Would Prepare the Supporting Evidence 

At this stage, the documents below are suggestions based on the assessment IRCC has announced. They are not a confirmed IRCC checklist. You should follow the application instructions and any further guidance published. 

My starting point would be to ask what evidence helps answer each of the officer’s questions. 

Is the Employer Actively Operating? 

A business license, where required, and registration or incorporation documents can help explain who the employer is and whether it is legally established. 

But a certificate of incorporation does not, on its own, show that a business is actively operating. Depending on the company, recent client contracts, invoices, payroll records or evidence of business premises could help explain its activities. 

I would look at what makes sense for that employer. A small business and a large public organization are unlikely to need the same explanation. 

Can the Employer Deliver What It Has Promised? 

If the company offers you a salary, can it pay it? This is where financial statements, business tax records, payroll information or evidence of funding may be useful. Incorporation documents tell you that a company was created. They do not tell you whether it can afford your position. 

For example, if a small business with limited revenue offers you a substantial salary, I would want to understand how it intends to fund that commitment. There may be a perfectly reasonable explanation. The point is to be able to support it. 

Discuss this with your employer early. Some supporting information may be confidential, and the employer will need to understand what is being requested and how it should be provided. 

Why Does the Employer Need This Role? 

Is the company replacing someone? Has its workload increased? Has it secured a contract that requires another employee? Or are you already doing work that the company needs you to continue? 

A new position is permitted under the announced rules. But I would still want the employer to explain why it needs the position and how it fits within the business. 

A clear explanation, supported where appropriate by an organizational chart, workload information or contracts, may help answer that question. 

Is the Employer Following Employment and Recruitment Laws? 

 IRCC has included this in its assessment too. I would discuss whether any registrations or licenses are required, particularly where a recruiter is involved, and whether there are compliance issues that need to be understood. 

That does not mean IRCC has announced an advertising period or adopted the recruitment requirements of an LMIA. We should be careful about treating those as requirements unless IRCC confirms them. But I would not be surprised to see some advertising/ recruitment efforts in the future. 

Are You Qualified to Do the Job? 

Your employer wanting to hire you is only part of the requirement. You also need to perform the work. 

Review your references, qualifications, training and professional registration against the role. For regulated occupations, check provincial licensing requirements. Overseas experience does not automatically mean you can practice in Canada. 

Are You Actually Going to Take the Job? 

Let’s say you live and work in Alberta, but the offer requires workplace attendance in Vancouver. Are you moving? When? Does the employer understand your plans? 

Or perhaps it pays considerably less than your current role. Why would you take it? A career change, better hours or being closer to family may explain that. A lower salary does not automatically undermine the offer, but I would explain why it makes sense. 

Permanent residents can live and work anywhere in Canada. But when claiming offer points, you still need to establish a genuine intention to accept and perform the work. 

Your acceptance and correspondence about the start date, relocation or working arrangements could help explain your plans. 

We Can Learn Something From BC and Ontario 

We already have provincial examples of job offer assessments that look closely at the employer without depending on an LMIA. 

The BC PNP Skills Immigration guide requires more than an offer letter. Supporting documents include an Employer Declaration Form, a recommendation letter, a detailed job description and business records. BC also looks at the employer’s operations, staffing, legal compliance and genuine need for the position. It has its own recruitment requirements, with circumstances in which those may be considered met.  

Ontario’s employer checklist also shows the level of scrutiny that can sit behind a job offer. It includes a signed offer and consent for tax information verification, and identifies additional documents that may be requested to check business activity, revenue, premises, staffing and recruitment, where applicable.  

These are separate provincial processes. They do not tell us that IRCC will adopt the same documents, staffing thresholds or recruitment rules. 

But they do show why I would be cautious about interpreting “no LMIA required” as “my employer only needs to sign a letter.” It will be interesting to see how much supporting evidence IRCC expects and whether it provides a more detailed employer checklist. 

Could This Lead to More CEC Refusals? 

One concern I have is whether applicants will underestimate what they need to establish when claiming these points. 

You do not need a job offer to qualify for the Canadian Experience Class. But if you use an offer to increase your CRS score and receive an invitation, the officer still needs to be satisfied that you qualified for those points. Meeting the CEC requirements does not settle that separate question. 

Imagine you receive an invitation with 515 points in a round with a cut-off of 500. Your Labour Market Integration score includes 70 points for an offer, while your eligible Canadian work experience option is worth 40. If the officer does not accept the offer, using the experience option instead would bring your total to 485. You could still meet the CEC requirements, but your score would fall below the invitation threshold, putting the application at risk of refusal. 

This is where a standard letter could leave an applicant exposed. It might confirm the salary and hours without providing enough information to satisfy the officer about the business, its need for the role or its ability to honour the offer. 

The issue is not whether the letter sounds convincing. It is whether the application supports the points being claimed. A genuine offer can still be poorly documented. 

Will this lead to more refusals? We cannot say that yet. Much will depend on the guidance IRCC provides and how applicants and employers prepare and respond. But I do think there is a risk of applicants assuming that no LMIA means very little evidence is needed. 

I would like to see clear instructions before applicants are expected to rely on these points. In the meantime, I would be cautious about submitting a standard letter and assuming IRCC will ask for anything else it needs. 

Have the Conversation With Your Employer Now 

If a qualifying offer could improve your score, speak to your employer about what it is willing to offer and whether it is prepared to support verification of that offer. 

I would have that conversation before assuming you can claim the points. Getting a signature may be straightforward. Getting the right person involved, confirming the terms and arranging supporting evidence can take longer. 

IRCC advises candidates whose offers are missing from their profiles to update them before November 3. It has also published interim instructions for entering offers without an LMIA while the online system catches up. Check those instructions carefully, including when they apply.  

This could be a useful opportunity for many applicants. My advice for now is to prepare around what IRCC has confirmed, keep an eye on further guidance, and make sure both you and your employer understand the offer you will be asking an officer to assess.