Express Entry CRS Overhaul: Canada Reveals Plan to Reward Higher Earners and Job Offers — and Remove Points Many Candidates Depend On

Two days after announcing it would retire all three Express Entry programs, the federal government has revealed the most detailed picture yet of what the replacement system will look like — and the proposed changes are significant for virtually every candidate currently in the pool.

IRCC shared a slide deck with immigration lawyers during recent consultations outlining proposed changes to both eligibility requirements and the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The details reveal a fundamental shift in who Canada’s immigration system will prioritize: higher-earning workers and candidates with job offers in high-wage occupations will gain significant advantages, while several factors that currently benefit a wide range of applicants are proposed for removal or reduction.

These are proposals, not final regulations. Public consultations are planned for Spring 2026. However, the level of detail IRCC has shared with practitioners signals serious intent. Every Express Entry candidate should understand what is being proposed now.

The New Unified Eligibility Requirements

Under the current system, each of the three Express Entry programs — the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Canadian Experience Class, and Federal Skilled Trades Program — has its own eligibility criteria. The proposed single merged program would replace all of these with one unified set of requirements.

Education

All candidates would need at least a high school diploma or equivalent, verified through an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA). Currently, education is only a minimum requirement for the Federal Skilled Worker Program. This change brings international graduates and trades workers under a single education floor.

Language

All candidates would need Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 6 across all four language abilities — speaking, listening, reading, and writing — regardless of occupation type. This is a significant standardization. Under the current system, minimum language requirements range from CLB 4 to 5 for trades program candidates, CLB 5 to 7 for CEC candidates depending on their occupation, and CLB 7 for Federal Skilled Worker candidates. The proposed CLB 6 floor is lower than what FSWP requires and higher than what trades candidates currently need.

Work Experience

Candidates would need one year of cumulative work experience in a TEER 0 to 3 occupation, earned within the past three years. Two changes here are important. First, the experience can be Canadian or foreign — meaning candidates who have only worked outside Canada will be given equal consideration to those with Canadian work experience. Second, the shift from continuous to cumulative work experience means candidates can combine shorter periods of work from different employers or periods to meet the one-year requirement.

Job Offer

A job offer would no longer be a minimum eligibility requirement. Currently, Federal Skilled Trades candidates must have either a valid job offer or a certificate of qualification in Canada. The removal of this requirement opens the door for trades workers without a Canadian job offer to enter the pool under the merged program.

The 67-Point FSWP Grid

The selection grid currently used to screen Federal Skilled Worker Program candidates before they enter the Express Entry pool would be eliminated entirely. This grid has historically been a barrier for some candidates who met the program’s language and work experience requirements but could not accumulate enough points across the grid’s six selection factors. Its removal simplifies entry significantly.

How the CRS Would Change: Who Gains and Who Loses

The proposed CRS changes are the most consequential part of this announcement. They determine who gets selected from the pool — and several factors that candidates have built their strategies around are proposed for significant modification or removal.

The New High Wage Occupation Factor — The Biggest Change

The most significant addition to the CRS is a new High Wage Occupation factor. Candidates with Canadian work experience or a qualifying job offer in occupations earning above the national median wage would receive additional CRS points, structured in three tiers based on how much the occupation earns above the median.

The first tier covers occupations earning 1.3 times the median wage — examples given include financial analysts. The second tier covers occupations at 1.5 times the median — examples include engineers and teachers. The third and highest tier covers occupations at twice the median wage — examples include physicians and professors.

Critically, IRCC has said it will base these points on occupational earnings — the typical salary for the occupation — rather than a candidate’s individual earnings. This reduces integrity risks and means a financial analyst working at the median rate for their occupation gets the same points as one earning significantly more.

The list of qualifying occupations would be updated regularly, which introduces some ongoing uncertainty for candidates planning around this factor.

Job Offer Points Return — But Only for High-Wage Occupations

Job offer points were removed from the CRS in March 2025. Under the proposed changes, they would return — but only for candidates with job offers in high-wage occupations as defined above. This is a targeted return, not a restoration of the previous broad job offer points framework. Candidates with job offers in lower-wage occupations would not benefit from this change.

Canadian Work Experience Points — Restructured

Canadian work experience is currently worth up to 80 CRS points. Under the proposed changes, this factor would be restructured to incorporate the new High Wage Occupation factor and job offers for high-wage occupations. The net effect on candidates with Canadian experience in mid-wage occupations is not yet fully clear and will depend on the final regulations.

Skills Transferability — Enhanced for Trades

The skills transferability factor, currently worth up to 100 points, would see enhanced recognition for trade qualifications. Foreign work experience points would be retained. IRCC is also exploring recognition for regulated professions and considering points for trade apprenticeship work — a significant potential benefit for candidates pursuing Red Seal certification.

Factors Proposed for Removal or Reduction

Several CRS factors that currently provide significant point advantages to large categories of candidates are proposed for removal or modification. This is where the proposed changes will be most felt by candidates who have structured their strategies around them.

Provincial Nomination — 600 Points at Risk

The provincial nomination factor — currently worth 600 points, effectively guaranteeing an ITA for any nominated candidate — is on the list for removal or modification. If this change is implemented, it would represent one of the most significant shifts in the relationship between federal and provincial immigration selection in the history of Express Entry.

It is worth noting that this is a proposal. Provincial governments have significant political interests in the nomination system, and any change to PNP points would require careful federal-provincial negotiation. Whether this specific proposal survives the consultation process remains to be seen.

French Language Proficiency Bonus — Proposed Removal

The French proficiency bonus — currently worth 25 to 50 points — is proposed for removal. This would directly affect French-speaking candidates who have been benefiting from dedicated category-based draws at significantly lower CRS cutoffs. However, IRCC has confirmed that category-based selection would continue, including French-language draws. The removal of the bonus points does not necessarily eliminate the French-language pathway — it changes how those candidates are ranked in the general pool while category draws continue separately.

Studies in Canada — Proposed Removal

The Canadian education bonus — currently worth 15 to 30 points for candidates who studied at a Canadian institution — is proposed for removal. This affects international graduates who have been counting these points as part of their CRS calculation. Combined with the potential CEC restructuring, this could significantly reduce the CRS advantage that Canadian-educated candidates currently hold.

Sibling in Canada — Proposed Removal

The 15-point sibling adaptability factor is proposed for removal. While 15 points is a relatively modest factor compared to others, its removal affects candidates who have relied on it as part of a marginal CRS score strategy.

Spousal Points — Proposed Modification

Spousal CRS points — currently worth up to 40 points for a spouse’s language scores and education — are proposed for modification. Details of what the modification would look like have not been confirmed.

What This Means for Your Express Entry Strategy Right Now

The combination of what is being added and what is being removed tells a clear story about the direction of Canada’s immigration priorities: the proposed system rewards economic contribution as measured by earnings and job market demand, and reduces the weight given to social and integration factors like family ties, Canadian education, and language bonus points.

For candidates currently in the pool, the most important immediate actions are:

• Do not let your Express Entry profile expire. If your profile expires before the new system takes effect and before you receive an ITA, you may need to reapply under different rules — potentially with a different CRS score.
• Act under current rules while they still apply. The CEC, FSWP, and FSTP are still running and draws are ongoing. If you currently meet the requirements for any of these programs, applying now under the existing framework — and potentially receiving an ITA before the new system takes effect — is strategically preferable to waiting.
• Assess whether the new factors benefit you. If your occupation falls into a high-wage tier under the proposed framework, the new system may actually improve your CRS position. A legal assessment of your specific occupation against the proposed earning tiers is worth doing now.
• Recalculate your CRS without bonus factors. If you have been relying on French proficiency bonus points, Canadian education points, or sibling points to reach a competitive CRS, calculate what your score looks like without them. If the gap is significant, identifying alternative strategies — including PNP streams while they remain intact — is urgent.
• Consider PNP urgency. If the 600-point PNP nomination factor is modified or removed, the strategic value of a provincial nomination changes significantly. OINP streams are already set to be revoked on May 30, 2026. Acting on provincial nomination opportunities now, before both federal and provincial frameworks change, is the most protected strategy available.

How Cambria Law Can Help

The Express Entry landscape is changing faster right now than at any point since the system launched in 2015. Three days of consecutive breaking news — the program retirement announcement, the OINP draw results, and now the detailed CRS overhaul proposal — have materially altered the strategic picture for every candidate in the pool.

Cambria Law’s immigration team is reviewing these proposals in real time. We are available now to assess how the proposed changes affect your specific profile, identify whether acting under current rules is the right strategy, and prepare complete applications for candidates who are ready to move.