Canada Immigration Policy Adjustment: Removal of CRS Points for IEC Work Permit Holders in Express Entry
Impact on IEC Work Permit Holders in the Express Entry Pool
Currently, in the Canadian Express Entry system, candidates can earn CRS points by receiving a valid job offer. Specifically, eligible job offers can bring additional points:
- For job offers in National Occupational Classification (NOC) training, education experience, and TEER-0 level (management positions), candidates can earn 200 points;
- For job offers in other NOC categories, candidates can earn 50 points.
However, applicants holding the IEC work permit under the “Young Professionals” category will no longer earn CRS points for a valid job offer starting from December 18, 2024. Previously, these applicants could earn an additional 50 or 200 CRS points based on a valid job offer if they met other requirements.
It is worth noting that although the Canadian immigration authorities plan to fully remove CRS points for all valid job offers in Spring 2025, IEC work permit holders will face this change earlier than other candidates, potentially having a significant impact on their chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
Reason Behind the Change
Although the Canadian immigration authorities have not explicitly explained why the CRS points for IEC “Young Professionals” work permit holders are being removed earlier, this policy change reflects reforms made by the Canadian government to reduce fraud related to Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIA). The Canadian immigration authorities first announced the plan to remove CRS points for job offers in December 2024 and plan to officially implement it in Spring 2025. Meanwhile, the immigration authorities have confirmed that this change will affect candidates in the Express Entry pool but will not affect those who have already submitted permanent residence applications or received an ITA.
Overview of the International Experience Canada (IEC) Program
The International Experience Canada (IEC) program is an initiative launched by the Canadian government to provide young people with international work and travel opportunities. This program allows young people from designated countries to come to Canada to work and travel, typically for 12 to 24 months, with the aim of promoting cultural exchange, enhancing international understanding, and providing valuable work experience.
1. Program Background and Goals
The IEC program is managed by the Canadian Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and primarily targets young people between the ages of 18 and 35. The core goal of the program is to help participants broaden their horizons and enhance their personal and professional development through work opportunities and cultural exchange.
2. Program Categories
The IEC program offers several ways for young people to participate, mainly including the following three categories:
- Working Holiday: This category is for those who wish to travel in Canada and support their travels by working part-time. Participants can work in Canada for up to 12 months without needing a job offer in advance. This visa allows young people to travel freely within Canada while legally working during their trip, enriching their international experience.
- Young Professionals: This category is for those who wish to work full-time in Canada in a field related to their profession. Through this category, participants can gain work experience in their career field, enhancing their competitiveness in the international job market.
- International Co-op: This category is for students, particularly those who wish to do internships or cooperative education programs in Canada. Through this category, students can gain valuable international practical experience that is highly beneficial for their future careers.
3. Application Requirements
The specific requirements for applying to the IEC program vary by country/region but generally include the following basic conditions:
- Applicants must generally be between the ages of 18 and 35 (with some countries having different age limits).
- Applicants must hold a valid passport with at least six months validity beyond their planned departure from Canada.
- Applicants must have sufficient financial resources to support themselves during their stay in Canada.
- Applicants must have a clean criminal record and meet health requirements.
Additionally, there may be extra specific requirements depending on the country or region, such as language proficiency or specific work experience.
4. Participating Countries and Regions
The IEC program is open to multiple countries and regions, allowing participants to choose the program category that best suits their needs. This includes, but is not limited to, Hong Kong, France, Germany, the UK, Australia, and other countries and regions.
5. Program Benefits
- Cultural Exchange: Through living and working in Canada, participants can immerse themselves in Canadian culture and expand their international perspectives.
- Career Development: By gaining work experience with Canadian companies or organizations, participants can enhance their professional skills and improve their global competitiveness.
- Travel and Exploration: The Working Holiday category is especially suitable for those who wish to work and travel at the same time. Participants can explore various places in Canada and enjoy its beautiful natural landscapes and diverse cultures.
- International Networking: The program provides an opportunity to collaborate with young people from around the world, helping participants build an international social and professional network.
6. How to Apply
To apply for the IEC program, candidates usually need to apply online through the official website of the Canadian Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Applicants need to submit personal information, supporting documents, and wait for an invitation via the online platform.
Friendly reminder: There are many pathways to immigrate to Canada. We recommend first using UNA AI to generate an objective and neutral immigration plan, so you can gain an initial understanding of the possible immigration pathways and their requirements, and then choose to proceed with one-on-one consultations with a licensed Canadian immigration consultant partnered with UNA.
Newfoundland and Labrador issues 205 invitations across two draws, with NLPNP accounting for about 95%
Newfoundland and Labrador held two provincial selection rounds on October 23 and October 29, 2026, issuing 205 invitations in total, of which 195 went to candidates through the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP) and 10 through the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP), leaving NLPNP with about 95% of the invitations. Invited candidates must file a complete nomination or endorsement application with the province within 30 days, down from 60 days previously, and only after a nomination or endorsement certificate is issued can they apply to the federal government for permanent residence (PR). On work permit continuity, a federal temporary measure in force from June 9, 2026 until December 31, 2026 allows eligible in-Canada base-stream PNP applicants to apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) without first obtaining an acknowledgement of receipt (AOR); AIP endorsees fall outside that measure but may apply for an employer-specific work permit valid for up to two years. As of October 29 the province had held 20 draws this year and issued 3,157 invitations, 2,750 through NLPNP and 407 through AIP, already above its full-year allocation of 2,854 nominations, while AIP's share of invitations fell from 26.7% for all of 2025 to 12.9%.
10/31/2026
Express Entry draw #453: 150 invitations for transport occupations as the cut-off climbs to CRS 477
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held Express Entry draw #453 on October 28, 2026, issuing 150 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence to candidates in the Transport Occupations, 2026-Version 2 category at a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 477. It was the transport category's second round of 2026 and its second since the category returned in February with a rebuilt occupation list: against the 300 invitations issued on August 7, the round was half the size and the cut-off rose 7 points from 470. The draw takes IRCC to 65 rounds and 149,409 invitations for the year, of which transport accounts for 450, or 0.3%, and it is the last round to be issued before a revised CRS takes effect on November 3, when draws pause for up to two weeks while every profile in the pool is rescored.
10/29/2026
Canada issues 5,792 Express Entry invitations in two days: 792 PNP candidates at CRS 761, 5,000 French speakers at CRS 407
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held Express Entry draws #451 and #452 on October 26 and 27, 2026, issuing a combined 5,792 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent resident (PR) status. The October 26 Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw issued 792 invitations at a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 761, 11 points below the previous round 13 days earlier and the second-largest round of 2026, while the October 27 French-language proficiency draw issued 5,000 invitations at CRS 407, 28 points below the round held 11 days earlier and equal to 86.3% of the two-day total. IRCC has now held 64 draws and issued 149,259 invitations in 2026, with the French-language category accounting for 40.5% of the year's volume on 12 rounds and 60,500 invitations, ahead of the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) at 38.7% and the PNP at 7.2%. Both rounds were the last to be issued before IRCC switches to a revised CRS on November 3 and pauses draws for up to two weeks to recalculate scores.
10/28/2026
Manitoba issues 1,304 nomination invitations in one draw, with provincial graduates taking nearly 60%
Manitoba's Provincial Nominee Program issued 1,304 Letters of Advice to Apply in Expression of Interest draw #282 on October 22, 2026, the province's 21st round of the year and roughly 3.8 times the size of the 340 invitations sent two weeks earlier, with only July 16's 2,146 larger. Of the total, 734 went to candidates and spouses who completed post-secondary education in Manitoba, 513 to high-scoring candidates living in the province and 57 to workers invited through strategic recruitment; the two score-based cut-offs were 816 and 846, and 353 invitees declared valid Express Entry profiles. Invitees have 60 days to file a complete application. Manitoba has now held 21 rounds and issued 8,527 invitations in 2026 against an allocation of 6,239 nominations, unchanged from 2025 even as the national provincial nominee target rose to 91,500. The province continues to concentrate invitations on people already studying and working there, while the Manitoba Workforce Transition Bridge offers a work permit route for pool candidates who have not yet been invited.
10/27/2026
Newfoundland and Labrador Issues 257 Invitations in Two Immigration Draws
Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, held two immigration draws on October 9 and 16, 2026, issuing a combined 257 invitations to apply: 255 through its Provincial Nominee Program and two through the Atlantic Immigration Program. Based on the published figures for individual rounds, the province had conducted 18 draws and issued 2,952 invitations this year as of October 16. Invited candidates must still complete the provincial application and approval process and obtain a nomination or endorsement before applying to the federal government for permanent residence.
10/23/2026
PEI Issues 254 Invitations in Two October Draws, Lifting 2026 Total to 1,483
Prince Edward Island (PEI) departed noticeably from its published 2026 draw schedule in October: the province added an unscheduled round on October 7 that issued 90 invitations, then held a second round on October 16, a day after the published October 15 date, issuing 164. The two rounds totaled 254 invitations, all issued through the Labour Impact (base) and PEI Express Entry (enhanced) streams, with priority given to people already employed in priority sectors such as health care, skilled trades and manufacturing, and to graduates of the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI), Holland College and Collège de l'Île. Invitees have 30 calendar days to submit a provincial nomination application, after which they can apply to the federal government for permanent residence (PR); eligible nominees already in Canada may also apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP). With these two rounds, PEI has held 11 draws in 2026 and issued 1,483 invitations, making October the busiest single month so far this year. Two rounds remain on the schedule the province published earlier this year, on November 19 and December 17, though officials stress the dates are for reference only. With PEI yet to publish its 2026 nomination allocation and Ottawa having raised the national PNP admissions target to 91,500, the province's "stick to the calendar, occasionally add a round" approach offers a window into how quickly its allocation is being used.
10/22/2026
Ontario relaunches REDI regional immigration pilot, reserving nomination spaces for six northern and rural communities
The Ontario government confirmed on Oct. 16, 2026, through the program-updates page of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), that a new round of the Regional Economic Development through Immigration (REDI) initiative is underway. Greater Sudbury, Kenora District, Nipissing District, Rainy River District, Renfrew County and Thunder Bay have been named as partner communities and will receive dedicated provincial nomination spaces, with the initiative running to the end of 2027. It is the latest adjustment to a program that began in 2020 as a three-community pilot and was formally expanded in January 2025, but only Thunder Bay carries over from the previous list; the other five are taking part for the first time. Allocations per community, draw dates and occupation lists have not been published. With the eight former streams revoked on June 25, 2026, and the new Ontario Workforce Priority Stream (OWPS) yet to hold a single draw since opening its Expression of Interest system on Aug. 4, REDI is now one of the few parts of Ontario's nomination system that is both operational and explicitly regional.
10/20/2026
Express Entry to award up to 150 points for high-wage jobs and Canadian work experience from November 3
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced on October 16, 2026 that the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) will gain a Labour Market Integration factor (LMIF) from November 3, awarding points for a qualifying job offer or Canadian work experience in 186 high-wage occupations. The job-offer route is worth 100 points in the top tier, 70 in the second and 50 in the third, while the work-experience route adds a high-wage bonus of up to 70 points to the existing Canadian work-experience score, lifting that component to a maximum of 150 points, or 140 for candidates with a spouse or common-law partner. Candidates receive the higher of the two amounts and never both, so someone with five years of Canadian experience in a top-tier occupation and no accompanying spouse can reach 150, against 100 for a top-tier job offer alone. The 186 occupations are divided into 31 in the 2x tier, 89 in the 1.5x tier and 66 in the 1.3x tier, based on 2023 to 2025 labour market data. The same date removes the LMIA requirement for Express Entry job offers, although IRCC says holding an LMIA will add no points and confer no priority. The minister, Lena Metlege Diab, announced the measures in Kitchener, Ontario. IRCC will recalculate roughly 229,000 profiles in the pool and pause all draws for up to two weeks, and applications already invited will be assessed against the list in force on the date of the invitation to apply (ITA).
10/19/2026
Express Entry Issues 7,500 Invitations Over Two Consecutive Days as French-Language Category Accounts for Two-Thirds and Hits 2026 Cut-Off High
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held back-to-back Express Entry draws on October 15 and 16, 2026 (Rounds #449 and #450), issuing a combined 7,500 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence (PR). On October 15, the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw issued 2,500 invitations, a 25% increase over the previous CEC round, while the minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off score edged up by 1 point to 519. On October 16, the French-language proficiency category draw issued 5,000 invitations, accounting for approximately 66.7% of the two-day total; following a nearly two-month hiatus without a draw in this category, the minimum CRS score jumped by 53 points from the previous round to 435, setting a 2026 high for the category while still remaining 84 points below the concurrent CEC threshold. Combined with the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw held earlier the same week on October 13, IRCC noticeably accelerated its invitation pace ahead of the November 3 CRS scoring overhaul and system pause, issuing a cumulative 8,252 invitations across four days.
10/17/2026
British Columbia issues at least 284 provincial nomination invitations to care and construction workers
The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) issued at least 284 invitations to apply for provincial nomination on October 8, 2026, targeting candidates in health care, construction trades, childcare and veterinary care. Construction trades received the largest number of invitations, at 115, while health care had a minimum score of 76. Compared with the previous selection for these occupations on September 10, the thresholds for health care, construction and childcare remained unchanged, while veterinary care fell from 90 to 86 points. With this round, British Columbia had issued at least 6301 Skills Immigration invitations this year, continuing to select talent in line with its Care, Build and Innovate priorities.
10/15/2026
