🇨🇦 JUST IN: EXPRESS ENTRY CRS CHANGES COMING NOVEMBER 3, 2026
If you have been following our discussions about Express Entry, you will understand why you cannot afford to stop paying attention to changes like this.
Imagine two candidates with similar profiles. One has Canadian work experience in an occupation that qualifies for the new high-wage points, while the other doesn't. Under the proposed changes, the first candidate may have an advantage in the CRS ranking.
That is why, whenever IRCC announces changes to the CRS, you need to understand what those changes mean for your own profile. Don't just read the headline and move on.
Starting November 3, 2026, IRCC will introduce additional CRS points for eligible Canadian work experience or a qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation. For this purpose, a high-wage occupation is one with a median wage of at least 1.3 times the median wage of the overall Canadian workforce.
Now, pay attention to this part: not every job in Canada will automatically qualify for these additional points. IRCC will maintain a list of eligible high-wage occupations based on wage data from the Job Bank, Labour Force Survey and Census of Population covering the previous three years.
Another important change is that, from November 3, an LMIA will no longer be required for a qualifying job offer to receive these new Express Entry points or to meet the job-offer requirements under the Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades programs. However, the job offer must still be genuine and meet the applicable program requirements. This does not mean every job offer will qualify.
If you are already in the Express Entry pool, IRCC says your CRS score will be recalculated automatically under the new points system. However, if you want to receive points for a qualifying job offer, make sure you update your profile with the required information before November 3.
IRCC also says the recalculation process may take up to two weeks, during
PLANNING TO APPLY FOR CANADIAN PR? DON'T FORGET YOUR LANGUAGE TEST! 🇨🇦
One thing I want you to understand is that if you're planning to apply for permanent residence in Canada as a skilled worker, your language test is one of the important things you need to plan for.
I've seen people focus so much on their education, work experience and CRS points that they forget to budget for their language test until they're ready to create their profile or submit their application.
Remember, for skilled worker pathways, you may need an approved English or French language test, and you must meet the required scores in all four abilities: reading, writing, listening and speaking.
Now, if you're in Nigeria and planning your Canadian PR journey, these are the test fees to budget for based on the figures below.
English Language Tests
IELTS General Training: ₦299,000
CELPIP General: ₦229,000
PTE Core: ₦305,000 (approximately US$230)
French Language Tests
TCF Canada: ₦750,000
TEF Canada: ₦750,000
Please note that these are the fees provided above and may change. Additional administrative charges may also apply, so confirm the current fees directly with the test provider before making payment.
One more thing, don't just choose a test because it's cheaper. Choose an approved test that suits your language ability and your immigration plans. If you're considering French, remember that strong French results may also open up additional opportunities under Canada's French-language immigration category.
Plan ahead, budget properly, and don't leave your language test until the last minute. Your Canadian PR journey requires preparation, and language testing is one part you should take seriously.
Let me quickly share something with you. When people hear about Canadian permanent residence, the first thing that comes to their mind is IELTS, PTE Core, or French language tests. But do you know that not every permanent residence pathway in Canada requires a language test?
For example, if you're applying for permanent residence through family sponsorship, the requirements are different from those of skilled worker programs like Express Entry.
If you're being sponsored by your spouse or common-law partner, or you're sponsoring an eligible dependent child, a language test is generally not a requirement for the sponsored person's PR application.
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/family-sponsorship/spouse-partner-children.htmlhttps://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/family-sponsorship/other-relatives/who-you-can-sponsor.html .... this one is for Orphaned brother, sister, nephew, niece or grandchild and other relatives
The same applies to eligible family sponsorship pathways for parents and grandparents. There are also specific rules for sponsoring certain other relatives, but you must meet the eligibility requirements for the particular program.
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/family-sponsorship/sponsor-parents-grandparents.html
So, if you don't have IELTS or any other language test result, don't automatically conclude that you cannot become a permanent resident of Canada. Your options depend on the immigration pathway you qualify for.
The important thing is to understand the requirements of the specific program you're applying under rather than assuming every PR applicant must take a language test.
I want you guys to read up on these mpower and Passage loans. These are not free money, they are loans that you are required to repay monthly.
So, if you're planning to use any of these loans for your study permit application, you need to understand the repayment terms and have a clear repayment plan. That repayment plan must be backed by your source of income.
Your source of income still needs to be strong because, even if you've secured a loan offer from mpower or Passage, you need to demonstrate how you're going to repay that loan. You must be able to support your financial claims with sufficient documentation and show that your repayment plan is realistic.
Most importantly, don't assume that getting a loan offer automatically means your study permit will be approved. You can secure the loan and still face a refusal if the overall application does not sufficiently demonstrate your financial situation and ability to meet your obligations.
So, before you take this route, make sure you understand the loan terms, assess your source of income, and prepare a realistic repayment plan that you can support with genuine documents. Getting the loan is one thing; presenting a strong, well-documented study permit application is another.
Memorial University of Newfoundland is in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
The University of Manitoba is located in the province of Manitoba (in Winnipeg).
Please guys which of this uni would you advise someone with 2 kids who wants to go for Matsers in Canada 🇨🇦 choose?
Please give me your reasons 🙏
EXPRESS ENTRY: WHAT THE UPCOMING HIGH-WAGE OCCUPATION CHANGES COULD MEAN FOR YOU
As of October 12, 2026, there were 229,456 candidates in the Express Entry pool. Now, IRCC has announced changes to CRS points for eligible Canadian work experience and qualifying job offers in high-wage occupations, effective November 3, 2026.
Let me explain what this could mean for you and what I think applicants need to start paying attention to.
Imagine two candidates in the Express Entry pool. Both have Canadian work experience, both qualify under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), but one has eligible work experience in a high-wage occupation while the other does not. With these new changes, their CRS scores could be affected differently. This is why I believe we need to pay close attention to how IRCC implements the changes and how future draws are conducted.
How could this affect CEC draws?
CEC candidates with eligible Canadian work experience in high-wage occupations could receive additional CRS points. Depending on how many candidates benefit, this could affect the competition within the pool and potentially influence future CEC cut-off scores. However, we cannot conclude yet that CEC cut-offs will definitely increase. We need to see how the new points affect candidates' actual scores and how IRCC conducts its invitation rounds.
Now, what happens to candidates who do not have eligible high-wage work experience or a qualifying job offer? They could find themselves at a disadvantage compared with candidates who qualify for these additional points. This is something we need to watch closely, especially if IRCC continues conducting CEC draws.
What about applicants outside Canada?
This is another important question. Suppose you are in Nigeria, you have foreign work experience, and you do not have Canadian work experience. You may be wondering whether obtaining a qualifying job offer in an eligible high-wage occupation could improve your CRS score.
Under the announced cha