The changes to the Comprehensive Ranking System that IRCC announced for November 3, 2026 are now in force. The score of every candidate in the Express Entry pool is being recalculated, and invitation rounds are on hold.
What IRCC has said
- Points for Canadian work experience and job offers are now awarded through the new Labour Market Integration factor.
- LMIA and LMIA-exemption requirements have been removed for all Express Entry job offers.
- The system is recalculating points in existing profiles, which could take up to two weeks.
- Rounds are paused during the recalculation and will start again when it is complete.
The last rounds under the old rules
The final round before the change was held on October 28, 2026: a Transport occupations round that invited 150 candidates with a cut-off of 477. It followed a French-language proficiency round on October 27 (5,000 invitations, cut-off 407) and a Provincial Nominee Program round on October 26 (792 invitations, cut-off 761).
| Round | Date | Round type | Invitations | CRS cut-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #453 | Oct 28, 2026 | Transport occupations (2026 Version 2) | 150 | 477 |
| #452 | Oct 27, 2026 | French-language proficiency (2026 Version 2) | 5,000 | 407 |
| #451 | Oct 26, 2026 | Provincial Nominee Program | 792 | 761 |
| #450 | Oct 16, 2026 | French-language proficiency (2026 Version 2) | 5,000 | 435 |
| #449 | Oct 15, 2026 | Canadian Experience Class | 2,500 | 519 |
| #448 | Oct 13, 2026 | Provincial Nominee Program | 752 | 772 |
What candidates should do
You do not need to do anything for your existing points to be recalculated. If you have a job offer that is not in your profile, IRCC says you should update your profile to add it. Its online form still asks for LMIA details, and IRCC has published placeholder values to enter. Our guide to the 2026 CRS changes sets them out.
In the meantime, work out your new score with the CRS calculator and check your NOC code against the high-wage occupations list. Cut-offs in the first rounds after the pause may look quite different from October's, because scores across the pool have moved.