As of March 25, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) officially removed the bonus points for job offers in the Express Entry. Before this change, a candidate with a valid job offer along with LMIA could earn up to 50 points (for a regular position) or 200 points (for a senior management position) added to their CRS. This is one of the biggest changes to the program in 2025, and the My Second World team has put together a summary so you can clearly understand what happened.
What happened, and when
IRCC announced this plan on December 23, 2024, and the rule took effect on March 25, 2025. Since that date, the Express Entry system no longer awards CRS points for a job offer (referred to in English as arranged employment) for all candidates already in the pool as well as those applying afterward. The bonus points previously in place were automatically removed from profiles, and candidates did not need to take any action.
According to an announcement from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), this is a measure aimed at reducing fraud: eliminating the incentive to illegally buy and sell LMIAs in order to dishonestly raise CRS scores. IRCC emphasized that this is a temporarymeasure, though as of now no specific end date has been announced.
How many CRS points did a job offer used to add
Before March 25, 2025, a valid job offer was one of the most powerful ways to boost points in Express Entry. The amount awarded was based on the occupational group under the NOC:
- 200 points for job offers under NOC Major Group 00, i.e., senior management positions (such as CEOs and general managers).
- 50 points for most other job offers under TEER category 0, 1, 2 or 3.
With CRS cutoff scores typically hovering around 480-540 in many draws, this 50- or 200-point boost could be the deciding factor between receiving or not receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA). The removed the bonus points for job offers therefore significantly changed the competitive landscape within the pool.
Why did IRCC remove the job offer bonus points
The central reason is fraud prevention. When a job offer could bring up to 200 CRS points, some parties began selling fake or “ghost” LMIAs to help candidates illegitimately raise their scores. According to the CRS criteria page of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the bonus points for job offers have been removed from the CRS for both current and future candidates in the Express Entry pool.
By removing the financial incentive behind LMIA trading, IRCC hopes to reduce fraud risk and preserve fairness for honest candidates. This is also part of a broader effort to tighten the integrity of Canada’s immigration system during the 2024-2025 period.
Who is affected and who is not
The removed the bonus points for job offers does not affect every candidate in the same way. You should determine which group below you fall into:
- Affected: candidates currently in the Express Entry pool who previously received 50 or 200 points from a job offer. These points were automatically removed, lowering their total CRS score.
- Not affected: candidates who already received an ITA before or at the time of the change, as well as candidates currently in the permanent residence (PR) processing stage. These applications continue to be assessed based on the score at the time the ITA was received.
One important point: if a job offer is an eligibility requirement for a program you are applying under, this requirement has not changed. IRCC recommends that candidates still declare full job offer details in their Express Entry profile to maintain eligibility, even though it no longer earns CRS points.
How does this change affect point-boosting strategies
Without the 50-200 points from a job offer, candidates now need to focus their efforts on the core CRS factors. These remain the most sustainable foundation, as they do not depend on an employer’s goodwill. Priority areas to boost points include:
- Improving language proficiency: improving your English test results (IELTS or CELPIP) is the most effective and controllable way for a candidate to raise their score.
- Accumulating work experience in the correct occupational group and for the duration required by the program.
- Completing an educational credential assessment qua ECA to have foreign education points counted.
- Targeting a provincial nomination qua PNP — a provincial nomination adds 600 CRS points and virtually guarantees an ITA.
- Monitoring priority category-based draws if your occupation falls within a prioritized category.
To build a roadmap suited to your individual profile, you can also refer to the article how to increase your CRS score and an analysis of the role of job offer in Canada in this new context.
The future: bonus points may return, but with conditions
As part of the 2026 Express Entry reform consultation, IRCC has proposed partially restoring bonus points for job offers, but only for high-wage occupations. The agency’s reasoning is that high-wage occupations typically require specialized skills and experience, making it easier to verify a candidate’s authenticity and reducing the risk of job offer fraud.
This is still only a proposal at the consultation stage, not a rule in effect, so you should not build your plan on the assumption that it will definitely be adopted. To stay updated on the full picture of changes under discussion, you can read more in the article Express Entry reforms of ours.
Summary
The removed the bonus points for job offers as of March 25, 2025 is a temporary IRCC measure to fight LMIA fraud, removing the 50-200 CRS point boost that was once considered a powerful “lever” in Express Entry. Candidates who already have an ITA or are in PR processing are not affected; those still in the pool need to shift their focus to language, experience, education, and especially provincial nominations. The proposal to bring bonus points back for high-wage occupations is under consultation but has not become a rule. If you need to reassess your profile and build a point-boosting strategy suited to this new context, the immigration consulting team at My Second World is ready to accompany you.
