How to acquire Express Entry points with a job offer in Canada

In the perspective of the Express Entry program, not all vacancies are created equal. When it comes to determining your CRS score, here’s what you need to know 

If you have a job offer that matches certain criteria, you might earn bonus points in the Express Entry system.

You can gain 50 or 200 more Comprehensive Ranking Procedure (CRS) points if you have a work offer in Canada if you are applying using the points-based Express Entry system. You have a better chance of earning an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency if you have more CRS points.

Express Entry hopefuls rarely succeed in obtaining these points. In 2019, 13% of Qualified Applicants who got ITAs also received bonus points because they have a job offer.

If you qualify, you’ll most likely receive a 50-point award. To earn 200 points, you must have a job opportunity in one of six professions, which include all top management jobs as well as lawmakers, and are exclusively available to Canadian nationals. As long as you have a legitimate employment offer in a speciality area, you are eligible for the 50-point prize.

What is a “valid” job offer?

A job offer is genuine if it is full-time, continuous paid work, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Full time implies working for one employer for at least 30 hours per week, or up to two for Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) candidates. It cannot be temporary work, and it must last at least one year after you receive your permanent resident visa.

It also has to be in a skilled occupation, which means it belongs to the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system’s categories 00, 0, A, or B.

In order to receive the points, your company must normally obtain a favourable Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). Employers frequently require an LMIA in order to recruit a foreign worker. Its purpose is to demonstrate that hiring a foreign worker will have no detrimental influence on the Canadian workforce.

Certain occupations, however, are exempt from the LMIA. You can also claim job offer points for these professions if you have performed for them for a year and plan to work for them for at least another year after receiving your permanent resident visa. In addition, your current employer must be the one listed on your work visa.

To put it another way, you can only gain points for a job offer if you:

• It is for a full-time, continuous, paid position in a skilled occupation for at least one year
• a positive LMIA from your company approving the offer and naming you and your job; or
• if you are presently focusing on the same employer listed on your LMIA-based work permit, and you are permitted to work in Canada on the day of your proposal and when the permanent resident visa is issued, and you have a valid job offer for at least one year after you receive your permanent resident visa; 
• if you have a current work permit for a speciality area exempt from the LMIA requirement, one year of full-time professional experience for that company, and a current job offer for at least one year after receiving your permanent resident visa.

The most critical condition, which most people overlook, is that your employment offer must be accompanied by an LMIA or be LMIA exempt in order to qualify for CRS points.

If you are operating in Canada on an open working visa, such as a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), and your company has not completed an LMIA, you will not be eligible for job offer points. Although an open work permit can help you earn points for having Canadian work experience and may even qualify you for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), it does not allow you to earn the 50 or 200 points that are awarded for getting a job offer. Your employer should receive an LMIA if you really want the scores for the employment offer.

Moreover, the immigration officer assessing your case must be satisfied that you are capable of performing the job. If you operate in a controlled occupation, IRCC will assess whether you are likely to be licensed or certified by a Canadian regulatory authority.

Certification standards are determined by the provinces and territories. The licensing and regulatory standards for certain professions can be found on the Canadian government’s website. Alternatively, you can inquire about licensing and certification with the competent agency in the province or territory where you wish to settle.