IRCC to Remove LMIA-Based Job Offer Points from Express Entry
🔄 Navigating the New Landscape
Since 2015, Express Entry has assisted over 100,000 applicants by awarding CRS score boosts for securing a valid job offer. In today’s post-COVID environment, these extra points have become even more important for applicants aiming to improve their immigration prospects.
Canada’s Express Entry system is undergoing a transformative change as the IRCC removes Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)-based job offer points from the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). This change seeks to emphasize skills, education, and adaptability over employer-sponsored job offers, fostering fairness and addressing Canada’s labor market needs.
This decision aims to make Canada’s immigration system more equitable and skills-driven. This significant policy shift aims to enhance fairness and integrity within the immigration process.
If you're an Express Entry applicant or a Canadian employer, this comprehensive guide will help you understand the implications of this policy change and offers actionable strategies to adapt and how VIAVIFA can assist in navigating this transition effectively.
Article Key Points:
➔ Why IRCC is removing LMIA-based points.
➔ Implications for Express Entry candidates and Canadian employers.
➔ Strategies to enhance your CRS score without LMIA points.
➔ How VIAVIFA can support you through these changes.
🌟 Understanding the LMIA-Based Job Offer Points
Candidates with valid LMIA-based job offers receive an additional 50 to 200 points under the CRS. This advantage often places them ahead of other skilled workers in the Express Entry pool. LMIAs are employer-driven assessments that verify the necessity of hiring foreign workers to fill job vacancies in Canada, emphasizing that no Canadian citizens or permanent residents are available for the role.
🔴 IRCC's Decision to Remove LMIA-Based Points
On Tuesday, December 17th 2024, Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced the change during a televised interview. However, the timeline for its implementation remains uncertain. And as of December 18th 2024, the government’s online points calculator continues to award 50 points for having a valid job offer.
According to Miller, eliminating the extra points granted for job offers under Express Entry aims to mitigate fraud and enhance the integrity of Canada's immigration system.
“We will be implementing further measures that reinforce the program and reduce the potential for LMIA fraud,” Miller said.
“This measure is expected to eliminate the incentive for candidates to purchase an LMIA, leading to greater fairness and integrity in Express Entry,” Miller added.
The decision reflects IRCC’s commitment to creating a more skills-focused, fair, and transparent immigration system with a focus on modernizing immigration pathways and making them more equitable
The reasons behind this move include:
📌 Encouraging Fair Competition
➔ Ensures all skilled workers have equal chances to immigrate.
➔ Reduces reliance on job offers, ensuring equal opportunities for skilled immigrants.
📌 Focus on Skills
➔ Prioritizes education, work experience, and language proficiency over job offers.
📌 Enhancing Integrity
➔ The change seeks to mitigate instances of fraudulent practices related to LMIA-based job offers, thereby upholding the integrity of the immigration system.
📌 Addressing Evolving Economic Needs
➔ Expands Canada’s ability to attract a diverse range of skilled workers to meet its dynamic labor market demands.
📌 Reducing Employer Dependency
➔ By eliminating LMIA-based points, candidates are encouraged to focus on building comprehensive profiles that highlight their skills, education, language proficiency, and adaptability rather than relying on employer sponsorship.
📌 Streamlining Immigration Goals
➔ The removal aligns with Canada's focus on skills-based immigration, ensuring that the system prioritizes individuals who can meet the country's evolving economic and demographic needs.
👤 Implications for Express Entry Candidates
📌 What’s Changing?
➔ LMIA-based job offers no longer would provide 50-200 additional CRS points.
📌 Core CRS Factors Become Crucial
➔ With this policy change, candidates must now focus on enhancing their core CRS factors, such as age, education, language proficiency, and work experience, to improve their overall scores.
📌 Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs)
➔ Securing a provincial nomination remains a valuable and alternative pathway, as it can add 600 points to a candidate's CRS score, significantly boosting their chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
🏢 Implications for Canadian Employers
Employers seeking to hire foreign talent must adapt their strategies to continue attracting global talent under the new undergoing rules.
📌 Challenges
➔ Reduced appeal of LMIA-based job offers for attracting Express Entry candidates.
➔ Ensuring adherence to immigration regulations and maintaining transparent recruitment practices will be crucial in this new landscape.
📌 Opportunities to Adapt:
➔ Employers may need to explore other immigration programs, such as the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP)-linked streams or the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), to recruit international candidates.
➔ Employers can collaborate with provinces to nominate skilled workers, increasing their competitiveness.
📈 Strategies to Improve Your CRS Score Post-Update
To stay competitive in the Express Entry pool, consider the following:
🎯 Enhance Language Proficiency
➔ Achieving higher scores in language tests like IELTS or CELPIP can substantially increase your CRS points.
🎯 Upgrade Your Education
➔ Pursuing higher education or obtaining Educational Credential Assessments (ECAs) for multiple degrees can enhance your profile.
➔ Secure additional certifications or enroll in diploma/degree programs relevant to in-demand fields.
🎯 Gain Relevant Work Experience
➔ Broadening and developing your skills by accumulating additional years of skilled work experience, especially in high-demand occupations or industries like IT, healthcare, and engineering, can positively impact your CRS score.
🎯 Explore PNPs
➔ Many provinces offer streams aligned with specific labor market needs that offer up to 600 CRS points.
📝Recent Modifications to the TFWP
The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) enables Canadian employers to bring foreign workers on work permits to meet specific workforce demands.
In September, the Canadian federal government suspended the processing of Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) for the low-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).
Moreover, as of November, the government increased the salary requirements for the high-wage stream. Workers hired under this stream must now earn 20% above the median wage for that occupation in the region, up from the previous requirement of earning at least the median wage.
These changes align with the government’s evolving immigration policies, as outlined in the latest Immigration Levels Plan. For the first time, the plan includes targets for temporary resident levels, including new TFWP work permits. The 2025 target for net new TFWP work permits is set at 82,000.
🤝 How VIAVIFA Can Assist You
At VIAVIFA, we understand the complexities of Canada’s evolving immigration policies and offer expert guidance to both candidates and employers.
✅ Profile Optimization: We provide personalized strategies to enhance your CRS score by focusing on core human capital factors.
✅ PNP Applications Guidance: Our experts assist in identifying and applying to Provincial Nominee Programs that align with your qualifications and experience.
✅ Career Counselling: Career counseling to align your skills with Canada’s labor market demands.
IRCC’s decision to eliminate LMIA-based job offer points is a shift towards prioritizing skills and adaptability in Canada’s immigration system. For both candidates and employers, staying informed and adapting to these changes is key to success. Both candidates and employers must adapt to this change by focusing on core competencies and compliant recruitment strategies, respectively.
Navigating these changes can be complex, but VIAVIFA is here to assist you every step of the way.
🌟 Let VIAVIFA guide you through Canada’s evolving immigration landscape!
📧 Email: contact@viavifa.in
📞 Phone: +91-9606023371 || +91-8951603373
🌐 Website: www.viavifa.com
Partner with VIAVIFA for a seamless Canadian immigration journey.