Canada Lists 186 Jobs That Could Help Foreign Workers Score Higher for Permanent Residence

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada published the official list of 186 occupations eligible for additional CRS points under Express EntryThe occupations are split across three wage tiers, with each tier awarding a different number of points for Canadian work experience or a job offerThe new scoring rules take effect on November 3, 2026, and candidates already in the pool will have their CRS scores automatically recalculatedPAY ATTENTION: Mark YEN.com.gh as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) published the official list of 186 high-wage occupations that will earn Express Entry candidates additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points from November 3, 2026, marking one of the most significant structural changes to the Express Entry system since it launched in 2015.

The list was shared by Immigration News Canada on X on October 16, 2026, and covers National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes across medicine, engineering, technology, skilled trades, education, finance, law enforcement, natural resources, and transportation.

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IRCC’s 186 high-wage occupations bring tiered Express Entry CRS points from November 3, 2026. Image credit: DAVE CHAN, jeffbergen/Getty Images Source: Getty ImagesHow occupations are classified under new rulesAn occupation qualifies as high-wage when its median national wage is at least 1.3 times higher than the overall average median wage across the Canadian workforce. IRCC determines this classification using data drawn from Job Bank, the Labour Force Survey, and the Census of Population over the most recent three-year window, currently covering 2023 to 2025. Each eligible NOC code is assigned to the highest wage tier it reached during any of those three measured years.

The 186 occupations are divided into three tiers. The top tier, covering 31 NOC codes where median wages are at least twice the national average, awards 70 additional CRS points for qualifying Canadian work experience and 100 points for a qualifying job offer. Occupations in this band include senior government managers, physicians, surgeons, general practitioners, nurse practitioners, lawyers, judges, and engineering managers.

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The middle tier, the largest group with 89 NOC codes, covers occupations earning at least 1.5 times but less than twice the national average. It awards 40 points for Canadian work experience and 70 for a qualifying job offer. Software developers, registered nurses, civil engineers, pharmacists, secondary school teachers, police officers, firefighters, and several skilled trades are included here.

The entry-level high-wage tier encompasses 66 NOC codes at 1.3 to 1.5 times the average median wage, providing 20 points for work experience and 50 for a qualifying job offer. Financial auditors and accountants, architects, social workers, web developers, paramedics, heavy-duty equipment mechanics, crane operators, and industrial electricians appear in this category.

Candidates may claim either the work experience points or the job offer points, not both simultaneously. The system awards whichever value is higher.

A notable policy shift accompanies the new list. From November 3, a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) will no longer be required for a qualifying job offer to attract CRS points under Express Entry. Candidates must have at least 12 months of qualifying Canadian work experience in an eligible occupation to claim the work experience points.

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Those already in the Express Entry pool will have their CRS scores automatically recalculated once the new rules come into force. Candidates seeking job-offer points, however, must update their profiles before that date to ensure they are captured under the revised framework.

In a related development, YEN.com.gh reported that Canada had listed 10 general holidays on which qualifying workers across the country are entitled to receive paid time off work.

The government named these statutory holidays as part of its labour regulations.

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Philip Boateng Kessie (Head of Human Interest Desk) Philip Boateng Kessie is the Head of the Diaspora Affairs Desk at YEN.com.gh, where he has worked since 2022. He has over eight years of journalism experience and holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from the University of Cape Coast. Philip previously served as Head of the Human Interest Desk at YEN.com.gh and has also worked as a reporter for Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) and a content writer for Scooper News. He also holds certificates in Advanced Digital Reporting and Fighting Misinformation. Email: philip.kessie@yen.com.gh