Good News for Kenyans as Canada Makes Major Changes in Immigration This November

Kenyan nurses, engineers, doctors and other skilled professionals could have a better chance of securing Canadian permanent residency following major changes to the country’s Express Entry immigration system.

The changes are part of seven immigration, border and enforcement reforms confirmed by the Canadian government for November 2026.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that the revised Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) will take effect on November 3, replacing the previous job-offer points structure with a new Labour Market Integration factor.

Under the new arrangement, candidates will be assessed through two different routes, with the system automatically awarding them the higher score.

The first route considers Canadian work experience, allowing a single applicant to earn up to 80 points based on the duration of their employment. Those working in high-wage occupations can receive an additional 70 points, bringing the maximum score to 150.

The second route focuses on job offers, offering up to 100 points to candidates with employment opportunities in eligible high-wage occupations.

The reforms also introduce different bonus points depending on the profession. Tier 1 occupations, including physicians, nurse practitioners, surgical specialists and lawyers, receive the highest consideration.

Meanwhile, Tier 2 professions such as engineers, software developers, registered nurses, pharmacists and teachers qualify for 40 bonus points for work experience and 70 points for eligible job offers.

IRCC will automatically recalculate scores for existing Express Entry profiles. However, candidates seeking points for job offers must update their profiles before the changes take effect.

The department also indicated that invitation rounds could be suspended for up to two weeks during the transition, meaning the next draw may not happen before mid-November.

Another significant change is the removal of the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) requirement for job offers seeking Express Entry points.

This could reduce costs for employers supporting foreign candidates, although the requirement will remain under the Temporary Foreign Worker Programme.

Separately, Canada introduced tougher penalties for fraudulent immigration representatives on October 28, including fines of $15,000 per violation, with cumulative penalties reaching $1.5 million.

Travel restrictions affecting residents of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and South Sudan are also scheduled to expire on November 27. Kenya is not among the countries affected.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Cahhg5QgA/

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