Canada Lists High-Paying Jobs Eligible for Extra Immigration Points

Canada has announced changes to its Express Entry immigration system that will allow eligible skilled workers to earn additional points towards permanent residence through qualifying job offers or Canadian work experience in high-wage occupations. The new rules are scheduled to take effect on November 3, 2026.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced the changes on October 16, saying the reforms are intended to attract and retain skilled professionals whose experience matches the country’s economic priorities and labour market needs.

Under the revised Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), eligible candidates could receive up to 100 additional points for a qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation. Applicants with qualifying Canadian work experience may also receive extra points, depending on the wage category of their occupation.

The government has also removed the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) requirement for qualifying job offers to receive the new Express Entry points or meet job offer requirements under the Federal Skilled Worker Program and Federal Skilled Trades Program.

However, IRCC will continue to verify job offers to ensure they are genuine and meet immigration requirements.

The department said the reforms would help Canada compete internationally for skilled workers while making the immigration process more responsive to employers’ needs.

Canada releases list of eligible high-wage occupations

IRCC has published a list of eligible occupations divided into three wage categories. The classification is based on Canadian wage data from 2023 to 2025 and is scheduled to take effect on November 3, 2026.

The categories are determined by the median wage for each occupation across Canada, rather than an individual applicant’s salary.

The highest wage category covers occupations with median earnings at least twice the median wage of the overall Canadian workforce.

The eligible occupations are:

1. Senior government managers and officials
2. Senior managers in financial, communications and other business services
3. Senior managers in health, education, social and community services and membership organisations
4. Financial managers
5. Human resources managers
6. Purchasing managers
7. Insurance, real estate and financial brokerage managers
8. Banking, credit and other investment managers
9. Engineering managers
10. Architecture and science managers
11. Computer and information systems managers
12. Mining engineers
13. Petroleum engineers
14. Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine
15. Specialists in surgery
16. General practitioners and family physicians
17. Veterinarians
18. Nurse practitioners
19. Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals
20. Government managers in health and social policy development and programme administration
21. Government managers in economic analysis, policy development and programme administration
22. Government managers in education policy development and programme administration
23. Other managers in public administration
24. Commissioned police officers and related occupations in public protection services
25. Fire chiefs and senior firefighting officers
26. Judges
27. Lawyers and Quebec notaries
28. University professors and lecturers
29. Corporate sales managers
30. Managers in natural resources production and fishing
31. Utilities managers

The revised system is intended to help Canada identify skilled workers whose experience and employment opportunities align with its labour market requirements. Eligibility for additional points will depend on the occupation and the applicable requirements under the updated Express Entry rules.