Canada adding new express entry points for immigrants in ‘high-wage’ jobs

A Canada Border Services Agency officer speaks to a motorist entering Canada at a very quiet Douglas-Peace Arch border crossing, amid concerns about the spread of the coronavirus in Surrey, B.C., on Wednesday, March 18, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

OTTAWA — Ottawa is adding new express entry points for permanent residency applicants in “high-wage” jobs.

The government also plans to remove the requirement for an employer to prove they can’t find a qualified Canadian for those jobs.

Immigration Minister Lena Diab’s two-pronged announcement in Kitchener, Ont., first adds new express entry points for people with Canadian work experience or with a job offer in a high-wage field such as engineering.

The government considers a high-wage job as one with pay that is at least 1.3 times the median wage, with more express entry points given the higher the wage is.

The government is also introducing a temporary policy to remove the need for an employer to include a Labour Market Impact Assessment on a qualifying job that’s eligible for the new express entry points.

These new policies are set to take effect on Nov. 3.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2026

David Baxter, The Canadian Press