Express Entry Canada: 186 Occupations Could Qualify for Extra CRS Points from November 3

Express Entry Canada: 186 Occupations Could Qualify for Extra CRS Points from November 3

Express Entry21 October 2026

Canada is preparing to change how it awards points to Express Entry CRS points to candidates with certain types of Canadian work experience and job offers. These Express Entry 2026 changes are expected to take effect on November 3, 2026. Candidates who meet the requirements may receive additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points if their experience or qualifying job offer falls under one of 186 occupations on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) new high-wage list.

The occupations span fields including healthcare, engineering, finance, technology, management, education, public safety, and skilled trades. IRCC has grouped them into three levels according to their median wages in Canada.

How the high-wage list is classified

An occupation qualifies for the list when its median wage across Canada is at least 1.3 times the average median wage of the Canadian workforce. The classification applies to the occupation as a whole; it is not based on an individual worker’s salary.

The high-wage occupations Canada list covers eligible roles across several sectors, with each occupation assigned to one of three wage levels.

IRCC uses data from Job Bank, the Labour Force Survey and the Census of Population. The current list is based on data from 2023 to 2025.

The three levels are:

  • Level 1: The occupation’s median wage is at least twice the average median wage.
  • Level 2: The occupation’s median wage is at least 1.5 times, but less than twice, the average median wage.
  • Level 3: The occupation’s median wage is at least 1.3 times, but less than 1.5 times, the average median wage.

CRS points available under the new rules

The new Express Entry job offer points and Canadian work experience CRS points depend on the wage level assigned to the occupation.

Wage level Canadian work experience CRS pointsQualifying job offer CRS points 
Level 1 7010
Level 24070
Level 32050

Candidates can receive points under either the Canadian work experience route or the qualifying job offer route, but not both under this factor. IRCC will use the option that gives the candidate the higher score.

Being employed in a listed occupation does not automatically make someone eligible. The relevant work experience or job offer must meet IRCC’s requirements.

The 186 eligible occupations and their NOC codes

IRCC identifies each occupation using a five-digit National Occupational Classification (NOC) code. These Express Entry NOC codes are grouped below according to their assigned wage level.

Level 1: Median wage at least twice the average median wage

NOC codeOfficial occupation description
00011Senior government managers and officials
00012Senior managers - financial, communications and other business services
00013Senior managers - health, education, social and community services and membership organizations
10010Financial managers
10011Human resources managers
10012Purchasing managers
10020Insurance, real estate and financial brokerage managers
10021Banking, credit and other investment managers
20010Engineering managers
20011Architecture and science managers
20012Computer and information systems managers
21330Mining engineers
21332Petroleum engineers
31100Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine
31101Specialists in surgery
31102General practitioners and family physicians
31103Veterinarians
31302Nurse practitioners
31303Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals
40010Government managers - health and social policy development and program administration
40011Government managers - economic analysis, policy development and program administration
40012Government managers - education policy development and program administration
40019Other managers in public administration
40040Commissioned police officers and related occupations in public protection services
40041Fire chiefs and senior firefighting officers
41100Judges
41101Lawyers and Quebec notaries
41200University professors and lecturers
60010Corporate sales managers
80010Managers in natural resources production and fishing
90011Utilities managers

Level 2: Median wage at least 1.5 times but less than twice the average median wage

NOC codeOfficial occupation description
00014Senior managers - trade, broadcasting and other services
00015Senior managers - construction, transportation, production and utilities
10019Other administrative services managers
10022Advertising, marketing and public relations managers
10029Other business services managers
10030Telecommunication carriers managers
  
11103Securities agents, investment dealers and brokers
11201Professional occupations in business management consulting
21100Physicists and astronomers
21102Geoscientists and oceanographers
21103Meteorologists and climatologists
21109Other professional occupations in physical sciences
21111Forestry professionals
21120Public and environmental health and safety professionals
21202Urban and land use planners
21210Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries
21211Data scientists
21220Cybersecurity specialists
21221Business systems specialists
21222Information systems specialists
21223Database analysts and data administrators
21230Computer systems developers and programmers
21231Software engineers and designers
21232Software developers and programmers
21300Civil engineers
21301Mechanical engineers
21310Electrical and electronics engineers
21311Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)
21320Chemical engineers
21321Industrial and manufacturing engineers
21322Metallurgical and materials engineers
21331Geological engineers
21390Aerospace engineers
21399Other professional engineers
22231Engineering inspectors and regulatory officers
22312Industrial instrument technicians and mechanics
30010Managers in health care
31110Dentists
31112Audiologists and speech-language pathologists
31120Pharmacists
31200Psychologists
31202Physiotherapists
31203Occupational therapists
31300Nursing coordinators and supervisors
31301Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
32111Dental hygienists and dental therapists
40020Administrators - post-secondary education and vocational training
40021School principals and administrators of elementary and secondary education
40030Managers in social, community and correctional services
40042Commissioned officers of the Canadian Armed Forces
41210College and other vocational instructors
41220Secondary school teachers
41221Elementary school and kindergarten teachers
41310Police investigators and other investigative occupations
41311Probation and parole officers
41320Educational counsellors
41401Economists and economic policy researchers and analysts
41402Business development officers and market researchers and analysts
41404Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers
41407Program officers unique to government
42100Police officers (except commissioned)
42101Firefighters
50010Library, archive, museum and art gallery managers
50011Managers - publishing, motion pictures, broadcasting and performing arts
51100Librarians
70010Construction managers
70012Facility operation and maintenance managers
70020Managers in transportation
70021Postal and courier services managers
72011Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations
72012Contractors and supervisors, pipefitting trades
72023Supervisors, railway transport operations
72103Boilermakers
72202Power system electricians
72203Electrical power line and cable workers
72301Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers
72406Elevator constructors and mechanics
72600Air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors
72601Air traffic controllers and related occupations
72604Railway traffic controllers and marine traffic regulators
73310Railway and yard locomotive engineers
82020Supervisors, mining and quarrying
82021Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services
83101Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers
90010Manufacturing managers
92011Supervisors, petroleum, gas and chemical processing and utilities
92100Power engineers and power systems operators
93100Central control and process operators, mineral and metal processing
93101Central control and process operators, petroleum, gas and chemical processing

Level 3: Median wage at least 1.3 times but less than 1.5 times the average median wage

NOC codeOfficial occupation description
00010Legislators
11100Financial auditors and accountants
11101Financial and investment analysts
11102Financial advisors
11109Other financial officers
11200Human resources professionals
12201Insurance adjusters and claims examiners
12203Assessors, business valuators and appraisers
21101Chemists
21110Biologists and related scientists
21112Agricultural representatives, consultants and specialists
21200Architects
21201Landscape architects
21203Land surveyors
21234Web developers and programmers
22214Technical occupations in geomatics and meteorology
22232Occupational health and safety specialists
22233Construction inspectors
22310Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians
22313Aircraft instrument, electrical and avionics mechanics, technicians and inspectors
31121Dietitians and nutritionists
32102Paramedical occupations
32103Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists
32120Medical laboratory technologists
32121Medical radiation technologists
32122Medical sonographers
41300Social workers
41400Natural and applied science policy researchers, consultants and program officers
41403Social policy researchers, consultants and program officers
41405Education policy researchers, consultants and program officers
41409Other professional occupations in social science
43201Correctional service officers
43203Border services, customs, and immigration officers
50012Recreation, sports and fitness program and service directors
51101Conservators and curators
51102Archivists
51111Authors and writers (except technical)
51112Technical writers
51120Producers, directors, choreographers and related occupations
52112Broadcast technicians
60020Retail and wholesale trade managers
60031Accommodation service managers
60040Managers in customer and personal services
72010Contractors and supervisors, machining, metal forming, shaping and erecting trades and related occupations
72013Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades
72014Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers
72020Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades
72021Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews
72102Sheet metal workers
72105Ironworkers
72201Industrial electricians
72302Gas fitters
72320Bricklayers
72321Insulators
72401Heavy-duty equipment mechanics
72403Railway carmen/women
72404Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors
72500Crane operators
72602Deck officers, water transport
72603Engineer officers, water transport
73311Railway conductors and brakemen/women
82010Supervisors, logging and forestry
83100Underground production and development miners
83120Fishing masters and officers
92010Supervisors, mineral and metal processing
93102Pulping, papermaking and coating control operators

 

Changes to job offer requirements

The new rules also change how we assess job offers. From November 3, 2026, candidates will not need a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) for a qualifying job offer to receive the new CRS points or meet the applicable job-offer requirements under the Federal Skilled Worker Program and Federal Skilled Trades Program.

Each LMIA exemption does not mean every offer will be accepted. IRCC will continue to check whether a job offer is genuine and meets the applicable requirements.

What candidates should do before November 3?

Candidates who are already in the Express Entry pool will have their profiles recalculated automatically when the new points system takes effect. IRCC says the recalculation may take up to two weeks, and it will pause invitation rounds during this period.

Candidates with a job offer who think they may qualify for the extra points can check their Express Entry profile before November 3. It is also worth checking the NOC code carefully to make sure the occupation matches IRCC’s list.

Extra points can improve a candidate’s CRS score, but they do not guarantee an invitation. It still depends on the draw they qualify for and the cut-off score IRCC sets.

Official sources: