IRCC removes extra points for job offers in express entry to combat immigration fraud in Canada

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that, effective immediately, Express Entry applicants will no longer receive additional points for having a job offer.

This modification eliminates incentives to abuse Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) in order to increase Express Entry scores, with the goal of lowering immigration fraud.

The new rule will affect both new and current candidates, including those who are temporarily employed in Canada, and it will take effect in the spring of 2025.

A candidate's Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score might be considerably raised by having a legitimate employment offer in the past, which would have increased their chances of being invited to apply for permanent residence.

Nonetheless, the updated approach will level the playing field for applicants by reducing the importance of employment offers.

Profiles in the Express Entry pool are assessed and ranked using a points-based mechanism called the CRS.

It evaluates applicants according to a number of criteria, including work experience, education, language ability, and talents.

A candidate's CRS score must be higher than the minimum cut-off for their invitation round—which can change from round to round—in order to be eligible for an Invitation to Apply (ITA).

Candidates who apply through the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), or Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) might receive extra CRS points for arranged employment under Canada's Express Entry system.

These bonus points frequently have a significant impact on whether a candidate is granted an ITA for permanent residence.

Reducing fraudulent activities like purchasing and selling LMIAs, which some candidates used to unlawfully raise their CRS ratings, is the goal of the strategy.

The IRCC claims that the new regulations would guarantee a more equitable and open immigration process while upholding Canada's emphasis on choosing competent and capable candidates.

Candidates with temporary work visas or those intending to immigrate to Canada for employment are likely to be impacted by the changes.

Candidates whose applications are still pending or who have previously received an ITA, however, will not be impacted.

The immigration situation in Canada is still dominated by India.

According to an NFAP analysis quoted by Forbes, the number of Indian immigrants to Canada increased by 326% between 2013 and 2023, from 32,828 to 129,715.

Around 52,106 ITAs, or 47.2% of all invites issued via the Express Entry route, were sent to Indians in 2023 alone.

Genuine Indian applicants may encounter difficulties as a result of the devaluation of job offer points, particularly those who are currently employed on temporary visas and students transferring from study permits to work permits.

For example, students who finish school frequently get employment to improve their CRS ratings. Some people might be discouraged from seeking education or work possibilities in Canada as a result of the new restriction.

It will be more difficult for Indian applicants to stand out in the Express Entry pool if they depend on job offers to raise their CRS ratings.

Indian students in Canada may encounter more competition and have a harder time obtaining permanent status since they frequently take advantage of employment offers after graduation to boost their grades.

Indian applicants must concentrate on other CRS elements like education, language skills, and work experience since the elimination of job offer points puts more weight on these areas.

The rivalry between Indian candidates and other applicants in the Express Entry pool would probably get fiercer without the extra points for organized work, necessitating stronger overall profiles.