An Express Entry ITA received this month comes with a 60-day clock, and many candidates are asking whether to hold it until November 3, 2026, when IRCC’s new CRS points and job offer rules take effect. Our advice is to keep working on your application now.
The new points and the LMIA change apply to invitations issued on or after November 3. They do not reach back to an Express Entry ITA that is already in your account, and your deadline keeps running whether you wait or not.
The short answer
- Your Express Entry ITA is assessed under the rules in place on the day you were invited.
- The new Labour Market Integration points (up to 150) and the LMIA exemption start with invitations issued from November 3, 2026.
- Draws pause for up to two weeks after November 3 while IRCC recalculates every profile.
- Waiting only uses up your 60 days. Declining to re-enter the pool is a gamble while new cut-offs are unknown.
What changes in Express Entry on November 3
IRCC announced on October 16, 2026 that Express Entry is adding a new CRS factor called Labour Market Integration. It awards points for either your Canadian work experience or a qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation. You get whichever option scores higher. The two are never added together.
| Option | With a spouse or partner | Single |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian work experience | Up to 140 (70 for length + 70 for high-wage work) | Up to 150 (80 for length + 70 for high-wage work) |
| Qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation | Up to 100 | Up to 100 |
The extra points depend on where your NOC code sits on IRCC’s new high-wage list:
| Level of your occupation | 12+ months of Canadian work | Qualifying job offer |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1: 2 times the median wage | +70 | 100 |
| Level 2: 1.5 times the median | +40 | 70 |
| Level 3: 1.3 times the median | +20 | 50 |
You can check your own NOC code in our breakdown of the high-wage occupations list 2026. Other changes take effect the same day:
- A job offer no longer needs a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to count for program eligibility or CRS points. An officer will still check that the offer is genuine.
- IRCC will recalculate every profile in the pool. This can take up to two weeks, and invitation rounds will pause until it is done.
- The online profile will not reflect the LMIA change right away. IRCC has told candidates with a job offer to enter placeholder LMIA details (number 00000) in the Work history section from November 3.
Why the new rules don’t apply to an Express Entry ITA you already hold
An Express Entry ITA is issued on the profile and the rules in place on the day of the draw. When you submit your electronic application for permanent residence (e-APR), you have to prove the claims that got you invited. Submitting on November 10 instead of October 28 does not add new points to that invitation.
IRCC’s own wording points the same way:
- The temporary public policy that drops LMIA requirements for Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades job offers covers candidates invited on or after November 3, 2026. If your ITA came before that date and your eligibility rests on a job offer, the current rules still apply to you.
- If the high-wage list changes after an ITA is issued, IRCC keeps using the level that applied on the date of the invitation. The invitation date is the reference point, not the date you submit.
So the Express Entry ITA in your account will be judged under the rules that produced it. Waiting changes nothing about your score and only shortens the time you have to prepare.
What you risk by holding your Express Entry ITA
60 days, then it is gone. If you neither submit nor decline an Express Entry ITA within 60 calendar days, it expires and you are taken out of the pool. You would need to create a new profile and start over.
Documents take longer than most people expect. Police certificates from some countries can take weeks, and you still need an upfront medical exam, proof of funds and employer reference letters that match your NOC duties. Starting late leaves no room for a delay at a police station or a clinic.
Your own details can also shift while your Express Entry ITA sits unused:
- Age is locked on the date IRCC receives your e-APR for the Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades programs. A birthday before you submit can cost you age points.
- Language test results are valid for two years from the test date and must still be valid when you submit.
- If your recalculated score drops below the cut-off of the round that invited you, an application is likely to be refused.
Declining and re-entering the pool is a gamble
Some candidates are thinking about declining their Express Entry ITA and waiting for a higher score after November 3. Look at the numbers first. The pool held 229,456 profiles on October 12, 2026, and the October 15 Canadian Experience Class draw closed at 519.
Candidates with a year or more in a high-wage occupation will gain 20 to 70 points. Software developers and registered nurses, for example, pick up 40. If your NOC code is not on the list, your score stays the same while thousands of others move up, and nobody can say yet where the cut-offs will land.
Declining can be the right call when you cannot prove a claim in your profile or your score has fallen below the round’s cut-off. Make that decision with a regulated consultant who has looked at your file, not because of the date on the calendar.
Express Entry ITA checklist for this week
- Write down the date of your Express Entry ITA and the exact day your 60 days run out.
- Request police certificates for every country where you lived six months or more since age 18, and book your upfront medical exam.
- Check the test date on your IELTS, CELPIP, TEF or TCF results.
- Match every claim in your profile to a document: job titles and duties to your NOC code, work dates to reference letters, education to your ECA.
- Recalculate your CRS score if anything has changed since the draw, such as your age, marital status or job.
- Plan to submit at least a week before the deadline, not on day 59.
Still in the pool without an invitation? Your list is different. Check whether your NOC code is on the high-wage list, and if you have a job offer, make sure its details are complete in your profile before November 3.
Express Entry ITA questions we hear most
Can I ask IRCC to apply the new points to my existing Express Entry ITA?
IRCC has not announced any way to do that. The new points apply to profiles in the pool and to invitations issued from November 3.
Will there be Express Entry draws right after November 3?
IRCC says invitation rounds will pause while it recalculates profiles, which could take up to two weeks.
Do I still need an LMIA if I was invited before November 3?
If your program eligibility depends on a job offer, the LMIA exemption under the new public policy covers candidates invited on or after November 3. Speak with a regulated consultant before you submit.
Does a higher CRS score guarantee an invitation?
No. IRCC states that extra points do not guarantee an Express Entry ITA. Each round still has its own cut-off.
Holding an Express Entry ITA right now?
Talk to Eiffel Immigration before your 60 days run down
Eiffel Immigration has helped families build a life in Canada since 2019. Book a free 15-minute phone call and a case worker will go through your deadline and the documents you still need. For a detailed review of your file, ask about our $170 flat-rate consultation.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Rules can change, so confirm details with IRCC or a regulated consultant before you act.
Sources
- IRCC: 2026 changes to points for Canadian work experience and job offers
- IRCC backgrounder: Changes to Express Entry for high-wage occupations (October 16, 2026)
- IRCC: High-wage occupations and how we assess them
- IRCC program delivery instructions: Express Entry invitation to apply
- IRCC program delivery instructions: Express Entry intake and lock-in date
- Express Entry draws October 2026, pool size and CEC cut-off
