Express Entry: What the New 2026 Program May Look Like

Nicholas Wu
18 hours ago
11 min read

TL;DR

IRCC is proposing to merge the FSWP, CEC, and FSTP into a single Federal High Skilled program. The new minimum requirements are a high school credential, CLB 6 in all four abilities, and one year of skilled work experience anywhere in the world.

Four CRS factors are proposed for removal or restriction.

The 1-2 year study bonus is likely to be cut because college credential holders consistently earned less than candidates with no Canadian credential at all.
The French language bonus is likely to be removed because French speakers consistently earned less than non-French speakers.
Sibling points are proposed for removal for the same reason.
The spousal grid is under review as an equity concern, not just an earnings one.

Two significant factors are being added.

A new high-wage occupation factor will award additional points based on your NOC code's median wage relative to the national median.
Job offer points are returning, but only for high-wage jobs.

CRS changes come through Ministerial Instructions and move faster than the program merger, which requires IRPR amendments. The high-wage factor could arrive before the broader redesign is complete.

The consultation closes 24 May 2026. Nothing is enacted yet.

If you are eligible now, enter the pool. A profile active in the pool when Ministerial Instructions take effect updates automatically. Waiting outside the system has no strategic value.

Express Entry has been Canada's primary management system for skilled worker immigration since 2015. In that time, its core structure has remained largely unchanged: three federal programs, a points-based ranking system, and rounds of invitations drawn from a shared pool.

That is about to change.

In April 2026, IRCC published a consultation document proposing the most significant structural reforms to Express Entry since its launch. The proposals cover two distinct areas: the programs themselves, and the Comprehensive Ranking System used to rank candidates.

Public consultations on these proposals close on 24 May 2026.

This article explains what is being proposed, what evidence IRCC is relying on, and what the changes would mean for candidates at different stages of the immigration process.

One boundary to establish at the outset: this consultation does not cover Express Entry categories. The senior manager draw, the healthcare draw, the STEM draw, and other category-based selections are reviewed through a separate process and are not in scope here. The proposals discussed in this article affect the architecture that all candidates compete within, regardless of which category they might qualify for.

One Program Instead of Three

Express Entry currently manages three federal immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). Each has its own eligibility criteria, minimum language requirements, and work experience thresholds.

IRCC is proposing to merge all three into a single Federal High Skilled program.

The stated rationale is straightforward. With the introduction of category-based selection in 2023, the distinctions between the three programs have become less operationally relevant. IRCC can already target specific occupational groups through category draws. The three-program structure adds complexity without adding selection precision.

The proposed eligibility criteria for the single program are as follows.

Education: a Canadian high school credential or its foreign equivalent. This requirement already exists in the FSWP. It would now apply to all candidates entering the Express Entry pool.

Language: CLB 6 in all four abilities. This is a reduction from the CLB 7 minimum in the FSWP. IRCC's position is that CLB 6 represents the point where earnings begin to show a meaningful positive gradient. The evidence for this comes from a 2023 study by Xu and Hou, published in Statistics Canada's Economic and Social Reports, which found no clear earnings differences between CLB 4 and CLB 6, but consistent and significant earnings improvements from CLB 6 upward.

Work experience: one cumulative year of skilled work experience in a TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 occupation, acquired anywhere in Canada or abroad. This is the most significant change for offshore applicants. Under the current system, candidates with only foreign work experience must qualify through the FSWP, which includes a 67-point selection grid. Under the proposed single program, one year of skilled foreign experience alone would be sufficient to enter the pool.

Two existing gateway requirements would also be removed: the 67-point selection grid that currently applies to FSWP candidates, and the requirement for a job offer or certificate of qualification that currently applies to FSTP candidates.

For most candidates already in Canada with Canadian work experience, the practical effect of the merger is limited. The pathway they are using today maps cleanly onto the proposed single program. The change matters most for candidates outside Canada who currently cannot meet the FSWP selection grid requirements.

What the CRS Keeps

Before turning to what is being removed and added, it is worth being clear about what IRCC is not changing.

The core human capital factors are proposed to remain: age, education, Canadian work experience, first official language proficiency, and second official language proficiency. These are the factors IRCC's internal research identifies as the strongest predictors of economic outcomes among Express Entry immigrants.

The language finding is worth noting. The Xu and Hou study found that test-based language proficiency measures were as important as pre-immigration Canadian work experience in predicting initial earnings, and more important than education level or age at immigration. Reading proficiency showed the strongest individual effect among the four abilities. Language points are staying precisely because the evidence supports them.

Skill transferability factors are not flagged for removal, though the trades-specific sub-combination may be restructured in line with the proposed Red Seal changes discussed below.

What the CRS Adds

A new factor for high-wage occupations

This is the proposal with the most direct relevance to accomplished senior professionals.

IRCC is proposing to award additional CRS points to candidates who have Canadian work experience or a valid job offer in a high-wage occupation. Points would be awarded based on where the candidate's NOC code falls relative to the national median wage, using Job Bank occupational wage data. Three tiers are proposed:

Occupations earning at least 2x the national median wage
Occupations earning at least 1.5x the national median wage
Occupations earning at least 1.3x the national median wage

The factor is based on the median wage for the candidate's occupational code, not the candidate's individual salary. If your NOC code qualifies at a given tier, you receive the points for that tier regardless of what you personally earn.

The exact point values for each tier have not been published. The occupation list has not been published. These details will follow when the implementing Ministerial Instructions are drafted.

IRCC has also confirmed it is considering expanding the LMIA exemption for qualifying job offers. The proposed expansion would cover offers made by the same employer for whom the candidate has already been working on a valid work permit for at least six months.

The implementation mechanism matters here. CRS changes are made through Ministerial Instructions rather than regulatory amendments to the IRPR. Ministerial Instructions move significantly faster through the administrative process. The program merger, by contrast, requires IRPR amendments and will take longer.

It is possible the high-wage factor arrives before the broader program redesign is complete.

For senior professionals currently below the general draw threshold, this factor is worth watching closely. Many management NOC codes that do not reach the NOC 00 threshold for the senior manager category draw will qualify at the 1.3x or 1.5x wage tier. The exact occupation list will determine which codes are included.

Canadian licence recognition

IRCC is exploring new CRS points for candidates who hold a full Canadian licence in a regulated occupation. This would apply beyond the trades to healthcare, education, and other regulated fields.

The intent is to reward candidates who are practice-ready in Canada's labour market, rather than those who still face credential recognition steps after landing.

IRCC is also considering streamlining language testing for regulated occupation candidates, either by allowing a single test to satisfy both regulatory body and immigration requirements, or by permitting immigration-approved tests to be accepted by licensing bodies. This proposal is at an early stage.

Trades certificate changes

The existing trades certificate sub-combination in skill transferability would be tightened. Only Red Seal designated trades would qualify. New points for trade apprenticeship work are also under consideration.

Job offer points, re-introduced in narrow form

Job offer points were removed in March 2025. The removal was not because job offers are a poor predictor of outcomes. It was because the factor, as designed, covered all skilled occupations. That breadth made it easy to manufacture fraudulent offers and difficult for IRCC to verify that a genuine employment relationship existed.

The proposed re-introduction limits eligibility to high-wage jobs only. IRCC's stated reasons are threefold: to make the factor more effective, to help attract top global talent, and to address the fraud risks that led to the March 2025 removal. The connection between the three is straightforward. High-wage jobs require specialized skills and experience. That makes it easier to verify that a candidate is genuinely qualified for the role, and harder to manufacture a fraudulent offer in the first place.

IRCC is also considering exempting from the LMIA requirement any job offer made by the same employer for whom the candidate has already been working on a valid work permit for at least six months. An established employment relationship with a verifiable track record presents lower fraud risk than a new offer from an unknown employer.

What the CRS Removes

This section addresses the four factors IRCC is proposing to reduce or remove entirely. Each is supported by earnings data from the IRCC Express Entry Year-End Report 2024.

The Canadian study bonus

The Canadian study bonus currently awards up to 30 additional CRS points to candidates who completed post-secondary study in Canada: 15 points for a 1-2 year program, and 30 points for a 3+ year program.

IRCC is proposing to restrict the bonus to graduate-level credentials only.

Table 26 of the Year-End Report shows why. The table presents median employment earnings two years after admission, segmented by Canadian study credential, across the 2017 to 2020 admission cohorts.

The 1-2 year group consistently earned less than candidates with no Canadian credential at all. In the 2020 cohort, the gap was $19,300. The current CRS awards these candidates 15 additional points. The evidence does not support that reward.

The 3+ year group does show higher earnings, outperforming the no-credential group in most cohorts. A restricted bonus for longer or graduate-level Canadian study is defensible on this data.

Note: The 1-2 year credential category refers to college diplomas and certificates, not graduate university degrees. A Master's degree is classified as a graduate-level credential for CRS purposes regardless of how long the program takes to complete. The proposed restriction does not affect candidates who studied at the graduate level in Canada.

The practical consequence is significant for PGWP holders who completed a 1-2 year college program. This group represents 76% of candidates who received the study bonus between 2023 and 2025, according to the consultation document. If the restriction is implemented, their CRS score would decrease by 15 points.

The French language bonus

The French language bonus currently awards 25 additional points for CLB 7 or higher in French with low or no English, and 50 points for CLB 7 or higher in French combined with CLB 5 or higher in English.

IRCC is proposing to remove the bonus entirely.

Table 28 of the Year-End Report shows median employment earnings two years after admission by French-speaker status.

Applicants without French qualification consistently earned more than both French-speaker categories, in every cohort shown. The French bonus has never correlated with higher earnings outcomes among the candidates who received it.

IRCC's operational position is that category-based selection has become a more effective mechanism for meeting Francophone immigration targets than a points bonus that invites candidates into the general pool regardless of where they settle. This is a policy argument as well as an evidence argument. Both are sound.

The spousal grid

The spousal grid awards up to 40 additional points based on the accompanying spouse's education, language proficiency, and Canadian work experience.

IRCC is not proposing removal on earnings grounds alone. The consultation document identifies a different problem: the grid has in some cases reduced a candidate's score because an accompanying spouse with lower human capital factors pulls the principal applicant's total down. IRCC believes this may have created an unintended disincentive to immigrate as a family, particularly where one spouse has strong credentials and the other does not.

The proposal is framed as much as an equity correction as an efficiency one.

For candidates with an accompanying spouse, the effect of removal depends entirely on your spouse's profile. If your spouse has strong education and language scores, removal would lower your current score. If your spouse's scores are below the thresholds that generate positive points, removal would raise it. The right step now is to calculate your score both with and without the spousal grid and understand which direction the change would move you.

Sibling points

The sibling bonus currently awards 15 additional points to candidates with a Canadian citizen or permanent resident sibling in Canada.

Table 29 of the Year-End Report shows median employment earnings two years after admission by sibling status.

Admission cohort	With siblings in Canada	Without siblings in Canada
2017	$60,800	$65,200
2018	$57,800	$66,300
2019	$56,700	$65,400
2020	$61,900	$71,100

Source: IRCC Express Entry Year-End Report 2024, Table 29. Figures in 2022 dollars.

In every cohort from 2017 to 2020, candidates without siblings in Canada earned more than those with siblings. The gap widened from $4,400 in 2017 to $9,200 in 2020. In a competitive pool, 15 points can determine whether a candidate receives an invitation to apply. The evidence that those points correlate with better outcomes is absent.

What This Means for You

If you hold a PGWP from a 1-2 year college program

Recalculate your CRS profile without the 15-point study bonus. If that reduction moves you below a threshold you were planning to reach, identify which other factors could offset it. Language improvement and additional Canadian work experience are the most reliable levers. Do not build a long-term strategy around points that may not survive the reform.

If you are applying with an accompanying spouse

Model your score both with and without the spousal grid. The direction of the change depends entirely on your spouse's profile. If removal would raise your score, the reform works in your favour. If it would lower it, understand the gap early and identify offsetting factors.

If you are a senior professional in a high-wage occupation below the NOC 00 threshold

The high-wage occupation factor is the most relevant near-term development for you. The occupation list has not been published, but many TEER 0 management NOC codes will qualify at the 1.3x or 1.5x tier. The practical step now is to enter the pool under current rules. If the Ministerial Instructions implementing the high-wage factor take effect while your profile is active, your score updates automatically. Waiting outside the pool means you miss that update.

If you are an offshore applicant who currently cannot qualify

The removal of the 67-point FSW selection grid and the change to a CLB 6 language minimum may open pool eligibility for candidates who are currently blocked. The core constraint for CEC-based draws remains: you still need Canadian work experience to compete in category or CEC rounds. Pool entry under the new single program rules is not the same as a viable path to an invitation to apply.

If you are a regulated professional

The licence recognition factor is at an early stage. No point values have been proposed. Watch for the implementing Ministerial Instructions. If you are already practice-ready in Canada and hold a Canadian licence in your field, document that clearly in your profile when the factor becomes available.

What Is Not in This Consultation

Express Entry categories are explicitly outside the scope of this consultation. IRCC's document states directly that categories are reviewed on an ongoing basis through a separate process.

The senior manager category draw, the healthcare draw, the STEM draw, and the other active categories continue to operate under current rules. This consultation does not affect which NOC codes qualify for those draws, what the cut-off scores will be, or how many invitations will be issued.

What Happens Next

These are proposals, not enacted rules.

CRS changes, including the high-wage occupation factor, the removal of the French and sibling bonuses, the study bonus restriction, and the spousal grid changes, would be implemented through Ministerial Instructions. This is the faster path. Ministerial Instructions do not require the same regulatory amendment process that governs changes to the IRPR.

The program merger is different. Combining the FSWP, CEC, and FSTP into a single Federal High Skilled program requires amendments to the IRPR. That process takes longer. The two tracks are likely to move on different timelines.

The consultation closes 24 May 2026. IRCC will consider feedback before finalising the approach. No implementation date has been announced.

The practical position for candidates is straightforward. Enter the pool under current rules. A profile active in the pool at the time any Ministerial Instructions take effect will have its score updated automatically. There is no benefit to waiting outside the system for reforms that have not yet been confirmed.

If you would like to understand where your profile stands under the current system and model the effect of these proposed changes, feel free to reach out.

Note: The proposals described in this article are under public consultation as of the date of publication. None have been enacted. Changes to the CRS would be implemented through Ministerial Instructions. Changes to program eligibility criteria would require amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR, SOR/2002-227). Monitor the Canada Gazette and IRCC's official Express Entry page for implementation updates. This article is general in nature and does not constitute immigration advice for your specific situation.