Among the details of the public consultation on the Express Entry system reform recently conducted by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), there is one topic that has drawn the most attention from the immigration industry. It is the proposal to award additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for “high-wage occupations.” Although this policy has not yet been finalized, if these proposed changes are implemented, they are likely to represent the most significant shift since the introduction of Category-Based Selection in 2023. In particular, professionals in fields such as healthcare, STEM, education, and skilled trades—whom the Canadian government seeks to prioritize—are expected to be in a much more advantageous position when competing for permanent residency.
Over the past few years, Canada has moved away from policies that simply select a large number of immigrants and has instead developed its immigration system to more carefully screen candidates who are needed for the national economy. The 2023 category-based selection process is a prime example of this. At that time, IRCC began prioritizing candidates in specific fields—such as healthcare, STEM, skilled trades, transportation, agriculture, and French-speaking roles—and applicants actually had the opportunity to receive an invitation to apply (ITA) with CRS scores significantly lower than those required in the general draw. Now, in 2026, the Canadian government is considering taking this approach a step further. Rather than simply looking at occupational groups, it plans to incorporate an assessment of how much value a particular occupation creates for the Canadian economy as an evaluation factor.
According to this public consultation document, IRCC is considering a plan to award additional CRS points to workers in high-paying occupations. What’s interesting is that this would not be based on an individual’s actual annual salary or hourly wage. For example, even if two people in the same occupation receive different salaries depending on their region or employer, the national average wage for that occupation as a whole—rather than an individual’s salary—would serve as the benchmark for calculating immigration points. This is interpreted as a measure to prevent the adverse effect of some employers artificially inflating wages to secure points. In other words, what matters is not how much an individual earns, but how much economic value the occupation itself is recognized as having in the Canadian labor market.
IRCC has proposed establishing three tiers based on the national median hourly wage of $30.77, as reported by Statistics Canada. The system is designed so that occupations earning 1.3 times, 1.5 times, and 2 times or more the median wage will receive different levels of benefits. Based on currently available data, a total of 37 occupations meet these criteria. Only six occupations fall into the highest tier. These include surgeons, clinical and laboratory medicine specialists, family physicians, nurse practitioners, architecture and science managers, and senior corporate executives. Notably, the national median hourly wage for surgeons was recorded at over $201—more than six times the national median wage. Healthcare professionals are already receiving priority invitations through separate category selections, and if high-wage bonus points are added in the future, they are highly likely to become the most favored occupational group within Express Entry. In particular, the draw for the physician-specific category held this past February clearly demonstrated the Canadian government’s priorities. The invitation score at that time was 169 CRS points, which is the lowest in Express Entry history, excluding the 2021 CEC special draw (75 CRS points) held during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is considered a symbolic example of how actively the Canadian government is prioritizing this occupational group to address the shortage of healthcare workers.
A closer look at the 37 occupations by field reveals even more clearly what kind of talent the Canadian government is seeking. Sixteen of these occupations are concentrated in the healthcare sector. This includes not only doctors and nurses but also pharmacists, dentists, psychologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, dental hygienists, dietitians, and respiratory therapists. A significant number of occupations are also in the STEM fields. Notable examples include electrical and electronic engineers, civil engineers, geological engineers, mechanical engineers, manufacturing engineers, and cybersecurity specialists. Given that the Canadian government has recently made fostering the AI industry and advanced technology sectors a national strategy, it is highly likely that preferential treatment for STEM occupations will continue in the future. In the education sector, elementary school teachers and middle and high school teachers were included, while in the skilled trades sector, construction managers, industrial electricians, and oil and gas drilling supervisors made the list. In addition, airline pilots and aircraft maintenance technicians were also classified as high-paying occupations.
However, not all occupations within these categories will receive benefits. Currently, there are a total of 89 occupations eligible for selection under these categories, but only 37 meet the new high-paying criteria. The remaining 52 occupations will retain their eligibility for category selection but are likely to be excluded from receiving additional points. These include home support workers, nurse aides, social service support workers, and certain construction occupations. In other words, this could create a new structure where benefits vary depending on the specific occupation, even within the same healthcare category.
If this reform is implemented as proposed, Express Entry could effectively operate as a “dual preferential system.” This would create a structure where applicants receive preferential treatment once through category selection and again through bonus points for high-paying occupations. This could be a particularly significant factor for applicants currently scoring between 490 and 515 on the CRS. Given that the cutoff for general CEC draws is currently set at 500 points or higher, even a few additional points could be the deciding factor in whether an applicant receives an invitation.
However, there is no need to overinterpret this information. To date, IRCC has not disclosed how many CRS points will be awarded for high-paying occupations. Furthermore, there is a possibility that the target occupations or the method of application could change during the actual regulatory amendment process. Rather, the most significant implication of this public consultation document is the direction of Canada’s immigration policy. During this consultation process, IRCC identified strong English proficiency and high economic performance as the most important factors for success. In contrast, factors such as age, sibling points, and spousal points were classified as having relatively low influence. This can be interpreted as a signal that Express Entry is likely to be restructured in the future to focus on language proficiency and economic contribution.
Ultimately, the current discussion on bonus points for high-paying occupations is not merely a preferential policy for 37 specific occupations. It is closer to a policy direction indicating the type of talent Canada intends to prioritize in the future. This is because it clearly reveals the intention to more actively attract talent in fields essential to securing national competitiveness, such as healthcare, STEM, education, and skilled trades. However, it is important to remember that this is still strictly in the “review stage.” For applicants currently in the Express Entry pool, the most realistic strategy is to consistently prepare for factors within their control—such as improving language scores, managing their work experience, and obtaining academic credentials—under the existing system, rather than relying solely on the proposed changes.
Among the details of the public consultation on the Express Entry system reform recently conducted by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), there is one topic that has drawn the most attention from the immigration industry. It is the proposal to award additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for “high-wage occupations.” Although this policy has not yet been finalized, if these proposed changes are implemented, they are likely to represent the most significant shift since the introduction of Category-Based Selection in 2023. In particular, professionals in fields such as healthcare, STEM, education, and skilled trades—whom the Canadian government seeks to prioritize—are expected to be in a much more advantageous position when competing for permanent residency.
Over the past few years, Canada has moved away from policies that simply select a large number of immigrants and has instead developed its immigration system to more carefully screen candidates who are needed for the national economy. The 2023 category-based selection process is a prime example of this. At that time, IRCC began prioritizing candidates in specific fields—such as healthcare, STEM, skilled trades, transportation, agriculture, and French-speaking roles—and applicants actually had the opportunity to receive an invitation to apply (ITA) with CRS scores significantly lower than those required in the general draw. Now, in 2026, the Canadian government is considering taking this approach a step further. Rather than simply looking at occupational groups, it plans to incorporate an assessment of how much value a particular occupation creates for the Canadian economy as an evaluation factor.
According to this public consultation document, IRCC is considering a plan to award additional CRS points to workers in high-paying occupations. What’s interesting is that this would not be based on an individual’s actual annual salary or hourly wage. For example, even if two people in the same occupation receive different salaries depending on their region or employer, the national average wage for that occupation as a whole—rather than an individual’s salary—would serve as the benchmark for calculating immigration points. This is interpreted as a measure to prevent the adverse effect of some employers artificially inflating wages to secure points. In other words, what matters is not how much an individual earns, but how much economic value the occupation itself is recognized as having in the Canadian labor market.
IRCC has proposed establishing three tiers based on the national median hourly wage of $30.77, as reported by Statistics Canada. The system is designed so that occupations earning 1.3 times, 1.5 times, and 2 times or more the median wage will receive different levels of benefits. Based on currently available data, a total of 37 occupations meet these criteria. Only six occupations fall into the highest tier. These include surgeons, clinical and laboratory medicine specialists, family physicians, nurse practitioners, architecture and science managers, and senior corporate executives. Notably, the national median hourly wage for surgeons was recorded at over $201—more than six times the national median wage. Healthcare professionals are already receiving priority invitations through separate category selections, and if high-wage bonus points are added in the future, they are highly likely to become the most favored occupational group within Express Entry. In particular, the draw for the physician-specific category held this past February clearly demonstrated the Canadian government’s priorities. The invitation score at that time was 169 CRS points, which is the lowest in Express Entry history, excluding the 2021 CEC special draw (75 CRS points) held during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is considered a symbolic example of how actively the Canadian government is prioritizing this occupational group to address the shortage of healthcare workers.
A closer look at the 37 occupations by field reveals even more clearly what kind of talent the Canadian government is seeking. Sixteen of these occupations are concentrated in the healthcare sector. This includes not only doctors and nurses but also pharmacists, dentists, psychologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, dental hygienists, dietitians, and respiratory therapists. A significant number of occupations are also in the STEM fields. Notable examples include electrical and electronic engineers, civil engineers, geological engineers, mechanical engineers, manufacturing engineers, and cybersecurity specialists. Given that the Canadian government has recently made fostering the AI industry and advanced technology sectors a national strategy, it is highly likely that preferential treatment for STEM occupations will continue in the future. In the education sector, elementary school teachers and middle and high school teachers were included, while in the skilled trades sector, construction managers, industrial electricians, and oil and gas drilling supervisors made the list. In addition, airline pilots and aircraft maintenance technicians were also classified as high-paying occupations.
However, not all occupations within these categories will receive benefits. Currently, there are a total of 89 occupations eligible for selection under these categories, but only 37 meet the new high-paying criteria. The remaining 52 occupations will retain their eligibility for category selection but are likely to be excluded from receiving additional points. These include home support workers, nurse aides, social service support workers, and certain construction occupations. In other words, this could create a new structure where benefits vary depending on the specific occupation, even within the same healthcare category.
If this reform is implemented as proposed, Express Entry could effectively operate as a “dual preferential system.” This would create a structure where applicants receive preferential treatment once through category selection and again through bonus points for high-paying occupations. This could be a particularly significant factor for applicants currently scoring between 490 and 515 on the CRS. Given that the cutoff for general CEC draws is currently set at 500 points or higher, even a few additional points could be the deciding factor in whether an applicant receives an invitation.
However, there is no need to overinterpret this information. To date, IRCC has not disclosed how many CRS points will be awarded for high-paying occupations. Furthermore, there is a possibility that the target occupations or the method of application could change during the actual regulatory amendment process. Rather, the most significant implication of this public consultation document is the direction of Canada’s immigration policy. During this consultation process, IRCC identified strong English proficiency and high economic performance as the most important factors for success. In contrast, factors such as age, sibling points, and spousal points were classified as having relatively low influence. This can be interpreted as a signal that Express Entry is likely to be restructured in the future to focus on language proficiency and economic contribution.
Ultimately, the current discussion on bonus points for high-paying occupations is not merely a preferential policy for 37 specific occupations. It is closer to a policy direction indicating the type of talent Canada intends to prioritize in the future. This is because it clearly reveals the intention to more actively attract talent in fields essential to securing national competitiveness, such as healthcare, STEM, education, and skilled trades. However, it is important to remember that this is still strictly in the “review stage.” For applicants currently in the Express Entry pool, the most realistic strategy is to consistently prepare for factors within their control—such as improving language scores, managing their work experience, and obtaining academic credentials—under the existing system, rather than relying solely on the proposed changes.