Canada’s new immigration rules are set to give an advantage to skilled Indian professionals already working in the country, with changes to its Express Entry system placing greater weight on Canadian work experience and job offers in high-paying occupations.The changes, announced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on October 16, will take effect on November 3. Indians, who have long formed the largest group of candidates invited to apply for permanent residence under the system, could see their prospects change significantly under the revised rules.Those working in Canada in fields such as software engineering, information technology, healthcare and other engineering disciplines could benefit from additional points. In contrast, applicants living outside Canada without local work experience or a qualifying job offer may find it harder to compete.Under the new system, candidates can earn up to 70 additional points for qualifying work experience in high-wage occupations, over and above points awarded for the duration of their Canadian work experience. A qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation can earn up to 100 points.The system will award points for either qualifying Canadian work experience or an eligible job offer, whichever gives the candidate a higher score. Applicants cannot claim both sets of additional points.Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab said the changes were intended to select skilled newcomers best equipped to succeed in Canada, attract workers who complement the domestic workforce and support economic growth.Points linked to wagesThe new rules will cover selected occupations in healthcare, engineering, technology, education and skilled trades, among other fields. An occupation will qualify as high-wage if its national median wage is at least 1.3 times the median wage across the Canadian workforce.Story continues below this adFor work experience, candidates who have completed at least 12 months, or 1,560 hours, in eligible occupations could receive 20, 40 or 70 additional points, depending on the wage threshold. The highest bonus will apply to experience in occupations where the median wage is at least twice the national median.Candidates will continue to receive points for the duration of their skilled work experience in Canada. Those with five or more years of qualifying experience can earn up to 80 points if they do not have a spouse or common-law partner, and up to 70 points if they do.Job offers in eligible high-wage occupations will attract 50, 70 or 100 points, depending on the occupation’s wage level. To qualify, an offer must generally be for paid, full-time and continuous employment in a skilled occupation, with work expected to continue for at least one year after the candidate obtains permanent residence. The offer must be from an eligible employer, and the candidate must have the qualifications to do the job. The immigration department will check whether the offer is genuine and whether the employer can fulfil its commitments. Offers that have been withdrawn or revoked will not qualify.LMIA requirement removedAnother major change is the removal of the requirement for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) for qualifying job offers to count towards points under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which determines candidates’ rankings.Story continues below this adAn LMIA is a document that employers generally need to obtain to show that hiring a foreign worker will not adversely affect the Canadian labour market.From November 3, qualifying job offers will no longer need an LMIA to earn points under the revised system or to meet certain eligibility requirements under Canada’s Federal Skilled Worker Program and Federal Skilled Trades Program.However, removing the requirement does not mean that all job offers will qualify for additional points. Only offers in eligible high-wage occupations will receive the new CRS points. Other job offers may still help candidates meet certain immigration programme requirements.Existing applicants to be affectedCandidates who already have Express Entry profiles will have their scores recalculated under the new system. The process could take up to two weeks, during which invitation rounds are expected to be paused.Story continues below this adApplicants seeking points for qualifying job offers have been advised to ensure that the necessary information is included in their profiles before November 3.