Is A Job Offer Important To Get Canadian Permanent Residency?
Is a job offer important to get Canadian permanent residency? Well, despite the recent changes to the Express Entry system, it is still important.
On March 25, 2025, the government of Canada declared that Express Entry applicants will no longer receive an additional 50/ 200 CRS points for qualifying for arranged employment.
Despite this change, those with job offers are still strong applicants for Canadian immigration.
Here’s why!
Many Pathways Require Job Offers To Qualify
Is a job offer important to get Canadian permanent residency? Well, there are many pathways that require job offers to qualify. Let us discuss them in detail.
Provincial Nominee Programs – Job Offer Streams
One route to getting a permanent residence is to obtain a nomination from a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
Almost all provinces of Canada have PNPs to help meet immigration and labor market needs.
PNPs have multiple immigration streams based on the applicant’s skills, work experience, and connection to the province.
Out of 80+ PNP streams, almost half of the streams need job offers.
Getting a job offer from an employer in the province you wish to settle can help you qualify for provincial nomination. After obtaining a nomination, you would apply to the federal government for permanent residence.
Atlantic Immigration Program
The federal government also has immigration programs which require job offers from designated employers.
One such example is the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP), a pathway for PR for skilled foreign workers and international graduates who wish to reside and work in any of Canada’s four Atlantic provinces.
These are:
- Nova Scotia
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Prince Edward Island
Among other requirements, you need a job offer from a designated employer and must have that job offer endorsed by the province.
AIP applicants can also get a work permit for up to 24 months so they can work for their employer as the federal government is processing their PR application.
Rural Community Immigration Pilot
Earlier this year, the federal government declared the launch of the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) to spread the advantages of immigration to smaller rural communities.
There were 14 communities selected to participate in this pilot.
To be eligible, applicants have to meet certain eligibility criteria, including work experience, language proficiency, educational qualifications, and proof of funds. They must also have a genuine offer of employment from a designated employer within the community.
Francophone Community Immigration Pilot
Canada also launched the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP) earlier this year.
This is a pathway to permanent residency for foreign nationals with an intermediate level of French who want to work and settle in certain Canadian communities.
Six communities in total were chosen to participate in this pilot.
To be eligible, applicants must demonstrate work experience, educational qualifications, settlement funds, and French language proficiency and have a genuine employment letter from a designated employer that meets specific conditions.
Temporary To Permanent Pathways
Is a job offer important to get Canadian permanent residency? Well, besides making foreign nationals eligible for certain PR pathways, having a job offer can help foreign nationals or temporary workers in Canada qualify for Express Entry.
Gaining CRS Points Through Canadian Work Experience
A job offer no longer awards applicants with CRS points under arranged employment.
However, Express Entry applicants can still gain up to 180 CRS points for Canadian work experience.
Obtaining a job offer to work for a Canadian employer on a work permit can be an important stepping stone in a foreign national’s temporary-to-permanent status journey.
Canadian work experience is one of the factors listed under the Core/ Human Capital factors of the CRS system. Even one year of Canadian work experience awards 40 CRS points, which greatly improves an applicant’s chances at obtaining an invitation to apply for Canadian PR.
Below is a breakdown of how many points a foreign national stands to gain by having Canadian work experience under Core/ Human Capital:
| Canadian work experience | With a spouse or common-law partner | Without a spouse or common-law partner |
| None or less than a year | 0 | 0 |
| 1 year | 35 | 40 |
| 2 years | 46 | 53 |
| 3 years | 56 | 64 |
| 4 years | 63 | 72 |
| 5 years or more | 70 | 80 |
Canadian work experience can also contribute to points under the Skill Transferability Factors.
In this section, applicants are given points based on how different qualifications, such as their language skills, education, Canadian work experience, and foreign work experience combined.
Those with Canadian work experience can earn points on the following:
| Skill Transferability Factor | Maximum points |
| Canadian work experience and a post secondary-degree | 50 |
| Canadian work experience and foreign work experience | 50 |
| Total points | 100 |
An applicant with Canadian work experience can score up to 100 CRS points by maximizing two Skill Transferability factors.
Qualifying For Canadian Experience Class
Canadian Experience Class is one of the three programs managed under Express Entry.
To be eligible for CEC, applicants must have completed a minimum of one year of full-time, skilled work experience in Canada within the past three years.
In 2025, IRCC will prioritize CEC applicants for Express Entry. This approach is in-line with Express Entry draws in late 2024 and early 2025 alternating between CEC, Provincial Nominee Program, and French language proficiency draws.
In contrast, Express Entry has not held a general draw since April 2024.
For foreign nationals, securing a job offer as well as gaining one year of skilled work experience in Canada can significantly improve their chances of obtaining an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residence under CEC.
If you seek information on how to begin your Canada immigration application process, you can talk to our NavaImmigration experts at 1800-918-8490, or you can drop us an email at [email protected].
