You can improve your points in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) if you can secure a legitimate job offer from a Canadian employer in Canada’s Express Entry System, and by virtue of the job offer, you will be issued an invitation to apply (ITA) for Canada immigration.
Before then, you should note that some job offers are not qualified for the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points. We will discuss comprehensively what makes a job offer eligible for points, in this article and also how many points you get, including the tips and tricks for securing a job offer for immigration to Canada via Express Entry.
In Express Entry, if you want to claim CRS points, are there job offers you can use to achieve this?
It is wrong to assume that just about any kind of job could help you earn CRS points on your Express Entry profile. For you to obtain points from the CRS grading, your job offer has to be seen as valid under Express Entry.
It has already been established that a Canadian job offer must meet these requirements according to the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), to be valid under Express Entry:
- The job offer has to be full-time and not depend on a particular season;
- You must be in the job must be for a minimum of at least one year;
- The job offer must be either at Skill Level 0, A, or B, according to the National Occupational Classification system (NOC); and
- The job offer must be having the backing of a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), or be exempted from needing one.
In addition to this, you will have to submit a copy of the written job offer highlighting your position, payment, job description, and the conditions attached to your employment if you want to claim points under the Express Entry immigration program. Aside from the aforementioned, you must include a document showing proof of your Labour Market Impact Assessment or LMIA-exemption.
What do we mean by an LMIA, and is it a prerequisite for a job offer for Express Entry?
What do we mean by Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)? A Canadian employer who desires to fill up a certain position by employing a foreign national is expected to get a document which is referred to as an LMIA to be able to do so. In other words, this means that the only people permitted to apply for an LMIA are Canadian employers, and foreign workers cannot do this on their own.
You may want to know why an LMIA is important, the essence of it is to help evaluate the impact of hiring a foreign talent on the Canadian labor market – whether positive or negative. Furthermore, there is some information as a Canadian employer, you have to provide before you are permitted to apply such as information about your business, the office you are seeking to fill with a foreign worker, and finally, proof indicating that you have made efforts to hire a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to occupy the position but it proved abortive.
It is the duty of the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) where the LMIA applications are submitted to decide if an LMIA is positive or negative after scrutinization. The essence of scrutinizing an LMIA is that a positive LMIA means that employing a foreign worker will have a positive effect on the Canadian labor force, while a negative LMIA means that employing foreign talent will have a negative impact.
Furthermore, unless the job is LMIA-exempt, you need a job offer supported by a positive LMIA for your job offer to count towards your Express Entry profile and CRS score.
What are the job offers that are LMIA-exempt?
In some cases, Canadian employers do not need an LMIA to employ foreign workers, and we have three broad classes of LMIA exemptions:
- All exemptions that were obtained through international trade agreements, like NAFTA;
- All exemptions that were obtained through agreements made between the Canadian federal government and provincial governments; and
- All exemptions as a result of “Canadian interests”, an intra-company transfer, inclusive.
If for whatever reason you happen to claim points for an LMIA-exempt job offer under your Express Entry profile when invited to apply for permanent residence, endeavor that you go with a document that indicates that the offer meets the exemption criteria.
For a job offer under the Express Entry, how many CRS points are allocated to you?
To a large extent, it is the NOC code of the position that was offered to you that will determine the number of CRS points you will receive for a Canadian job offer under the Express Entry. Irrespective of the fact that up to 50 or 200 points can be allocated to you depending on the skill level of your position, the upper management positions are the ones that usually score the highest amount of 200 points.
- To be allocated 200 points: The job offer at NOC codes starting with 00
- To be allocated 50 points: Every other job offers at NOC skill level 0, A, or B
How can one secure a Canadian job offer for Express Entry?
Just like there are several ways to kill a bird, so are there numerous ways to search for a Canadian job offer. Generally, you have to make sure that you are ready to go through the Canadian job application process even before you begin your job hunt. We have explained below the simple steps you can follow and secure the best available Canadian job offer:
The first procedure is formatting your CV to meet up to Canadian standards
CVs are also known as resumes, also, when you are in Rome, act like Romans, therefore, if you are searching for a Canadian job, Canadian employers require a particular format for CVs. The format may vary from what you are used to in your home country, therefore, endeavor to go through our guide to know how to go about writing a perfect format for a Canadian resume just to make sure you are doing the right thing.
The second procedure is to compose a cover letter that Canadian employers will love
Some Canadian employers expect you to include a cover letter in your initial application, and failure to do so means losing out. Once again, go through our article and have an idea of how to write the perfect Canadian cover letter.
The third procedure is to ensure that you’re using LinkedIn to your advantage.
What some job hunters do not know is that most times, employers utilize LinkedIn, the professional social networking site to fill open job positions. That being said, endeavor to constantly update your LinkedIn profile.
The final procedure is to apply for the right jobs
Ensure you write an outstanding application by taking your time to search for positions that align with your experience. You will be issued a job seeker validation code when you are done creating an eligible Express Entry profile, that is what will permit you to register your profile with the Canadian job bank.
While you are looking for a Canadian job, be watchful not to be defrauded, this is because tons of potential immigrants have been scammed by fake companies in the past by extending fraudulent offers of employment on behalf of Canadian immigration. It is good that you know that a genuine employer will never request money before they give you a job offer. If at any stage of your dealing, you get concerned about how legitimate the job offer of employment is, you should talk to an immigration consultant.
In conclusion, we have clearly stated how you can secure points through a job offer under the Express Entry immigration program, the necessary conditions to be met before your job offer can be counted as valid for improving your points, what number of points you can get for various job offers, all you need to know about LMIAs, and procedures to adhere to when you desire to get a job in Canada by applying for them.