Express Entry Job Offer & LMIA: Requirements, Process, and Tips

If you have a valid job offer with a Canadian company, you can obtain extra Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for Arranged Employment through the Express Entry system for immigration to Canada.  However, it’s not enough to have a Canadian company that wants to hire you – not all job offers qualify you for Arranged Employment points.  There are specific factors associated with any Express Entry job offer that need to be in place for the extra CRS points to be awarded.

Only certain types of employment situations qualify for the additional Express Entry CRS points associated with a Job Offer.  Two main factors make your Canadian job offer valid for Express Entry – the type of employment situation and your NOC code.

Types of employment situations that qualify as a valid job offer for Express Entry include:

1. A work permit that is based on a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a valid job offer for Express Entry.
2. A dual intent Labour Market Impact Assessment, even if the work permit has not been issued yet, is valid job offer for Express Entry as long as you apply for PR while the LMIA is still valid.
3. An employer specific work permit that was not based on an LMIA, but falls within certain categories is a valid job offer for Express Entry as long as you are working for the employer specified on the work permit and you have been with that employer for at least one year.

How Does my NOC Code Affect Arranged Employment points?

If your qualifying employment situation is a NOC code 00, then you will be awarded 200 Express Entry CRS points for Arranged employment.  If your qualifying employment situation is within any of the other NOC codes, including  Teer 0, 1, 2 or 3, you will qualify for 50 Express Entry CRS points for Arranged Employment.

It’s important to note that only Senior Management Positions qualify for 200 CRS points for Arranged Employment.  Individuals in a senior management role typically hold titles like Vice President or CEO, and oversee departments that are run by middle managers.  If you are in a managerial role but it is not Senior Management, then you will receive 50 CRS points as a NOC 0 role.

How Should I Answer the Express Entry Question “Do You have a job offer in Canada?”

This is one of those tricky nuances that Express Entry is famous for.  If you are working in Canada, but your employment situation is not one of those listed above that qualifies you for the bonus Arranged Employment points, it is still a good idea to answer Yes when Express Entry asks if you have a job offer in Canada.  The reason for this is that many Provinces use this question as a mechanism to determine whether or not they are interested in extending a Notification of Interest to you.  If you are working in their Province and indicate elsewhere in your profile that you are interested in living there, you have a higher chance of being considered for an NOI.

Answer the remaining questions in that section of your profile carefully to ensure that you don’t accidentally get additional points for Arranged Employment in your Express Entry profile.  If you are on an open work permit, for example, you should answer NO to the question that asks if the employer is named on your work permit.  The additional questions are designed to determine who actually qualifies for the Arranged Employment Comprehensive Ranking System points and who does not.

Evidence of Arranged employment consists of a Job Offer with specific details plus documents that demonstrate your employment situation – you need to include both with your Express Entry support documents to demonstrate that you deserve the Arranged Employment points you have been awarded.

The Job Offer letter for Express Entry

There are specific criteria that IRCC requires in a job offer letter for Express Entry. A letter must be issued by the Canadian employer following the format outlined below:

Print the letter on company letterhead and include the following details:

• applicant’s name
• company’s contact information (address, telephone number, email address)
• name, title, signature of the company contact
• expected start date for position
• statement that the position is continuous, full time, and non-seasonal and the job offer is for at least one year after the employee becomes a permanent resident
• job title and duties
• number of hours per week
• annual salary plus benefits
• signature from both employer and applicant (employee)

Note that this should be a new letter created specifically for your Express Entry application. Most standard employment contracts do not include all of the essential elements requested by IRCC; and employment contracts that you have signed previously are likely too old to be useful for your current application.

Other documents for Express Entry Arranged Employment

In addition to providing a written job offer letter from your Canadian employer, there are additional documents required in the Arranged Employment section of your Express Entry application.

If you have an LMIA based work permit – you need to also include a copy of the LMIA and a copy of the work permit.

If you have a dual intent LMIA – you need to also include a copy of the valid dual intent LMIA.

If you have an employer specific work permit that is LMIA exempt but qualifies for Arranged Employment, then you need to include a copy of the work permit plus proof that you have been working for that employer for at least 12 months.

What do I upload for Arranged Employment if I didn’t get any CRS points for a Job Offer?

If you did not receive any CRS points for Arranged Employment but still have an upload field for AE showing in your Express Entry document checklist because you said yes to the job offer question, you can upload a notice in that section that simply states “No points were awarded for Arranged Employment, therefore no job offer documents are provided.”

Arranged Employment vs. Employment Records for Express Entry

If it is your current job that makes you eligible for Arranged Employment points for Express Entry, then you will need two separate letters from your current employer – a job offer letter and a reference letter. The main difference is this – the job offer letter says what is going to happen, the reference letter says what has already happened.

For example, a very simple reference letter would say something like this, “Please be advised that this applicant has been working (or did work) for our company in this position, during this period of time, doing these duties, on a full time basis and was paid this amount.” It is signed by the employer only and serves as a historical record of what has taken place to date.

A sample job offer letter for Express Entry, on the other hand, would say something like this, “We are pleased to provide this job offer to you for this position, starting this date, doing these duties, on a full time basis and you will be paid this amount. If you agree, please sign below.” The job offer letter is signed by both the employer and the applicant and serves as a contractual agreement of what is going to take place.

How to get Arranged Employment in Canada

Finding a Canadian job offer from overseas is not an easy matter, but it is possible to arrange, and thousands of people do so each year. The first step is to find a Canadian employer that is willing to hire you, and then decide what kind of permission they will need to hire a foreign worker. Depending on the type of job offer and your nationality, the employer may need to obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment, submit an e-job offer through the IRCC employer portal, or get permission from a Province to hire a foreign worker through the Provincial Nominee Program. Once the employer has obtained the permission that is necessary depending on your situation, then the applicant will either apply for Permanent Residence from overseas, or apply for a work permit from overseas and submit the application for a Permanent Resident visa once working in Canada.

There are two different options in terms of LMIA process for Express Entry – the LMIA for Permanent Residence only and an LMIA that also enables a work permit application. The major differences are as follows:

LMIA to Support Permanent Residence Only:

• No government fee paid by the Canadian employer
• The worker must use the LMIA to apply for Permanent Residence before the expiry date of the LMIA
• The worker cannot obtain a work permit using this LMIA

LMIA for Work Permit or Dual Intent LMIA

• The Canadian employer pays $1000 per worker government fee
• The worker can obtain an LMIA based work permit
• The worker can apply for Permanent Residence before the expiry date of the work permit that is issued on the basis of this LMIA

Certain types of employment situations that involve workers from specific countries can qualify for LMIA exempt job offers. In these situations, the Canadian employer is required to submit an e-job offer through the IRCC employer portal and the worker will have a work permit with the employer listed, as well as the location of work and the the job title.

An Express Entry job offer is one of the most frequently confused aspects of the Express Entry Program. Contact The Way Immigration today to ensure that your Express Entry process for Canadian immigration is properly managed, so that you have the best chances to obtain the Canadian Permanent Resident Visa that you are hoping to achieve. Your application needs to be perfect at the time you submit it – Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will not help you correct issues with your application after you submit it.