Land 2 Air

Diwali Offer Endes in...

  • Home
  • Express Entry Change: End of LMIA Points Version Spring 2025

Express Entry Change: End of LMIA Points Version Spring 2025

New IRCC Update: The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada stated an important policy shift.

Their new policy in IRCC is in place to increase the efficiency and credibility of Canada’s immigration system.

These changes will affect applicants to the Express Entry system, as well as those applying for a work or study visa at the Canadian border.

Here is what you should know about these revolutionary steps.

Spring 2025: LMIA-Backed Job Offers Lose Additional Points in Express Entry

From March 2025, candidates in the Express Entry system will not be awarded extra points for having a job offer backed by an LMIA.

This major change forms part of ongoing attempts by Canada to minimize fraud in the Immigration System.

Why Is This Change Being Made?

This process of LMIA that aimed at determining the necessity of employing foreign workers if there are no similar skilled Canadians has been targeted by scammers.

By giving extra points to those applicants who have received a confirmed LMIA job offer under the Express entry, the system put in place incentives that encouraged some people to engage in fraudulent activities with fake LMIA, to secure an ITA for permanent resident status.

Wrapping up the committee meeting Minister Marc Miller said that taking away LMIA points will help cut out fraud, make immigration more fair and open.

”Immigration is critical for our country’s economic prosperity and development”, Miller said. “These changes help to ensure that there is a properly functioning, humane and equitable immigration policy.”

Who Will Be Affected?

This policy change will affect all candidates in the Express Entry pool, including:

Temporary foreign workers at present who wish to be granted a permanent residence in Canada.

Individuals included in the Express Entry pool of candidates for the first time.

Applicants who have already applied for ITA or those who will have an application pending by the spring of 2025 will not be affected.

However once the policy is in force, it will be done across the board to any given candidates with LMIA backed job offers in the pool.

What Does This Mean for Employers and Workers?

Employers who have hired these foreign workers and depend on the LMIAs to support their residency applications may have to change tact.

Although LMIAs will continue to be a factor in achieving temporary work permits, they will no longer act as a benefit in procuring an entry into the Express Entry system.

For workers, this re-emphasizes the need to display skills and qualifications in other ways, including, among others, high CRS points because of language skills, education, and experience.

December 23, 2024: Flag poling for Work and Study Permits Ends

Another major change is that the Canadian government has stated that flag poling is no longer an effective way to obtain or renew work and study permits.

Effective December 23, 2024, at 11:Up until 59 PM ET, people cannot obtain immigration services at Canadian ports of entry using the options such as temporarily leaving and coming back into the country.

What Is Flag poling?

Flag poling is a process where the temporary residents of Canada, including students and workers, cross the border, normally to the United States and then return just to process work or study permit.

While perfectly legal the negative impact of this policy has been to stretch the border resources to an unimaginable limit.

Why Is It Being Discontinued?

According to the CBSA, it processed flag poling requests as follows: From 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, the agency received 69,391 flag poling requests.

Each of these circumstances was observed in high-throughput areas including South Ontario, Quebec, and Pacific.

The government has accused flag poling of switching the focus of valuable capital and manpower to flag poling, while it has also cited nuisance to cross border travellers due to the time they take.

By ending this practice, Canada aims to:

  • Streamline border operations.
  • Enhance border security.
  • Increase the effectiveness of the immigration services at large.

How Will This Impact Applicants?

Starting December the 24th, 2024, applicants who want to work or study in Canada will apply with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada rather than use the border services.

Exceptions to this rule will apply only in limited circumstances.

Exemptions to the New Rule

Certain individuals will still be allowed to process work and study permits at ports of entry. These exemptions include:

  • The lawful permanent residents of the United States of America as well as any citizen of the United States of America.
  • Employees in the civil service and technicians who have an FTA with countries like, the United States of Mexico and South Korea.
  • People employed by the professions or businesses of the individuals set in certain trade treaties.
  • Certain preconditions include qualification of the truck drivers as international and having adequate training on scholarship programs.
  • Persons who have prior appointments with the CBSA for permit services.

Implications for Immigration and Border Management

For Express Entry Candidates

The exclusion of LMIA points in the Express Entry system is in tandem with Canada’s overall plans of ensuring that all individuals are equally placed.

To further increase confidence in the Express Entry system, the government avoids the influence of offers by appealing to the global talent pool according to their skills and qualifications.

For Temporary Residents

They have to choose their immigration applications more tactfully since flag poling is now no more permanent.

Applying with all essential information provided at IRCC will be important in order to ensure no interruption or disruption of status.

For Border Operations

Taking out flag poling would free the CBSA and its U.S. counterparts to redirect its resources towards enforcement and other operationalities.

The change is expected to contribute to decreasing the length of waiting time and improve the quality of traveler experience at Canadian borders.

What’s Next for Canada’s Immigration System?

These changes highlight Canada’s ongoing efforts to preserve a practical, nondiscriminatory, and secure system of immigration.

With the country’s migration policy prioritizing continued immigration as a way of increasing the country’s economic workforce, such measures are designed to balance between leniency and strictness.

The above changes are suggested to the candidates, employers and other stakeholders to ensure that they do anticipate the changes.

If well managed and most importantly followed to the letter Canada’s immigration system can continue to be a model for other nations to emulate.

Key Takeaways

  • From the Reminder: beginning in spring 2025, applicants under Express Entry will cease to be awarded bonus Comprehensive Ranking System points for a job offer supported by an LMIA.
  • From December 23, 2024, flag poling for work and study permits at the Canadian ports of entry will not be permitted.
  • Each change seeks to cut on fraud, rationalize immigration procedures, and improve security at the border.
  • There are, however, some circumstances permitting flag poling, for example, for American citizens and for certain professionals pursuing the activities under definite trade agreements.

The following changes are seen in the Canadian immigration policies The aforesaid changes are important as Canada tries to perfect its immigration policies By doing so, the Canadian immigration policies should ensure transparency, fairness and security.

Leave Comment