The biggest structural change to Express Entry since its launch in 2015 is now on the table. On April 1, IRCC quietly added a line to its forward regulatory plan that set off a wave of headlines: all three current Express Entry programs — the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program — are being retired and replaced with a single stream.
Here's what we know so far, what's still unclear, and what you should actually do about it.
What IRCC announced
IRCC intends to merge the FSWP, CEC, and FSTP into one unified pathway called the Federal High-Skilled Class. The goal, according to the regulatory plan, is to simplify the system for applicants and employers while giving IRCC more flexibility to select candidates based on labor market needs.
The announcement came through IRCC's forward regulatory plan — not a press conference or ministerial statement. That matters because it signals the direction of policy, not a done deal. The regulatory process still has several stages to go through before anything actually changes.
What changes under the new system
Based on what IRCC has published and what CIC News has reported from stakeholder briefings, here's the picture so far:
One eligibility standard instead of three. Right now, FSWP, CEC, and FSTP each have different requirements for work experience, education, and language. The new class would have a single set of eligibility criteria. The core requirement appears to be one year of skilled Canadian work experience OR a validated job offer.
CRS stays, but gets recalibrated. The Comprehensive Ranking System isn't going anywhere — your CRS score will still determine whether you get an Invitation to Apply. But the weighting will shift. Candidates with job offers above the national median wage and those working in in-demand occupations would receive more points. Language and education points are being "recalibrated," though IRCC hasn't published the new formula.
Earnings matter more — through a tiered wage system. This is the biggest philosophical shift. The current system weights education and language heavily. The new system tips toward economic outcomes. IRCC has proposed a High Wage Occupation factor with three tiers based on occupational median wages:
- Tier 1: Occupations earning 1.3x the national median wage
- Tier 2: Occupations earning 1.5x the national median wage
- Tier 3: Occupations earning 2x the national median wage
Importantly, IRCC would base these points on the typical salary for your occupation (using NOC-level data) — not your individual salary. This reduces gaming and integrity risks. Candidates with Canadian work experience or a job offer in higher-wage occupations would receive extra CRS points at the corresponding tier.
Job offer points may be redesigned. Under current CRS rules, LMIA-backed and LMIA-exempt job offers add 0 CRS points. IRCC has consulted on a future job-offer factor tied to wage tiers, but the final formula and timing have not been published.
French bonus and PNP points under review. IRCC has indicated it is considering removal or modification of the French proficiency bonus (currently 25–50 points) and spousal points (currently up to 40 points). Most significantly, provincial/territorial nominations (currently worth 600 points — effectively guaranteeing an ITA) are also being considered for modification or removal. If PNP points are reduced or eliminated, this would fundamentally change the value proposition of provincial programs.
Category-based draws continue. The category-based selection system introduced in 2023 will remain. Healthcare, trades, French-language, transport, and STEM draws will keep running alongside general rounds.
Timeline: when does this actually happen?
This is not imminent. The regulatory process in Canada moves slowly, and IRCC has laid out a multi-stage timeline:
| Phase | Expected timing |
|---|---|
| Public consultation open | April 23 – May 24, 2026 |
| High-Wage CRS factor (could land first) | As early as Q4 2026 |
| Proposed regulations in Canada Gazette Part I | Late 2026 |
| Final regulations in Canada Gazette Part II | 2027 |
| New Federal High-Skilled Class becomes operational | 2027–2028 |
That means the FSWP, CEC, and FSTP remain fully operational for at least another year, likely longer. If you're in the Express Entry pool right now, nothing has changed about how draws work or how you're ranked.
Update — May 2026: IRCC's online consultation on the high-wage CRS factor closes on May 24, 2026. Both organizations and individual candidates can submit feedback through the canada.ca consultation portal. Officials have also signaled that the high-wage points factor could be activated as early as Q4 2026, ahead of the broader Federal High-Skilled Class launch — meaning the wage tier weighting may hit your CRS score before the rest of the overhaul is implemented. If your occupation falls in the top wage tiers (physicians, senior managers, petroleum engineers and similar TEER 0/1 high-wage roles are the kinds of NOCs IRCC has used as examples), you stand to gain. If your role is below the 1.3x median threshold (~$29/hour national median in 2026), you may want to start building a second route.
What this means for you right now
If you're currently in the pool: Keep doing exactly what you're doing. Your CRS score, your profile, and the draw process are all unchanged. IRCC issued over 117,000 ITAs through these programs in 2025, and draws have been running at a steady pace in 2026. Don't wait for the new system — get your score as high as possible and check where you stand.
If you have Canadian work experience: You're likely going to benefit from the new system, whenever it arrives. The emphasis on earnings and Canadian experience suggests CEC-style candidates will do well under the unified class. But that's a reason to apply now under the current system — not a reason to wait.
If you're a skilled tradesperson: The FSTP has always been a niche pathway with relatively few draws. Under the new system, trades occupations will likely be served through category-based draws rather than a dedicated program. The recent Trades draw on April 2 — 3,000 ITAs at CRS 477 — shows that IRCC is already using category draws for trades.
If you're applying from outside Canada: The shift toward valuing Canadian work experience and job offers could make it harder to compete without a connection to the Canadian labor market. If you're planning to move to Canada, consider studying or working here first to build that experience. Our study-to-PR pathway guide and work permit guide cover the main routes in.
What we're watching
Key questions that consultations should clarify:
- Exact CRS weights for wage tiers. We know the three tiers (1.3x, 1.5x, 2x median wage) exist, but not how many CRS points each adds. This is the single most important detail for applicants.
- PNP 600-point future. If provincial nominations lose their 600-point guaranteed ITA, the entire PNP-through-Express-Entry strategy collapses. This would be the most disruptive change in the proposal. Provinces are expected to push back strongly during consultations.
- French bonus removal impact. French-language draws currently invite at CRS ~393. If the bilingual bonus is removed, French speakers lose 25–50 CRS points — and the entire French-language strategy we recommend to candidates in the 400–500 range becomes less effective.
- Transition rules. What happens to profiles already in the pool when the new class launches? Will they be automatically migrated, or will candidates need to resubmit?
- Minimum eligibility. IRCC has signaled standardized requirements: one year of cumulative TEER 0–3 work experience in the past three years, a high school credential, and CLB/NCLC 6. This is simpler than today's three different sets of requirements but may exclude some current FSTP-eligible candidates who rely on CLB 4/5.
We'll update this article as IRCC publishes more details through the consultation process. In the meantime, use the CRS Calculator to check your score, and keep an eye on the latest draws — the current system isn't going anywhere for a while.
Update — April 23, 2026: CRS changes could arrive sooner than expected
An April 21 IRCC webinar for immigration lawyers added a critical wrinkle to the timeline above. IRCC confirmed that the reforms will move on two parallel tracks: changes to the CRS formula will be made through Ministerial Instructions (fast — no Canada Gazette process), while changes to the programs themselves (retiring FSW/CEC/FSTP, launching the Federal High-Skilled Class) require the full regulatory amendment route (slow — the 12–18 month path laid out above).
What this means in practice: the new High Wage Occupation factor can drop before the program overhaul lands. A senior IRCC official said it "may drop much sooner" than the rest of the reforms — potentially later in 2026. IRCC also confirmed that candidates already in the pool may have their scores recalculated under the new factors.
Two more details confirmed at the webinar:
- Age points stay as they are. No changes proposed to the age scoring curve.
- The high-wage factor uses Job Bank NOC wages, not individual pay. Points are based on the published wage rate for your NOC code — not your personal salary — so candidates in the same occupation get the same treatment.
If you're in the pool right now, this changes the calculus. Read the full breakdown of what's coming fast and what's still slow: IRCC Signals New CRS Rules Could Arrive Before the Full Overhaul.