LMIA and Express Entry Are Separate Strategies in 2025: How They Work Together

For many years, candidates and employers treated LMIAs and Express Entry as a single, unified strategy. A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) could support a job offer that not only led to a work permit but also added valuable CRS points in the Express Entry system. With the removal of job offer points in 2025, the relationship between the two has changed. Today, they must be understood as distinct but related strategies within a broader Canadian immigration plan.

This article explains how LMIAs and Express Entry now interact, what has changed in practice, and how to plan work permits and permanent residence in a more deliberate way. If you are an employer or candidate needing integrated advice, you can contact us through the Zohil-Morton Law Contact Page, or learn more about our LMIA services and Express Entry representation.

What Is an LMIA and What Does It Do?

A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a decision issued by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) that assesses the impact of hiring a foreign worker on the Canadian labour market. In most cases, a positive LMIA confirms that:

• There is a genuine need for a foreign worker to fill the job
• No Canadian citizen or permanent resident is readily available to do the work
• The employer has met advertising and recruitment requirements

Once issued, an LMIA can be used to support an employer-specific work permit application. The LMIA itself does not grant status, but it is a crucial step in many temporary foreign worker pathways.

What Is Express Entry and How Does It Differ from LMIA?

Express Entry is an electronic system used by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to manage applications for certain economic immigration programs, including:

• Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
• Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
• Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
• Many Express Entry-linked Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams

Express Entry uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to rank candidates based on age, education, language, work experience, and other factors. Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence are issued through periodic draws. Unlike an LMIA, Express Entry is primarily a permanent residence selection system, not a work authorization mechanism.

How LMIA and Express Entry Used to Be Connected

Historically, LMIAs and Express Entry were tightly linked because a qualifying LMIA-backed job offer, once accepted and properly documented, could generate an additional 50 or 200 CRS points. Many candidates and employers structured their strategies around this link:

• Obtain a positive LMIA
• Use it to apply for a work permit
• Claim job offer points in Express Entry to increase the CRS score
• Receive an ITA for permanent residence more quickly

In practice, LMIAs and Express Entry felt like one integrated solution, especially for candidates whose CRS scores were borderline until job offer points were added.

After Job Offer Points Removal: LMIA and Express Entry Are Separate

With IRCC removing job offer points in March of 2025, LMIAs and Express Entry must now be treated as separate, parallel strategies within an overall plan. A positive LMIA can still support a work permit and a valid job offer for certain program eligibility requirements, but it no longer adds CRS points directly.

In planning, this means:

• An LMIA is used to support temporary entry and work authorization.
• Express Entry is used to qualify for and compete for permanent residence.

The two should be coordinated, but one does not automatically boost the other via job offer points. Employers and candidates should therefore think of an LMIA as one tool in a larger immigration strategy, not as a guaranteed shortcut to higher CRS scores.

Using LMIA Strategically Without Job Offer Points

Even without job offer points, an LMIA can play a valuable role in a permanent residence strategy. For example:

• An LMIA-based work permit can allow a candidate to come to Canada, gain Canadian work experience, and later qualify under the Canadian Experience Class.
• Canadian work experience gained in an LMIA-based role can improve CRS scores independently through the core factors for Canadian work.
• In some cases, LMIA-supported employment can align with provincial nominee programs that still require or reward job offers as part of their criteria.

From a legal perspective, a LMIA remains a powerful tool for employers who cannot fill positions locally and who wish to support a foreign worker’s longer-term immigration plan, even if the CRS formula has changed.

Express Entry Strategy Without Relying on LMIA

Because job offer points are no longer available, candidates should design their Express Entry profiles around the core CRS factors. This may include:

• Maximizing language scores in English and, where appropriate, French
• Obtaining Educational Credential Assessments (ECAs) for foreign education
• Gaining Canadian work experience, whether on an LMIA-based or LMIA-exempt permit
• Pursuing Express Entry-aligned provincial nominations worth 600 CRS points

LMIAs and Express Entry are thus linked indirectly. LMIAs can enable work experience or mobility that improves the CRS profile, but it no longer changes the CRS score simply by existing.

Employer Considerations: Compliance and Long-Term Planning

Employers should now think more holistically about how LMIAs and Express Entry fit into workforce and compliance planning. Key questions include:

• Is a LMIA the right tool for this role, or is an LMIA-exempt category available?
• How will this foreign worker’s route to permanent residence be structured without job offer points?
• Are there provincial nominee pathways that align with the company’s location, industry, and staffing needs?
• What compliance obligations arise from LMIAs, and how will the organization manage them over time?

Working with a lawyer-led immigration team can help ensure that LMIAs, work permits, and Express Entry planning are cohesive and compliant, while still aligning with business and talent objectives.

LMIAs, Express Entry, and PNP: A Three-Part Strategy

In 2025 and beyond, many successful immigration plans will integrate three distinct elements:

• LMIAs or LMIA-exempt work permits to bring the worker to Canada and establish employment
• Express Entry for federal permanent residence pathways using the CRS system
• Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) that may require or reward job offers and add substantial points to the overall strategy

Rather than relying on a single LMIA-based job offer to carry an Express Entry profile, the emphasis shifts to thoughtful program selection, long-term planning, and detailed evidence for work, language, and education.

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This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Please consult a licensed immigration professional regarding your specific situation.

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Frequently Asked Questions: LMIA and Express Entry as Separate Strategies

Does an LMIA still help my Express Entry profile in 2025?

An LMIA no longer adds CRS job offer points, but it can still help indirectly. It can support a work permit that allows you to gain Canadian work experience and, in some cases, pursue provincial nominations or Canadian Experience Class eligibility.

Should employers still apply for LMIAs if job offer points are gone?

Yes, if they genuinely need to hire a foreign worker and no suitable Canadian or permanent resident is available, and there are no LMIA-exempt options that are available. LMIAs remain important for many employer-specific work permits and can support longer-term immigration planning, even without direct CRS points.

Can I get permanent residence through Express Entry without an LMIA?

Yes. Many candidates qualify for and receive permanent residence through Express Entry without an LMIA. They rely on factors such as language, education, work experience, and provincial nominations instead.

How should I plan LMIA and Express Entry together now?

You should treat LMIA as part of a broader strategy: use it to obtain work authorization where appropriate, build Canadian work experience, and coordinate with Express Entry and PNP options. A clear plan can help avoid relying on outdated assumptions about job offer points.