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Claiming CRS job offer points: LMIA needed, open work permits don't qualify

Canada • Express Entry • immigration 0 views
By VisaBuddies Communityvia community — compiled from public visa forums

Documents Needed

  • LMIA (or LMIA-exempt work permit)

    The offer itself must be backed by a valid LMIA, or fall under an LMIA-exempt work permit category, to count for CRS points.

  • Closed (employer-specific) work permit

    Only closed work permits — LMIA-approved or LMIA-exempt — are tied to a specific job offer that CRS recognizes.

Step-by-Step

Group members were asked whether simply working for an employer for a year on an open work permit is enough to claim job-offer points under Express Entry's Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The consistent answer was no.

What qualifies:
  1. You need a genuine job offer backed by either an LMIA or an LMIA exemption. There's no way around this requirement — CRS doesn't award job-offer points for just having a job.

  2. The work permit tied to that offer must be closed (employer-specific). Whether it required an LMIA or was LMIA-exempt, it has to be linked to one employer and one position.

  3. Open work permits don't count, no matter how long you've worked for an employer. Because an open work permit isn't tied to a single job or LMIA, it can't be used to claim job-offer points.


If your goal is to boost your CRS score through a job offer, the practical path is to secure a closed work permit (LMIA-based or LMIA-exempt) rather than relying on time worked under an open permit.

Dos, Don'ts & Tips

  • Don't: Don't assume time worked on an open work permit will count toward job-offer CRS points — it won't.
  • Do: Confirm your work permit is closed (employer-specific) and tied to either an LMIA or a recognized LMIA exemption before counting on job-offer points.
  • Tip: LMIA-exempt offers count the same as LMIA-backed ones for CRS purposes, as long as the permit is closed.

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