October 2026 in Immigration – a Review

Welcome to the Guberman // Appleby Immigration Update. We hope you find the information provided relevant to your immigration needs. Our objective is to highlight recent updates in immigration that are of interest to our readers. Today’s topic: October 2026 in Immigration – a Review In this update, we summarize the key Canadian and US immigration developments from October 2026.

Express Entry System Introduces New Scoring Factor (Labour Market Integration) for Canadian Experience or Job Offers in High-Wage Occupations Effective November 3, 2026
Eight Tech Companies Blocked from US Employment Green Card Program
Two Updates to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)
Express Entry Draws and Trends in October 2026

1) Express Entry System Introduces New Scoring Factor (Labour Market Integration) for Canadian Experience or Job Offers in High-Wage Occupations Effective November 3, 2026 On October 16, 2026, the Canadian government announced that as of November 3, 2026, it will introduce a new factor under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) awarding points for Canadian work experience or qualifying job offers in high-wage occupations. In tandem with this announcement, the government has released three lists of occupations which have a median wage of at least two times (2x), one point five times (1.5x), and one point three times (1.3x) the general Canadian median income. Applicants who have either a job offer or Canadian work experience in one of the listed occupations will be eligible for additional points once the changes are implemented on November 3, 2026. For those who already have profiles in the Express Entry pool, they should update their profiles promptly to ensure additional points are allocated and avoid losing out on eligible draws. 2) Eight Tech Companies Blocked from US Employment Green Card Program On October 8, 2026, the US government announced that Microsoft, Adobe, and six other technology companies are banned from using the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) system, the first step in certain employment-based green card applications. The US government stated that this ban was intended to protect American jobs and reduce these companies’ reliance on foreign workers on H-1B visas. This has resulted in confusion given that H-1B visas and the Permanent Labor Certification system are not directly related. As a result of these changes, the banned companies will not be able to sponsor any workers for green cards through employment-based pathways that require PERM certification. Additionally, any cases that have pending PERM applications from these companies will not be processed. For individuals who may not qualify for U.S. employment-based immigration pathways, including PERM, Canadian immigration may offer an alternative worth exploring. Programs such as Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Programs provide different pathways to permanent residence, with eligibility criteria that may be better suited to certain professional backgrounds, education, and work experience. 3). Two Updates to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is Ontario’s economic immigration program for permanent residence. On October 5, 2026, the OINP revised the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream’s scoring criteria to award additional points for applicants with earnings of CAD $80,000 or more, supported by a Canada Revenue Agency notice of assessment issued within the past five years. Previously, this factor awarded a maximum of 8 points for earnings of CAD $70,000 or more. Applicants earning between CAD $70,000 and $80,000 will continue to receive 8 points, while those earning more than CAD $80,000 will receive 10 points, increasing the maximum possible total score under this stream from 130 to 132 points. Additionally, on October 16, 2026, the OINP updated the Regional Economic Development through Immigration (REDI) initiative. This initiative allocates nomination spaces to selected regional partner communities that have a demonstrated need for new talent and the potential to support higher immigration. This update added and removed communities from the REDI initiative. Over the next year, the REDI initiative will be partnering with the following participating communities:

Greater Sudbury/Grand Sudbury
Kenora District
Nipissing District
Rainy River District
Renfrew County
Thunder Bay

The initiative will no longer be partnered with the following communities:

Lanark County
Leeds and Grenville
Sarnia-Lambton

Express Entry Draws in October 2026 Please see below for a chart summarizing the Express Entry draws conducted in October 2026.

Date of Draw	Draw Category	Minimum CRS Score to be invited	Number of Invitations Issued
October 28, 2026	Transport Occupations	477	150
October 27, 2026	French-Language proficiency	407	5,000
October 26, 2026	Provincial Nominee Program	761	792
October 16, 2026	French-Language proficiency	435	5,000
October 15, 2026	Canadian Experience Class	519	2,500
October 13, 2026	Provincial Nominee Program	772	752
October 1, 2026	Trades Occupations	476	3,500

The draws conducted in October reinforce several ongoing trends and highlight the current priorities of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). In particular, Francophone immigration remains a key priority within the Express Entry system. Of the nearly 18,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued in October, approximately 10,000 were issued through the French-language proficiency category. Additionally, IRCC continues to emphasize category-based selection, as demonstrated by a significant draw targeting candidates in the Trades Occupations category, which resulted in 3,500 invitations being issued. This further underscores the federal government’s continued focus on attracting skilled trades professionals to address labour market needs in Canada. // CONTACT US We welcome you to contact us directly to discuss the above. Please contact one of our Toronto immigration lawyers, by reaching out to our general line 416 548 7100 or via email info@gaimmlaw.com. Our immigration lawyers are always available to discuss any of your specific Canadian or US immigration queries either virtually or in person. We look forward to hearing from you.