If your employer issues offer letters through an internal portal rather than going through a formal LMIA process, that offer letter alone will not earn you arranged employment points under the CRS. Group members were fairly clear on this: arranged employment points require an LMIA (or an LMIA-exempt category recognized by IRCC, such as certain intra-company transfers).
Two paths were suggested:
- Ask your employer whether they're willing to sponsor an LMIA specifically for you (separate from their internal hiring process). This is what actually attaches CRS points to a job offer.
- If an LMIA isn't feasible, consider whether your role qualifies for an Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) work permit, which is LMIA-exempt. After working in Canada for about a year under this status, you become eligible to claim Canadian work experience points, which can raise your CRS score even without arranged employment points.
Either way, don't assume an internal offer letter by itself moves your CRS score — verify with your employer's HR/immigration team whether an LMIA application is possible.