6 ACTIONABLE TIPS TO INCREASE CRS SCORE FOR EXPRESS ENTRY CANDIDATES

Now, let’s see some of the best ways on how can Express Entry candidates increase their CRS score for Canada Immigration (Canada PR), by implementing one of the following methods either with or without IELTS.

The Express Entry immigration system which was launched by the Government of Canada in 2015 is competitive. In general, the candidates receiving invitations to apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residency are only those who have the highest Comprehensive Ranking System scores based on their profile in the Express Entry pool.

Therefore, if you have an active Express Entry profile for a long time and still waiting to receive an invitation in each upcoming draw then you might be better working on ways to improve your CRS score rather than waiting for the points to drop.

Luckily, the following comprehensive guide will help you to boost your score and become eligible for the selection in one of the subsequent Express Entry draws.

Our guide is based on the best methods and options available today in order to improve your CRS score. Keep reading the article, and you will find how to increase your Express Entry points to become competitive and also major actionable tips to get a big boost to land your invitation.

In addition, you can check the latest Express Entry draw results page in order to see the lowest CRS score that is needed to receive an invitation to apply.

How are Canada Express Entry Minimum Points Calculated?

Now let’s consider the following scenario. You have taken your free assessment to determine your eligibility for immigration to Canada on a permanent basis through one of the Express Entry aligned programs. So, you have created an Express Entry profile, got your awarded CRS score…and now you are waiting for the right time to see when the scores will drop and you will eventually receive an invitation to apply…

Well, in general, this is what most of the candidates wishing to move to Canada do. They are just awarded an average CRS score and do not realize that unless the score is high enough to be qualified for an invitation, this is absolutely the wrong approach.

If you have also adopted such a passive attitude towards your Express Entry profile, then you should not be surprised why you are not getting any invitations no matter how many Express Entry rounds held each month. Also, you need to understand that unless you have not done your best to increase your score, you may not be awarded all of the potential points you may be entitled to.

How does the Comprehensive Ranking System work?

Without any improvement and effort, you may be just missing a nice opportunity to increase your rankings among the candidates under the Comprehensive Ranking System. Since the CRS is a dynamic system, there are always options for you to improve your Express Entry score and please know that your score is not “locked-in” as long as there are ways to increase it.

Some changes or improvements may not enhance your CRS score drastically, however, even a tiny increase could make all the difference on your journey through the program.

Additionally, there also some other possibilities are available such as Provincial Nomination which, in turn, can add up an additional 600 CRS points towards your Express Entry profile that can ensure that you will receive an invitation in a subsequent draw from the pool.

Have you claimed all the points possible that can make you qualified?

Usually, there may be chances that you may not have claimed all of the potential points you can get. Now, we will take a look at some areas of CRS score assessment and make sure that you have correctly claimed all the possible points and taken every factor into account that apply to your situation.

Add 15 points by having a sibling in Canada:

The first question you need to consider and one of the important factors for the CRS score to realize that whether you have your spouse, or brother or sister living currently in Canada as a citizen or permanent resident of the country.

The relation between you can be through blood, adoption as well as marriage or common-law partnership. If you have any of the mentioned relations in Canada then only this factor is enough to increase your CRS score by 15 points.

Additional 50 points for your Canadian education:

This method is available for those candidates who are registered for Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Trades stream. Please note an exception that, as a candidate, you will not need to provide an Educational Credential Assessment if you are trying to immigrate under CEC and FSTC streams. However, the other applicants in the Federal Skilled Worker Class are needed to meet this requirement.

What does it mean? This means that by not claiming 200 CRS points brought by educational credentials you are leaving up these points on the table. Please note that the education factor is worth 150 points in its own right alone, and can be increased up to 200 points by adding 50 more in combination with gained Canadian work experience and language proficiency.

Additionally, you also need to demonstrate or list, in your Express Entry profile, all eligible education you have completed. For example, even if you did a one-year diploma program 4 years ago which had nothing to do with your current occupation, you should still claim this factor on your Express Entry profile and get an Educational Credential Assessment for that particular education.

It is important to note that, regardless of whether your credential has a relevancy with your current occupation or not, the Express Entry system still awards points fo that education. Therefore, why miss a possible chance of increasing your CRS score?

Do you speak the second language?

Under the CRS system, you can get points not only for your proficiency in English but also for your French skills. Therefore, if you think are capable of communicating in both languages mentioned above, then please make sure that you sit for an approved language test (such as IELTS for English – click here to determine minimum IELTS score for eligibility) for ensuring that you are claiming all the points that are available in language factor.

In addition, for the candidates who are bilingual, there are bonus points available in certain PNP streams which are only available for French speakers. Thus, you definitely should not miss out the chance of improving your CRS score when you are competent in both English and French.

Now, if you have taken into account all the factors contributing to your CRS score, and implemented the tips above, and still don’t see a significant increase while positioning below the competitive range for eligible candidates, then you should consider to apply the following ways to make an improvement in your score and bring your Express Entry profile to better position.

Short-term methods to apply today to increase your CRS score

You can now read our top recommendation or advice to improve your CRS score quickly. You can achieve this in as short as a few weeks providing that you are doing your best and putting all your efforts to succeed, of course.

Consider retaking your test

In order to maximize or get all the available points based on your language proficiency through the approved test, you can aim for this option which can be an essential tip to get your Express Entry profile position higher to the competitive range.

It is important to note that, only a candidate can get 260 CRS points alone depending on his language ability. In addition, if you are applying as a couple, then there is a possibility to get an additional 10 points based on the language knowledge of your spouse.

This gains in your CRS score can make a huge difference in terms of being qualified to receive an invitation to apply. Language skills, in general, is the most valued human capital factor under the Comprehensive Ranking System.

When you take a language test your results are assessed based on the four language skills – speaking, listening, reading and writing. When you make an improvement and get better points at the test, then those extra points are accumulated for every single ability in test results.

How to increase the IELTS reading score?

How to improve IELTS speaking skills?

How to improve IELTS listening skills?

How to increase the IELTS writing score?

Important to note that, there is a point or target in a language test level, such as Canadian Language Benchmark Level 9, where the magic happens when a candidate achieves this.

The reason is that when you get a CLB 9 in each skill in addition to the point you have earned for the improvements to that level, it acts like a trigger that makes your points under the skills transferability to jump.

However, it is up to your level of education and work experience which determines the exact jump. Therefore, you can consider one small step of improvement in your language skills to mean a giant leap for your CRS score.

You have to try to earn as many points as you can from the skill transferability factors since it can deliver a maximum of 100 points.

Please note that if you can manage to get the following scores from your IELTS test then it will reflect as CLB 9:

• Listening: 8.0
• Speaking 7.0
• Reading: 7.0
• Writing: 7.0

It also requires to get at least 9 points in each of the four abilities in order to reach CLB 9 on the CELPIP general exam.

How to increase the CRS score?

Try to gain more working experience in your field
Apply through available Provincial Nominee Programs
Get another educational program completed
Apply for a job in Canada or get an offer
Your spouse can contribute your CRS score to increase

If you have determined on moving to Canada permanently through the Express Entry, then there are some other options to improve your CRS score over the long run. Although some options or tips mentioned above can take as short as a few weeks to accomplish your goal, the others, like the following ones, may take up to a year or more to accomplish.

See how you can prepare for IELTS here.

Try to gain more working experience in your field

For example, if you are currently working outside Canada and have less than 2 years of official work experience, then you should consider keeping working.

You may find out that, the more work experience itself will not award you additional points under the human capital factors. However, you will get rewarded in the skills transferability combinations.

In the other hand, if you are a candidate and currently working in Canada on a work permit, then keeping working is becomes even more important since Canadian Work Experience will earn you more points towards your Express Entry profile.

Therefore, just keep noticing that you are holding a valid work permit and maintaining legal work status the entire time if you are working in Canada.

Because, when you reach a new threshold of work experience, the CRS score will automatically update. Thus, it is important to mention in your profile that you have ongoing employment.

Apply through available Provincial Nominee Programs

Now, this tip is such a great option that if you succeed you will get an additional 600 points towards your CRS score which will effectively guarantee of receiving an ITA. In addition, once you are nominated by a province, you will be automatically welcomed into your chosen destination province.

So, let’s learn more about the Provincial Nominee Programs or PNP’s.

Day after day, IRCC increasingly expanding allocations for the provinces for PNP’s. This, in turn, allows Canadian Provinces to look for the candidates in the Express Entry pool who can meet the labor market demands of the province.

In result, candidates chosen by the province submit an application for Canadian Permanent residence and successfully moves to Canada under one of the provincial programs.

In the last years, almost all the provinces started to conduct their Express Entry aligned streams in innovative, and dynamic ways.

For example, while Ontario aims for specific occupation groups such as individuals in the tech sector, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan have both provided PNP streams, without a job offer requirement, for candidates across a range of occupations.

In the other hand, British Columbia keeps conducting its unique PNP draws to invite candidates when Alberta and Manitoba have renewed their Express Entry aligned streams.

In fact, there are more provinces which also issuing nomination certificates for the candidates across various occupation and experiences.

Getting six hundred more points is not a joke. That is the prize on offer for you as a candidate if you are willing to adopt a proactive approach to the Express Entry system by following development and updates, and getting prepared accordingly.

Find more about the Provincial Nominee Programs in our page.

Get another educational program completed

If you want to improve your CRS score then this method is definitely one of the options you need to consider although this can be accounted for as a long-term strategy. Nevertheless, if you gain more education you can end up improving your CRS score even more. In addition, by gaining new skills or completing educational programs not only gives you the opportunity to increase your CRS score but also, it is an important and valuable component of the skill transferability factors section of the Comprehensive Ranking System.

In general, skill transferability factors can provide you a maximum of 100 points towards your Express Entry profile. You will need to consider completing the following level of education in order to get maximum available points from skill transferability section in terms of education:

You are required to gain a minimum of two or more post-secondary credentials. Additionally, one of them must have been gained for a program of three years or longer the one.

Do you have a bachelor’s degree already? Then you are eligible for completing another one year’s program which will make you qualified to earn more or higher points under skill transferability factors.

Please remember, this tip or method may require you to complete an educational program, however, this will result in you in immigrating to Canada permanently – the country you have been dreaming of.

Apply for a job in Canada or get an offer

Before talking about the potential points you may be awarded for having a valid job offer from Canada, it is wise to note that in order to claim points for a job offer through Express Entry the job offer must meet certain strict set of conditions and be approved.

Of course, comparing to the previous tips, such as a provincial nomination, which can give you additional 600 points, having a job offer with respect to your CRS score is not as great as once it was. The value of a qualifying job offer from a Canadian employer will bring you 50 CRS points. However, having an offer is still considered an important factor for immigrating to Canada.

Your spouse can contribute your CRS score to increase

If you are planning to move to Canada together with your spouse or common-law partner, then you should know that depending on some certain factors of your spouse you can earn some beneficial points. For example, language proficiency gives you  20, while education level and Canadian work experience are worth up to 10 points.

It means you can get a maximum of 40 points based on information or factors entered about your spouse in your Express Entry profile.

Please note that, when you submit an application as a single applicant, it does not mean that you miss out on these 40 points. Instead, you simply claim these score within your own skills. Therefore, 40 points are redistributed into the factors of your profile when you apply as a single candidate.

Now, let’s take a look at the following example:

Let’s say that there are a man and wife, who are a couple, that wants to immigrate to Canada permanently. None of them has ever completed an educational program or has work experience in Canada.

The man has lots of experience as a marketing manager and worked with a number of international companies and as well as clients. This, in turn, brought him plenty of earning or money. He has also gone and graduated an internationally-renowned university.

While the lady is an elementary school teacher and holds a Bachelor degree at a smaller educational institution, such as a small university, before starting to work in a local school for 3 years. And both of them have proficiency in English.

In this scenario, who do you think is going to be the principal applicant?

Of course, the one who can score higher in CRS. And who do you think has the higher score? This is the woman because she is 29 and he is 35. Due to the age factor, being 29 awards her full points for age wheres not for him.

Therefore, you need to realize that, for IRCC financial advisor and elementary teacher both considered skilled jobs, neither of which is necessarily more valued than others. So, when it comes to immigration to Canada, IRCC simply does not care where you came in your class, only that you completed your courses.

In addition, still, both partners have a right to create an Express Entry profile while naming the other partner as the accompanying spouse on each other’s Express Entry profiles.

There even can be the following situation. Once they both have created their profile, it might seem that the latter has less chance to get an invitation due to the low CRS points he has. However, the person with the lower score may have work experience in an occupation in demand determined by a province under PNP. This means, that person, who has the work experience that is in the list of in-demand occupation by the province, could shoot up the rankings and carry the other person along with them to Canada.

Please remember that it is possible to submit only one final application for permanent residence per couple. Even if they both members of a couple receive Invitation to Apply’s at the same time, they can submit only one permanent resident application.

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