IMPROVING YOUR CRS SCORE (POINTS)
Low Scores got you down? Need to improve your placement in the EE Pool?
Only applicants who qualify for one of Canada’s federal economic immigration programs are able to submit their profile into the Express Entry pool, and get placed.
Qualifying applicants in the EE pool are ranked according to the Comprehensive Ranking System, which ranks eligible applicants for immigration to Canada through Express Entry under the following components:
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core human capital factors;
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accompanying spouse or common-law partner factors;
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skill transferability factors; and
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factors relating to a provincial nomination or a qualifying offer of arranged employment.
The highest-ranked applicants are issued invitations to apply (ITa) for Canadian Permanent Residence when the government of Canada performs regular draws from the CRS pool.
It is therefore in an applicants best interest to strive to improve their scores in order to increase their chances of receiving an invitation to apply. There are a number of ways to achieve this.
Obtain 600 CRS Points through a PNP
The most beneficial single thing that a candidate may do to improve his or her Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score is obtain an enhanced nomination certificate from a Canadian province through a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) category aligned with Express Entry.
While candidates who do not have a nomination from a Canadian province may also receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence, the 600 points available under the Comprehensive Ranking System for this factors means that candidates a provincial nomination will receive an ITA at a subsequent draw from the Express Entry pool.
Provincial Nominee Programs: The Fast-Track To Permanent Residence Through Express Entry
In Canada, the Federal Government, the Provinces and Territories share decisions over the selection of immigrants to Canada or to a specific Province.
Canada contains 10 provinces and 3 territories. With the exceptions of the territory of Nunavut and the province of Quebec, all other provinces and territories have immigration programs that allow them to nominate individuals who wish to immigrate to Canada and who are interested in settling in a particular province. These are called the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs).
Each PNP Program is customised to the specific needs of the provinces and or territories, which aim to attract and select new immigrants who will be able to settle into life and work in the region and effectively contribute to the community and economy.
Most PNPs contain a stream aligned with the federal Express Entry immigration selection system. Candidates in the Express Entry pool who obtain an enhanced nomination from a province are awarded 600 points under the Comprehensive Ranking System, out of a possible total of 1,200. When these additional points are added to a candidate’s human capital and skills transferability points, it will result in an invitation to apply for permanent residence at a subsequent draw from the Express Entry pool.
Read about specific PNPs that contain enhanced Express Entry streams:
At this time, the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) does not contain any enhanced Express Entry streams due to a high unemployment rate in the Province.
A Qualifying Job Offer From A Canadian Employer
One of the stated aims of the Express Entry immigration selection system is for Canada to select newcomers who will be able to integrate successfully into life in Canada. As a result, the system places an increased emphasis on a candidate’s ability to find gainful employment in Canada. It’s never too early to begin your Canada job search.
Under the Comprehensive Ranking System, candidates with arranged employment (as proven by having obtained a valid job offer from a Canadian employer are awarded either 200 or 50 points, depending on the position.
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A valid job offer is worth 200 points if the offer is in an occupation contained in Major Group 00 of the National Occupational Classification Index (NOC).
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A valid job offer is worth 50 points if the offer is any other valid offer of arranged employment.
In the recent past, qualifying job offers supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment were worth 600 points under the CRS. As of November 19, 2016, there are new ways of being awarded either 50 or 200 points without the need to obtain a LMIA (though points will continue to be awarded to individuals with a new or existing LMIA). The new regulations also allow individuals in one of the following situations to be awarded points for a qualifying job offer:
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Individuals with a work permit issued under an international agreement, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
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Individuals with a work permit issued under the ‘significant benefits to Canada’ criteria, such as Intra-company Transfers.
In the above cases, the worker must have been working and living in Canada for at least one year and the job offer must be made by the same employer named on the work permit. There are no exceptions here.
Many applicants who are outside Canada feel that obtaining a qualifying job offer from an employer in Canada is an arduous and impossible task, but, with the right assistance and resources they may promote themselves to employers in their field in Canada through many of the online job platforms. ICL Immigration will do all they can to assist in this area.
Improving Core Human Capital Factors
Under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), up to 600 points are awarded for core human capital factors and skills transferability, which take into account factors such as a candidate’s age, education, language proficiency, and work experience.
If a candidate takes steps to improve certain human capital factors, he or she may be awarded additional points under the CRS. Steps that may be taken include:
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Completing an educational degree, diploma or certificate
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Having the spouse or common-law partner of the principal applicant complete an educational degree, diploma, or certificate
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Improving ability in English and/or French and taking (or re-taking) a standardized language test recognized by the government of Canada
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Having the spouse or common-law partner of the principal applicant improve ability in English and/or French and having him or her take (or re-take) a standardized language test recognized by the government of Canada
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Gaining additional work experience
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Having the spouse or common-law partner of the principal applicant gain additional work experience
By taking one or more of these steps, candidates in the Express Entry pool may see their ranking improve under the CRS.
For a complete list of draws from the Express Entry pool that have taken place so far, Click Here
For specific information about how ICL Immigration may assist you in improving your current profile, we invite you to provide your contact information in the fields below.
Express Entry is only open to applicants who are eligible for one of Canada's Federal immigration programs.
Complete the below request only if you have already submitted your Express Entry profile and have a Profile Number.