How to Increase Chances to Get Canadian PR

Here’s some important advice for Express Entry candidates to help them improve their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score and receive a Canadian PR

Express Entry is one of the most prominent and fastest ways to Canadian Permanent Residence (PR). But only those candidates with the highest CRS score receives an invitation to apply (ITA) to apply for the Canadian Permanent Residency. Since, applicants in the Express Entry pool have to compete with each other to be invited, therefore it is important to know the various ways to increase your CRS score.

If you have already submitted your Express Entry profile and your CRS score is lower than what is in demand, you have a range of options to improve your CRS score. This page will help you recognize the best options available for increasing your total CRS score. Whether you only need a just few points to achieve your desired score or require to get a big boost to receive your invitation to apply, we will help you know the best way(s) that will work for you.

To find out the figure of the desired CRS score that is required to get an invitation to apply, check out the latest list of the Express Entry Draw

Understanding the matrix of Comprehensive Ranking System: How is CRS score calculated?

After you have determined your eligibility requirements under one of the Express Entry aligned immigration streams, have created an Express Entry profile and been given a CRS score, it might seem that you just only have to wait to receive your invitation to apply but that will happen only if you have been given a high CRS score. In the absence of which, the wait could be long!

There exist various opportunities to improve your overall rank among other candidates under the Comprehensive Ranking System in the Express Entry Pool. You can work upon grabbing these opportunities because even if you have created your Express Entry profile but since the CRS is an ever-changing system and your score is not locked or finalized yet – you can take all the necessary steps to improve it.

Although some improvements will only increase your CRS score up to a few points, but still this slight increase could make a huge difference. On the other hand, some improvements can bring you as many as 600 additional points in your total CRS score, which in turn would give guarantee that you will receive an invitation to apply in the next draw from the Express Entry pool.

Checklist: Claim the required points and make yourself eligible

There could still be certain areas of the CRS score where you might have missed claiming the necessary points that you can get. Take a detailed overview of the list given below and make sure that you have claimed points across all factors that are applicable under your individual profile.

Siblings in Canada

Check if you or your common-law partner or spouse have a brother or a sister residing in Canada, either as a permanent resident or citizen of Canada. This relationship can exist through blood, marriage, adoption or common-law partnership. If this is the case, then you just have to prove the necessary relationship and your total CRS score can increase by a total 15 points.

Education

This particular strategy is aimed for candidates applying for the Canadian PR as Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC). Unlike candidates applying under the Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSWC), the FSTC and CEC candidates are not required to provide an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) or any academic documents from a Canadian university or college to become eligible for the Express Entry Program. This simply implies that along with education, who can claim up to 200 CRS points. Educational documents are worth 150 points in their own and a maximum of 50 points can be gained more along with credible language proficiency test scores and Canadian work experience.

While creating your Express Entry Profile, you are required to mention all your valid education that you have completed till date. Even if you hold a one-year diploma that was completed eight years ago but that not relevant with respect to your current job, then also you can claim points on this in your Express Entry Profile. You would be needed to obtain an ECA report for all your educational credentials (unless the education is not completed in Canada). Express Entry System awards points for your education regardless of the field of study and whether or not the degree or diploma relates with your current work.

Second Language

You have the option to claim points for both French and English in your total CRS score. If you skilled in both languages, then make sure to appear for an approved language tests for both French and English to ensure that you are getting extra points on your language abilities. Moreover, there are bonus points available for bilingual candidates and there are certain PNP streams that give high priority to French-speakers.

If you have language abilities in both French and English, then do not miss this opportunity to increase your overall CRS score.

However, if you have made all the necessary efforts to claim your points across eligibility criteria mentioned but your score is still below the required competitive range, then must consider making a genuine effort to increase your overall CRS score using the strategies described below.

Instant ways to increase your CRS score

Here are some important recommendations for a reliable way to increase your overall CRS score. This can be done in a matter of few months if not weeks, if you are determined to put honest time and effort needed to move towards your final goal.

Reappear for your language tests

If you have not yet achieved your desired language test scores, then this particular option could be a faster and short-term way to get that competitive CRS score.

The language ability of a candidate is worth up to a maximum of 260 points and up to 270 points in total when applying along with a spouse. Therefore, language abilities and skills (English and/or French) are not only the most crucial human capital factor under the Express Entry System but it can also help you gain incremental gains on your overall CRS score.

Additional points are accumulated for even a slight improvement of 0.5 points under each of the language abilities, that is, speaking, listening, reading and writing. This particular threshold is when a candidate is able to achieve a Canadian Language Benchmark or CLB level 9 under each ability. This is mainly because getting a CLB 9 under each language ability triggers an exponential increase in the total points under the skills transferability factor (this particular factor also takes into consideration the points awarded for your educational credentials and total work experience). One small increase your language ability score can lead to a giant leap in your total CRS score.

Skills transferability factors has a total worth of 100 points and therefore you can make appropriate efforts to gain as many points as you can under this category.

To reach at the level of CLB 9 on IELTS General Training examination, you would need to achieve the following minimum score under given abilities:

➤ Listening: 8.0

➤ Speaking: 7.0

➤ Reading: 7.0

➤ Writing: 7.0

Similarly, in order to reach the level of CLB 9 on CELPIP General test, you would be required to achieve a minimum score equivalent to 9 under each of the four abilities.

Immigration Experts can help you guide on the strategies to obtain the required language score.

Long-Term ways to improve your CRS score

If you are ready to immigrate to Canada via Express Entry, there are also some slow options that will help you improve your CRS score. Some of these options could take you few months while others could even take you some years, but they will be an unprecedented gain in long-term planning.

Gain more professional experience

If you have less than three years of full-time or an equivalent amount of part-time work experience while working outside Canada, then you are suggested to gain more work experience. While your total work experience won’t benefit you under the human capital factors but it would certainly reward considerable points in the skills transferability combinations.

The objective of remaining employed is even more important for immigrants that are currently working in Canada on a work visa. This is because they can gain additional points under the Canadian work experience category, if able to maintain legalized work status for the entire term.

Provincial Nominee Programs

You can gain as high as 600-points increase in your total CRS score if you have been nominated by a particular province in Canada.

IRCC is increasingly giving additional preferences to the provinces under the PNP stream. In turn, these provinces also look towards the Express Entry pool and selects certain candidates that would contribute towards the economical development of the province through their in-demand skill-sets and work experience.

Over the past few months, Canadian provinces are using Express Entry-aligned PNP streams in dynamic ways. For instance, Ontario has targeted specific professionals, particularly in the Information Technology (IT) sector; Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia have also opened PNP streams for individuals across a wide range of occupations, which does not require a prior job offer; British Columbia has continued to welcome candidates through its unique immigration system; Manitoba and Alberta also have their own immigration programs that are associated with the Express Entry System; and similarly other provinces are also issuing nominations certificates to eligible and skilled candidates from the Express Entry pool.

Six hundred points are a lot! The points are available to candidates who either apply for a Provincial Nominee Program individually or along with their Express Entry Profile. Check out the eligibility requirements for every province, under the each of their individual PNP streams and fetch the required points.

Complete one more educational program

This indeed is a long-term strategy that can help you increase your CRS score. However, gaining more education can definitely help you increase the required score under the Express Entry System. This is because you receive CRS points not only for your academic degrees and diploma but also gain appoints across the skill transferability factor of the CRS.

You can fetch a maximum of 100 points under the skill transferability factor. Therefore, to maximize your CRS score under this section, on the basis of your education, you would be recommended to complete at least the following level of education:

Two or more post-secondary educational credentials, and at least one should be for a program pursued for a period of three-years or longer.

In case you have already completed your bachelor’s degree, you can enroll yourself in another one-year study program as this will help you gain extra points under the skill transferability factor section. Although taking up an additional one or two-year educational program would take long but it will be a worthwhile investment if you have the intention to immigrate to Canada.

Move through a Canadian job offer

In order to claim certain points under the job offer received from Canada in the Express Entry System, the job offer should meet strict set of requirements. Although the advantage of obtaining a job offer, that will contribute towards your CRS score is not as significant as it was once when a candidate used to get 600 points but now gets only 50 CRS points, still getting a qualifying job offer is an important factor.

Take help from your spouse or partner to improve your CRS score

Spouse/Partner Factors

If you are planning to immigrate to Canada along with your spouse or common-law partner, then you should be aware that you can claim a maximum of 20 points based on your spouse/partner’s language ability. Additionally, their education level and work experience gained in Canada is worth 10 points for each of the partner. This makes a total of 40 points that can be claimed under your spouse or partner’s factors.

However, even if you apply as a single applicant, then these 40 points can still be distributed across various other factors in our own profile. Single applicants have to simply claim these points under their own abilities.