Getting the highest CRS score possible is critical in determining your success at acquiring Permanent Residency status in Canada.

When you apply to immigrate to Canada through the Express Entry program, you are scored through a point-allocation grid called the “Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)”. IRCC uses this to rank applicants. Applicants with the highest scores are invited to apply through any of the THREE PROGRAMS – Canadian Experience Class (CEC), the Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).

The CRS assesses applicants based on primary characteristics such as age, education, language ability & work experience, with some other minor factors also contributing to an applicant’s CRS score.

Applicants for the Express Entry program can work on maximizing their CRS scores by working on the following components of the CRS point-allocation grid:

1. Provincial Nomination: Getting a Provincial nomination through one of the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) in Canada is perhaps the best way to maximize your CRS score and receive an invitation to apply for Permanent Residency. This is because a provincial nomination can add an additional 600 points to your CRS score, thus almost guaranteeing an invitation. There are currently over 80 PNP streams across the 11 Provincial Nominee Programs. These streams are used by individual provinces to nominate candidates that would benefit their province & help contribute in filling labor shortages.
2. Getting a job offer: Another good way of maximizing your CRS score is by getting a genuine and confirmed job offer from an employer in Canada. This can add up to 50 or 200 additional points to your CRS score depending on the job position.
3. Improving language ability: This component of an applicant’s CRS score can add a significant number of points to your score. Language as a larger category is split into first language ability and second language ability to test an applicant’s proficiency in English and French. More importantly, it has the ability to add to your CRS score in multiple sections such as human capital factors, spousal factors, skills transferability factors, and “additional factors”. Furthermore, language can also be combined with other factors such as education to further improve your CRS score. Broken into proficiency in reading, writing, speaking & listening, an applicant’s language ability can add between 128 – 136 additional points to their CRS score.
4. Strengthening education credentials: Earning an additional education qualification such as another degree or obtaining your ECA for an existing degree is another way of maximizing your CRS score. For example, having an education from a Canadian institution adds more points to your CRS score. You can get an additional 200 – 250 points by strengthening your education credentials.
5. Enhancing work experience: Obtaining additional work experience can also add to your CRS score.
6. Spousal Factors: A spouse can be beneficial to your CRS in the following ways: (a) If your spouse is also a professional, it is possible that they may have a better CRS score than you. In such circumstances, it is advisable to consider making your spouse the principal applicant. (b) Obtaining an ECA for the education of your spouse, and proving his/her language ability can also add points to your CRS score. If your spouse has a good educational background & language ability, it is advisable to use this to increase your CRS score.

Contact us to know how best you can increase your chances of success in obtaining a Permanent Residency in Canada through the Express Entry route.