With Canada Express Entry draws triumphantly returning on July 6, your chance to get your permanent residence in Canada is now better than ever! The Express Entry system is Canada's fastest and most popular route to permanent residency. The Canadian government started it in 2015 to fast-track skilled foreign workers into Canada, allowing them to begin working permanently in Canada as quickly as possible.
How Does Canada Express Entry Work?
Applicants create an Express Entry profile on the government of Canada website. In this profile, they enter their details like their age, work experience, educational qualifications, marital status and relationship with Canada. These factors are calculated through Canada's Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to create a CRS score. This score is out of 1200.
These scores are then entered into the Express Entry pool, and, every two weeks, there is an Express Entry draw. In this draw, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) chooses applicants with scores higher than a predetermined number and present them with an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence.
Once they receive their ITA, applicants have 60 days to apply for permanent residence and submit all supporting documentation to the Canadian government website. Then, once their application is processed, they will receive their permanent home.
The entire process hinges upon the strength of your CRS score. The lower your score, the less chance you have of becoming a permanent resident. As a result, you must get the highest CRS score possible. So the question is: how do you do it? Well, we've compiled a list of 9 ways you can improve your CRS score and give you the best chance possible to become a permanent resident of Canada.
Number 1: Get a Nomination from Your Province or Territory
A factor that will massively improve your CRS score is getting a provincial nomination. Canada's Provincial Nomination Program (PNP) is a program where an immigration applicant is nominated to live and work in a particular province or territory by the governing body. If you are nominated, your score gains an extra 600 points, essentially guaranteeing you an ITA. Currently, 11 of Canada's 13 provinces are part of PNP Canada.
You can apply for PNP Canada when you set up your Express Entry profile, provided you know which Canadian province or territory you want to move to.
Top Tip: Know Where You're Needed
Provincial nominations are often granted based on the needs of that specific province's job market, so it's best to ensure your occupation is in demand in the province or territory you want to move to. This article can provide a good breakdown of the requirements and process for applying for a Canada PNP.
Number 2: Get a Job in Canada
While you don't necessarily need a Canadian job to apply for the Express Entry system, having one makes a massive difference.
There are specific criteria your job has to fulfill to be considered eligible, but if it is accepted, a Canadian job offer can give you up to 200 extra CRS points.
For a Canadian job offer to be considered valid, it has to fulfill these criteria. The job offer must be:
- In the same occupation with the same National Occupational Classification as what you stated on your Express Entry application
- Full-time
- Continuously paid
- This means there has to be a set and continuing salary, not a lump sum for the complete job.
- For at least one year or 1560 hours (30 hours per week, 4 weeks per month, 12 months a year)
Top Tip: Use a Recruiter
With over 1 million job vacancies nationwide, finding the right job in Canada for you can be complicated. Hiring a Canadian recruiter or recruitment agency to help find you a job can make the process far quicker and easier than searching by yourself. A recruiter may also see a position that could get you even more CRS points.
Number 3: Get Another Qualification
The Express Entry System places a significant emphasis on educational credentials. This program is specifically designed for skilled workers. It's tough to get an ITA if you don't have a degree, diploma or skilled trades qualification.
However, the more qualified you are, the higher your CRS score. The government of Canada breaks down how qualifications affect your CRS score as follows:
| Level of Education | With a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 140 points) |
Without a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 150 points) |
|---|---|---|
| Less than high school | 0 | 0 |
| Secondary diploma (high school graduation) | 28 | 30 |
| One-year degree, diploma or certificate recognised institute | 84 | 90 |
| Two-year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute | 91 | 98 |
| Bachelor's degree OR a three or more year program at a recognised institute | 112 | 120 |
| Two or more certificates, diplomas, or degrees (One from a program of three or more years). | 119 | 128 |
| Master's or professional degree | 00126 | 135 |
| Doctoral level university degree (Ph.D.) | 140 | 150 |
Top Tip: Study in Canada
One of the best ways to ensure your qualification will be accepted by the Canadian government is to get your stuff from a Canadian educational institution. A Canadian degree, diploma or certification will show your genuine interest in the country and your ability to function in the Canadian educational system.
Number 4: Apply with Your Spouse
One of the major things the Canadian government values is family. To the Canadian government, a foreign married couple or family is worth more than a single individual. There is a separate category for married applicants' language skills, work experience and educational credentials. You can find a perfect example of this in effect in the age scoring criteria:
| Age | With a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 100 points) |
Without a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 110 points) |
|---|---|---|
| 17 years or less | 0 | 0 |
| 18 years | 90 | 99 |
| 19 years | 95 | 105 |
| 20 to 29 years | 100 | 110 |
| 30 years | 95 | 105 |
| 31 years | 90 | 99 |
| 32 years | 85 | 94 |
| 33 years | 80 | 88 |
| 34 years | 75 | 83 |
| 35 years | 70 | 77 |
| 36 years | 65 | 72 |
| 37 years | 60 | 66 |
| 38 years | 55 | 61 |
| 39 years | 50 | 55 |
| 40 years | 45 | 50 |
| 41 years | 35 | 39 |
| 42 years | 25 | 28 |
| 43 years | 15 | 17 |
| 44 years | 5 | 6 |
| 45 years or more | 0 | 0 |
Also, applying with your spouse lowers the financial requirement as you will share many expenses. However, one of you must be the principal applicant, and if you receive an ITA, you will have to submit your permanent residence application together.
Top Tip: Choose Your Principal Applicant Wisely
If you are applying as a couple, you should use the person with the highest CRS score as your principal applicant. This often gives you a higher score and a far better chance of receiving your ITA.
Number 5: Get the Most Out of the Canadian Language Benchmark
A surefire way to increase your score is to get a high score in the Canadian Language Benchmark. The Canadian Language Benchmark or CLB is a benchmarking system designed to calculate an immigrant's language ability in one of Canada's two official languages - English and French. Each applicant has a CLB level based on their performance in a Canadian official language test. Canada has four accepted language tests.
In English:
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
- Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP)
In French:
- Test d'Evaluation de Français (TEF)
- Test de connaissance du français (TCF)
How your CLB level affects your score is as follows:
| Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability | With a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 128 points) |
Without a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 136 points) |
|---|---|---|
| Less than CLB 4 | 0 | 0 |
| CLB 4 or 5 | 6 | 6 |
| CLB 6 | 8 | 9 |
| CLB 7 | 16 | 17 |
| CLB 8 | 22 | 23 |
| CLB 9 | 29 | 31 |
| CLB 10 or more | 32 | 34 |
Top Tip:
You can submit scores in both languages for your application if you speak both English and French. Then, rather than having to pick the language you scored best in, your points will be added together to your overall CRS score, adding even more points.
If you're unsure which test is the proper one for you, look at this article, where you can understand the difference between CELPIP and IELTS.
Number 6: Get Some More Work Experience
Another massive factor in determining your CRS score is your valid work experience. If you're applying for Express Entry without having at least 2-3 years of skilled trades or work experience, you could add more to maximize your skills transferability points. The more experience you have, the more your points go up.
Top Tip: Work In Canada
Canadian work experience is scored higher in the CRS than experience from outside Canada. Therefore, it's a fantastic idea to gain work experience in Canada via a temporary work permit or the International Experience Canada (IEC) Working Holiday Program.
This program allows internationals from certain countries to come to Canada and work for whomever they want for 1-2 years under a working holiday. If you think this may be the perfect way to build some Canadian work experience, look at this article.
Number 7: Add Your Canadian Siblings To Your Profile
Another major scoring factor under the Comprehensive Ranking System is the applicant's link to Canada. Having Canadian siblings goes far, even if they're siblings-in-law. Provided you can prove your relationship to this person via a birth certificate or another valid form of identification; you can add an extra 15 points to your CRS score.
Top Tip: Get Family Sponsorship
Having Canadian family members can open up many opportunities to move to Canada. For example, if your profile isn't selected from the Express Entry pool, you may still be able to gain permanent residence via one of Canada's family sponsorship programs.
Number 8: Use a Comprehensive Ranking System Calculator
It's always a good idea to have an idea of what your score is before you apply for Canada Express Entry. You can find a great CRS calculator on the government of Canada website.
Knowing your score before you apply can give you an excellent idea of how you sit in the Express Entry pool and what changes you must make to maximize your chances of getting an ITA.
Top Tip: Have Immigration Companies Help You
Many immigration companies have their CRS calculators, which often take factors into account that the government calculator and can often give you a more accurate estimation of your final score.
FAQs
What's a good CRS score?
A good CRS score is a score good enough for you to be selected for an ITA. There is no single answer as the CRS requirement changes per draw based on the size and strength of each Express Entry pool. To know if your score does or doesn't measure up, you must stay updated with each Express Entry draw and the requirements of each.
What is the current CRS score requirement for Canada in 2022?
While there is no single score for the whole year, the last CRS requirement to receive an ITA was 533 points, according to CIC News. However, score requirements in the past have been as low as 413.
Why did Canada close Express Entry?
At the end of 2021, there was a significant backlog of Canadian immigration applications. This was slowing the processing of existing permanent residency applications. As a result, the IRCC paused Express Entry draws until the IRCC had cleared the backlog.
Rise to the Top of Your Express Entry Pool
With these tools, your chances of getting your permanent residence in Canada just got a lot better. Once you do everything to get the best out of Canada's Comprehensive Ranking System, keep up to date with new Express Entry draws. Who knows? The next draw might be the one that changes your life!