Analysis and Tips for Improving Your Express Entry Score
If you’re considering immigration to Canada and aiming at improving your Express Entry score, it’s crucial to familiarize yourself with the Express Entry (EE) system. The EE system is an online platform utilized by the Canadian government to streamline economic immigration applications. This system comprises three main categories:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
- Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
At the heart of EE is the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) that assigns scores to applicants based on factors like age, education, work experience, language proficiency, and adaptability. The maximum score is 1,200 points. This score determines an applicant’s ranking within the EE system and their eligibility to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) and submit an official immigration application.
The CRS comprises four main components:
1. Core/Human Capital Factors
These include your age, education, language skills, and work experience. You can get up to 500 points for these factors if you are without a spouse or common-law partner, or up to 460 points if you are with a spouse or common-law partner.
2. Spousal or Partner Factors
These include your spouse or common-law partner’s education, language skills, and work experience. You can get up to 40 points for these factors if you are with a spouse or common-law partner.
3. Skill Transferability
These include the combination of your education, language skills, and work experience that can enhance your ability to adapt and perform in the Canadian labour market. You can get up to 100 points for these factors.
4. Additional Points
These include having a valid job offer, a provincial nomination, a Canadian degree, diploma or certificate, a sibling in Canada, or French language skills. You can get up to 600 points for these factors.
The EE system conducts draws at irregular intervals to issue ITAs. The timing and frequency of these draws depend on Canada’s immigration policies and needs. Each draw has a minimum score threshold, and only applicants with scores at or above this threshold receive an ITA. Hence, improving one’s CRS score is crucial for enhancing immigration success chances.
Here are tips to boost your CRS score:
1. Improve Language Skills (Up to 136 points)
Language skills are a significant component of the CRS score. Improving your English or French proficiency can significantly enhance your CRS score. Consider training, practicing with mock tests, reading more, and doing listening exercises. For instance, by achieving a CLB level 9 or higher in English or French, a single applicant can score up to 34 points in each language proficiency area, totaling 136 points.
2. Obtain Canadian Education or Education Assessment (Up to 150 points)
If you’ve completed at least one year of education in Canada or if you have foreign credentials recognized by an ECA assessment, you can secure more points. For instance, a master’s degree from Canada or abroad can get you 135 points, while a Ph.D. can fetch 150 points.
3. Gain More Work Experience (Up to 200 points)
Work experience is another vital aspect of the CRS score. Foreign work experience can fetch you 25 points for 1 year, 50 points for 2-3 years, 75 points for 4-5 years, and 100 points for 6 or more years. Acquiring a job offer in Canada with at least one year of work experience can get you an additional 50 or 200 points, depending on the job type.
4. Secure a Provincial Nomination (600 points)
Each province has its nomination program, and some are linked with the EE system. If you successfully receive a provincial nomination, you’ll gain an extra 600 points.
5. Enhance Adaptability
Points for adaptability are up to 100 for singles and 90 for those married or with partners. Points can be gained if:
- Your partner has Canadian education, work experience, or language skills.
- You or your partner have relatives in Canada.
- You or your partner studied or worked in Canada.
- You have achieved a B2 level in French.
We hope this breakdown of the EE scoring system helps. For more details on the EE system, you can visit:
