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The Canadian government developed a points based system called Express Entry in 2015 that allows the most qualified candidates to apply to immigrate to Canada. If this is your first time of hearing about Express Entry, Express Entry is an electronic process through which the Federal government of Canada manage applications for permanent residence from skilled workers. You can click here to read a previous post I’ve written to find out more about it as this post will focus strictly on how to increase your CRS score if you are already in the process.
Anyone who has been following the CRS scores month on month in recent times would have noticed that the second half of 2018 saw some of the highest scores in recent times. What this has caused is a general stall in the number of people without additional factors to boost their points being sent Invitations to Apply (ITA). Why is this happening? This is happening because there is an increase in the number of qualified people in the Express Entry pool. These people either have a second degree, second language (French) test results, sibling or parent in Canada. Remember that these factors mentioned are additional point if you have them.
How then can you increase your CRS score if these factors are not in your favor and you’ve stretched to the highest points possible your qualifications can give you? This can be frustrating but positive drastic measures are also required.
Re-take the IELTS Test: You have probably already taken the IELTS test and had a supposedly good enough score. The trick with the IELTS test is that even 5 points more depending on which of the modules it is can boost you by 45 points. I know it isn’t easy but with a lot of practice, you can attain the highest band in each of the modules –Listening (8.5 -9), Reading (8 – 9), Speaking (7.5 – 9) and Writing (7.5 – 9). You can click here to see more on useful tips to help you ace your IELTS test in one of my posts.
Contemplate the French Test if you Speak French: If you speak French, you might want to consider writing the TEF Canada or TCF Canada test to help you boost your points. Canada’s two official languages are English and French. A French test would certainly give your CRS Score a boost.
Consider Provincial Nominee Program: The Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) allow Canadian provinces and territories to nominate individuals who wish to immigrate to Canada and who are interested in settling in a particular province. If you get a nomination by a province, you automatically get 600 extra points. That will give your CRS quite a jump. Different provinces like Ontario, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, Alberta, Manitoba and some others have Provincial Nominee Programs. You need to do your research to find out the requirement to apply.
Go Ahead with your Master’s Degree: There have been cases of people who reached out to me to know if to continue with their Master’s degree efforts or focus on Canada Immigration. If you explore all your available options and you find out your points are still shy of several points, you can go on with your studies and try again after you complete your program. This will give you the needed points for a boost in your CRS score. This option is great if you were already in the process of starting a Master’s degree. It will never be a waste. Most people who had a Master’s degree and relocated to Canada through the Express Entry program never knew it would come in handy at the point they were taking the education.
Hire the Services of a Credible Agent: My favourite option is always to engage the services of a certified credible immigration consultant. There might have been a time when you could do this all on your own but with the CRS cutoff score increasing steadily, you might need to work with a professional who can guide you on the best options for you to increase your CRS Score. Don’t forget this does not take away your personal effort from the equation, it just gives you ease and direction. You can shoot me an email to [email protected]. I’m always happy to recommend some credible immigration consultants to you.
Before you decide on which of these steps you will be taking, you can click here to use the CRS tool by the Canadian government to simulate your different CRS points under different scenarios.
