How can you enhance your CRS Points to obtain an ITA?

Alisha Khan
[Published 22 Jun, 2022 | 03:04 PM]
About Author - 5 min read

The Express Entry immigration system in Canada is highly competitive. Only the top-scoring individuals in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) are invited to apply for permanent residency. You have choices for raising your CRS score if you've submitted your Express Entry profile and your CRS score is lower than you'd like. In this blog, we'll discuss the best ways to raise your CRS score.

There are two primary components to raise your CRS score and increase your chances of getting into Canada. The first thing you should look for ways to increase points in your Express Entry profile. The second way is to prepare for an Invitation to Apply (ITA) or a Provincial Nomination in advance.

Let’s evaluate the core human capital factors and how each can be improved for an overall improved score:

1. Work on the language skills

Language is a category in which you can frequently increase your score. This is because having language skills beyond the bare minimum might get you points. For example, the Federal Skilled Worker program only requires CLB 7 (all skills), but boosting the score for each ability up to CLB 10 can result in additional points.

Language is especially important because it is worth points in numerous CRS sections:

• Within the scope of human capital factors;
• Can be counted under spousal factors (if one is married or in a common-law partnership)
• For skill transferability
• Or within other additional factors

2. Points for Education

If you studied completely outside of Canada, you can earn up to 200 CRS points on the CRS points calculator, and if you have a post-secondary certificate from Canada, you can earn up to 250 points. Receiving more qualifications, such as completing another degree or obtaining extra Educational Credential Assessments (ECAs) for current degrees, might help you increase your initial education score.

If you want to get CRS points for schooling you got outside of Canada, you'll need an ECA. Only one ECA is required of the lead applicant in order to enter the Federal Skilled Worker Class pool for candidates educated outside of Canada.

Another way to increase your CRS score under the Education category is by making your spouse a primary applicant if he or she has more educational degrees.

3. Increase your working experience

Increasing a candidate's CRS score may need additional work experience or improved documentation of present job experience. Some individuals with seemingly unskilled job titles may have really completed responsibilities that are classified as skilled under Canada's National Occupation Classification, or NOC.

Beyond your job title, comparing the tasks you performed to the tasks mentioned in the NOC's various occupations will help you evaluate whether your labor is skilled or unskilled. As a result, you may be able to claim points that you otherwise would not have been able to claim.

The next step is to figure out how much time you spend at each job after you've chosen the correct NOC for your work experience. Full-time or equivalent part-time work experience earns you points. To be considered for the Federal Skilled Worker Class, candidates must have at least one year of continuous, skilled job experience. Even non-continuous work experience, however, can be used to earn CRS points.

4. Arranged Employment

Depending on the post, candidates with a legitimate job offer may receive an additional 50 or 200 points toward their CRS score.

Candidates having a legitimate employment offer in a NOC 0, A, or B occupation can receive an extra 50 points toward their CRS score. Candidates who have a valid job offer in a Major Group 00 Senior Management Occupations occupation may be eligible for an additional 200 points under the CRS. According to the IRCC, a job offer must be in writing and specify the work criteria, including pay/deductions, job duties, and employment circumstances.

5. Apply for a provincial nomination

It is suggested that everyone in the Express Entry pool, regardless of CRS score, should be proactively planning for an ITA or provincial nomination to ultimately apply for Canada PR.

Even if you only have a CRS score of 299, a provincial nomination might boost your score by 600 points, guaranteeing you an ITA in the next Express Entry invitation round. After getting an ITA, candidates have only 60 days to complete their application, with some PNPs allowing even less time. If you prepare your documents ahead of time, you'll be ready to go as soon as you're invited.

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