If you’ve been following Express Entry draws, you know that the minimum required score has been on the rise and many people struggle to get a high enough score to get an invitation to apply. If your score isn’t high enough and you’re looking to give yourself a better chance at Express Entry, here are 4 ways to increase your CRS score:
Improve IELTS Score
One of the quickest ways to increase your CRS score is to get a better IELTS score. This mainly applies to people who have taken the exam but were not able to get a CLB 9 (7 or higher in speaking, writing and reading, and 8 or higher in listening). Getting to a CLB 9 gives a big boost in CRS points, so if you haven’t reached it, we highly recommend re-writing the IELTS exam.
We’ve written a blog on how to get a good score on the IELTS exam which you can check out here.
Get A Graduate Degree
If you have a low score but already reached a CLB 9 for your language test, you can consider getting a graduate degree. The reason for this is maximum points are awarded to those with a PhD, Master’s or other professional degree. If you don’t have either of those, they will give your score a boost.
Additionally, getting a graduate degree in Canada will give you even more points since a Canadian degree is worth more points. Canada has many amazing universities and colleges, and since all you need is a graduate degree, you can apply for a program of just 1 or 2 years to get these bonus points.
Note: you can also work part-time in most cases while studying, and can bring your spouse who can work full-time while you study.
Find a Job in Canada
If you’re able to find a job with a Canadian employer who is willing to sponsor you, you can come to Canada on a work permit first. Having a valid job offer from a Canadian company (usually supported by what’s called an LMIA) will give you bonus points, and gaining 1 year of Canadian work experience will give you even more points.
Finding an employer while living abroad isn’t easy, which is why we don’t recommend it as a first step. But there are employers willing to sponsor foreign workers and if your occupation is in high demand, there is a chance you can get sponsored on a work permit.
Look for PNPs
Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) give provinces within Canada the opportunity to nominate candidates who may not have a high enough score to Express Entry otherwise. To learn more about PNPs, check out our blog explaining what they are and how they work.
We also have blogs on province specific programs such as the Ontario Tech PNP Draw and Alberta’s Immigrant Nominee Program.
If you want to start the Express Entry process or get more help with raising your score, we highly recommend joining our community. Not only do we help you through the entire process, we also host live video classes about specific PNPs and much more! Get started by signing up here.
