How to maximize your Express Entry CRS score if you’re aged 30 or over

October 19, 2022 Abraham Smith

Posted October 19, 2022 at 8:00 am EDT

Canadian Immigration Application Form in pencil on the left and maple leaf on the right

Express Entry is Canada’s largest source of immigration.

When applicants apply to immigrate to that country through Express Entry, eligible Express Entry applicants are evaluated through a point allocation grid called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).

Introduction to Express Entry and CRS

The CRS is a grid of points that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) uses to grade Canadian immigrant candidates who apply through one of the three programs included in the Express Entry system’s application management system – the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) , the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSTP).

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The CRS begins by assessing what the Canadian government calls “core human capital factors,” which include the following characteristics: age, education, first language ability (English or French), second language ability (English or French), and Canadian work experience.

For these purposes, we’ll focus on the first item in the list above, age.

Canada’s CRS system offers the most age points for Express Entry applicants aged 20-29 (100). If you are 30 years of age or older, the points you receive in the age group will be incrementally reduced each year (95 points for a 30-year-old applicant, 90 points for a 31-year-old applicant, and so on). Applicants aged 45 and over receive 0 points in the age group according to the CRS.

Luckily, it doesn’t mean that an applicant’s express entry hopes are simply 30 years or older. There are many ways that prospective Express Entry applicants can maximize their CRS score when applying at or after age 30.

Strategy 1: Obtaining a provincial nomination through a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)

One way for applicants to increase their CRS score is to receive a nomination through one of the expanded Canadian Provincial Nominee Program streams tied to Express Entry. In fact, a provincial nomination through a PNP is the best way to maximize a CRS score and earn an invitation to apply for permanent residency in Canada, as receiving a nomination prior to applying through Express Entry can earn an applicant an additional 600 points .

PNPs exist in all Canadian provinces and territories (with the exception of Quebec and Nunavut) as a vehicle for each individual region to nominate permanent residents interested in settling in a specific area within Canada.

Designed to spread the benefits of immigration across Canada—particularly because Canadian immigration has historically been disproportionate to Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec—over 80 nationwide PNP streams are currently available for prospective Canadian immigrants in Canada’s 11 PNPs.

If an Express Entry candidate applies to a PNP and receives an invitation to apply, then applies and receives a Provincial Nominee Certificate, they can proceed to upload their certificate to their Express Entry profile and apply the 600 available CRS credits receive. Again, this will practically guarantee that they will receive an invitation to apply for permanent residency in Canada.

Strategy 2: Get a job offer

Another way an applicant can maximize their CRS score is to apply through Express Entry while having a valid job offer that is in writing and includes all job requirements, including pay, duties, and terms of employment. In fact, this strategy is one of the best ways to improve a candidate’s CRS score, as candidates with a valid job offer can earn either 50 or 200 additional CRS points, depending on the position.

Strategy 3: Evaluation of work experience

Work experience can help improve an applicant’s CRS score in a number of ways. First, simply gaining additional work experience can help an applicant improve their score. In addition, better articulation of current work experience can help applicants.

Strategy 4: Improve language skills

Language skills are another crucial element of the CRS results, which falls under the category of ‘core human capital factors’. As mentioned above, language as a larger category is divided into first language skills and second language skills to test an applicant’s English and French skills. This component of an applicant’s CRS score can add up to a significant number of points, making it an essential part of any Express Entry application.

Language – broken down into writing, reading, speaking and listening – can score between 128 and 136 for an individual applicant (depending on marital/partner status, but more on that later).

Additionally, the language category is valuable for maximizing CRS scores because it can count for points across multiple sections. More specifically, language as a single element of the CRS can count for points within the following four broader categories: human capital factors; marital factors (if applicable); Transferability of skills and “additional factors”.

Additionally, language can also be combined with other factors such as education to further improve an applicant’s CRS score.

Example 1: An applicant with a post-secondary program record of one or more years + a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in one or more skills (and a skill with CLB 9) in the first language may earn 13 CRS credits

Example 2: An applicant with two or more post-secondary program credentials (one for at least 3 years) + CLB 9 or more in all first language skills can earn 50 CRS credits

Strategy 5: Strengthen educational credentials

Education, another element of “Core Human Capital Factors,” can count from 200 to 250 CRS points depending on where the applicant obtained their qualification (inside Canada or outside Canada). Therefore, earning additional qualifications such as an additional degree or obtaining an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for an existing degree can help applicants maximize their Express Entry CRS score.

Strategy 6: Consider using spouse/partner as lead applicant (if applicable)

In certain cases, Express Entry applicants may find that their spouse or domestic partner has a better CRS score. In such situations, it may be advisable to swap the principal applicant and dependent spouse or domestic partner.