Applications for permanent residence are handled through a system called Express Entry by the Canadian government. The CRS, a point-based system, is used by Express Entry to rank candidate profiles. The Express Entry system takes into account your age when ranking profiles, since after age 30, you start losing points for age.
However, you may be able to gain points in other areas to increase your overall CRS score. Over the age of 30 is not a barrier either, it actually allows you to highlight your unique experiences and identify your talents to maximize your points. This article explains how you can increase your CRS points if you lose them due to age.
Express Entry System: The Basics
Express Entry has two steps for applying to immigration streams. You must first create an Express Entry profile, which includes information about your education, employment experience, and language capabilities.
In the next step, your profile will be evaluated using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Every two weeks, the Canadian government draws the top profiles in the pool for the purpose of issuing an Invitation to Apply (ITA) to the federal government for permanent residence. An applicants position in a pool is determined by his or her CRS score.
CRS Age-Based Points: An Overview
If you apply under Express Entry without a spouse or common-law partner, you can get a maximum of 110 points. The limit is changed to 100 points for joint applications. As a result of Canadas preference for young immigrants, the 20s get the highest age factor points.
If a candidate is over 45, they do not get any points for their age. However, you can still compete even if you are older than the target age group. A breakdown of
the age point distribution with and without a spouse or common-law partner is shown below.
Listed below are six ways to improve your CRS score if you are losing points due to old age:
Having a job offer does not need to be part of Express Entry immigration, but it can increase your scores. A job offer may increase a candidates CRS score by 50–200 points.
- Increase your Language Proficiency
In this category, applicants can receive 128 to 136 points, so proficiency in one of the two official languages is crucial. Language-related CRS points are divided into four categories: speaking, writing, reading, and listening.
The final CRS score depends on how well an applicant understands each category. Thus, improving your language test score in all possible sections can help you increase your overall CRS score.
If you can, learn French while you wait in the Express Entry pool. This will earn you 50 more points.
- PNPs (Provincial Nomination Programs): Explore them
To address the needs of regionally specific labor markets in several Canadian provinces and territories, the Provincial Nomination Program (PNP) was developed.
Nominees who accept invitations receive an additional 600 CRS points, the most points a candidate can receive in a single distribution from any category. Express Entry applicants have access to over 80 streams, so being nominated virtually guarantees a permanent residence invitation.
- Evaluate the Potential Principal Applicant
Changing the primary applicant can sometimes help you score higher. If you are applying with your partner, the principal applicant should be selected based on who has the highest CRS score.
Furthermore, effectively articulating gained work experience can also contribute significantly to your score. Lastly, points will vary depending on your occupation and job type.
- Make your education background better
The CRS point allocation may vary from 200 to 250 points, depending on whether an applicant earned his or her education abroad or in Canada. Getting a second degree or improving on the one you already have can be quite valuable.
Increasing your CRS score may be challenging, but it is not impossible. Moreover, new changes in the Express Entry system may open further options to increase your points.
