How to improve CRS in 2021?

There is no doubt that the Express Entry system is the most popular and the quickest way to get a Canada PR. However, to qualify for an Express Entry draw and to get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) from the Canadian government comes with pre-conditions, the most important among them is to have the required Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score to qualify for the draw.

Immigration candidates who submit their profiles to the Express Entry pool are assigned a CRS score out of 1200 points. The Express Entry draw is conducted at regular intervals and those who meet the required CRS score for that particular draw are invited to apply for the PR visa. The CRS score usually varies with every Express Entry draw. Your chances of being eligible for the draw improves if you have a high CRS score.

What is the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)?

The CRS is a points-based system that is used to score and assess immigrants. It is used to give a score to the profile of immigrants and provide a ranking in the Express Entry pool. The assessment fields for the score include:

• Skills
• Education
• Language ability
• Work experience
• Other factors

If you do not meet the required CRS score you will have to find ways to improve your points so that you get the points for an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for the PR visa.

Factors that determine the CRS core

When you apply under the Express Entry system, you would like to know about the factors that will determine your CRS score.

The CRS score has four important factors. Your profile will be given a score based on these factors.

The CRS score factors include:

• Human capital factors
• Spouse or common-law partner factors
• Skill transferability
• Additional points

Before we look at how each of these factors can contribute to your CRS score, we will look at the various criteria under which you can gain points:

• Age: You can score the maximum points if you are between 18-35 years. Those above this age will gain lesser points.
• Education: Your minimum educational qualification must be equal to the higher secondary education level in Canada. Higher level of educational qualification means more points.
• Work experience: To score the minimum points you should have at least one year of work experience. If you have more years of work experience you will gain more points. Canadian work experience also gives you more points
• Language ability: You must have at least 6 bands in your IELTS equivalent to CLB 7 to be eligible to apply and score the minimum points. Higher scores mean more points.
• Adaptability: You can score ten points on the adaptability factor if your family members or close relatives are living in Canada and will be able to support you when you move in there. You can also gain points if your spouse or legal partner is ready to migrate with you to Canada.

Human capital and spouse common law partner factors: You can score a maximum of 500 points under both these factors. Your human capital score will be calculated based on the criteria mentioned above.

Regarding the points you can score under the spouse/common law partner factor, you can score a maximum of 500 points if your spouse/common-law partner is not coming with you to Canada.  You can score a maximum of 460 points if your spouse is coming with you to Canada.

Human capital factor	Accompanied by spouse/common law partner	Not accompanied by spouse/common law partner
Age	100	110
Educational Qualification	140	150
Language proficiency	150	160
Canadian work experience	70	80

Skill Transferability: You can gain a maximum of 100 points under this category. The three important factors considered under Skill Transferability include:

Education: A high level of language proficiency and a post-secondary degree or Canadian work experience combined with a post-secondary degree can give you 50 points.

Work Experience: Foreign work experience combined with high-level language proficiency or Canadian work experience with foreign work experience will give you 50 points.

Canadian qualification: A certificate of qualification with a high level of language proficiency will give you 50 points.

Education	Maximum Points
Language Skills (English/French) + Education	50
Canadian Work Experience + Education	50
Foreign Work Experience	Maximum Points
Language Skills (English/French) + Foreign Work Experience	50
Foreign Work Experience + Canadian Work Experience	50
Certificate of Qualification (Trades)	Maximum Points
Language Skills (English/French) + Education Certificate	50

Additional points: It is possible to gain a maximum of 600 points based on various factors. Here is a breakdown of the points for the various factors.

Factor	Maximum points
Sibling in Canada who is a citizen or PR visa holder	15
French language proficiency	30
Post-secondary education in Canada	30
Arranged employment	200
PNP nomination	600

These are the various criteria under which your CRS score will be calculated for you to qualify for an ITA under the Express Entry category for a Canada PR visa.

Do you have the required CRS score?

There are many PR visa applicants who choose the Express Entry system for making their application, so there is always competition to make it to the list of applicants who are issued ITAs.

When calculating your CRS points, if you find that your CRS score is much lesser than the average score, then it is time you worked on improving your CRS score. Here are some ways to do it.

Improve your language score: If you score well in language tests such as the IELTS, you will have significant addition to your CRS score. For instance, if you score a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 9 in the language test, you will get up to 136 direct points added to your CRS score. You can also add up to 24 points by appearing for a language test in French.

The best ways to do this is to retake the IELTS test or learn the French language and give a test in that language.

Apply under the Provincial Nominee Program: Applying for a PR visa under the PNP will get you 600 additional points for your Express Entry profile if you get an invitation.

Get a job offer: A job offer from a Canadian employer will give you 200 additional points. But the condition is the job offer must have a duration of at least one year.

Get education in Canada: If you complete a recognized degree or diploma in Canada, you can get up to 30 extra points.

Apply for PR with your spouse:  Applying for the visa with your spouse can give you both additional points. Your spouse’s language proficiency will be worth 20 points, while the level of education and Canadian work experience can amount to 10 points under each category. So, you can get up to 40 points to add to your CRS score.

Get an LMIA approved job offer:  You can add up to 600 points to your CRS score if you secure a job offer that is recognized by the Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), from an employer in Canada.

Continue working: If you have less than three years of full-time work experience, you have the chance to add points to your CRS score if you continue working.

Will CRS scores drop in 2021?

These are some ways to improve your CRS score in 2021 but the question on the top of your mid is whether the CRS scores will drop in 2021? This is difficult to predict because the CRS score varies with each draw. But if the restrictions that have been imposed due to the pandemic is lifted and the economy is back on track, then the CRS scores are likely to drop.

The Express Entry draws conducted during the pandemic were a record number. The CRS score for the Express Entry draws held between July and September this year had an average CRS score requirement of 470. This may be due to the fact that there were lesser number of applicants in the Express Entry pool than normal.

Express Entry draws in 2021

The government of Canada announced its immigration targets for the coming three years:

• 2021: 401,000 immigrants
• 2022: 411,000 immigrants
• 2023: 421,000 immigrants

The government also announced that 60% of this target will be met through economic class programs like Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Program. This means the high number of Express Entry draws are likely to continue.

If you make efforts to improve your CRS score and ensure that it is above average then you have better chances of receiving an ITA and migrating to Canada in 2021.