Age is an important factor in immigration through Express Entry and certain applicants are penalized for their age. Here are several strategies one can employ to maximize their Express Entry CRS score as an applicant over 30 years old. When applicants apply to immigrate to this country through Express Entry, eligible Express Entry applicants are scored through a point-allocation grid called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).

1. How to maximize your
Express Entry CRS score if
you’re aged 30 or over
www.esseindia.com

2. Age is an important
factor in immigration
through Express Entry
and certain applicants
are penalized for their
age. Here are several
strategies one can
employ to maximize
their Express Entry CRS
score as an applicant
over 30 years old.

3. Introduction to Express Entry and the
CRS
 The CRS is a points grid that Immigration, Refugees
and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) uses to rank
Canadian immigration hopefuls that apply through
any of the three programs contained within the
Express Entry system application management
system — the Canadian Experience Class (CEC),
the Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP) and
the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).
 The CRS starts by assessing what the Canadian
government refers to as “core human capital factors”,
which include the following characteristics: age,
education.

4.  For these purposes, we will be focusing on the first
item in the above list, age.
 Canada’s CRS system provides the most age points to
Express Entry applicants aged 20-29 (100). If you
are 30 or older, the points you receive in the age
category will progressively decrease every year (95
points for an applicant aged 30, 90 points for a 31-
year-old applicant and so forth). Applicants aged 45
or older receive 0 points in the age category under
the CRS.

5.  Thankfully, simply being 30 or over does not mean
an applicant’s Express Entry hopes are gone with the
wind. There are many ways prospective Express
Entry applicants can maximize their CRS score if
they are applying at or after age 30.

6. Strategy 1: Getting a provincial nomination
through a (PNP)
 One way for applicants to increase their CRS score is by
receiving a nomination through any of Canada’s
enhanced Provincial Nominee Program streams that are
tied to Express Entry. In fact, a provincial nomination
through a PNP is the single best way to maximize a CRS
score and receive an invitation to apply for Canadian
permanent residence because receiving a nomination
before applying through Express Entry can earn an
applicant an extra 600 points.
 PNPs exist in all Canadian provinces and territories
(excluding Quebec and Nunavut) as a tool for each
individual region to nominate permanent residence
candidates who are interested in settling in a particular
area within Canada.

7.  Designed to spread the benefits of immigration across
Canada — especially because Canadian immigration has
historically been disproportionate to Ontario, British
Columbia, and Quebec — there are currently over 80
country-wide PNP streams available for prospective
Canadian immigrants across Canada’s 11 PNPs.
 If an Express Entry hopeful 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
receive the 600 available CRS points. Again, this will
practically guarantee they receive an invitation to apply
for permanent residence in Canada.

8. Strategy 2: Getting a job offer
 Another way that an applicant can maximize their
CRS score is by applying through Express Entry
while holding a valid job offer that is in writing and
details all job requirements, including pay, duties,
and employment conditions. In fact, this strategy is
one of the best ways to boost an applicant’s CRS
score because candidates with a valid offer of
employment can obtain either 50 or 200 additional
CRS points depending on the position.

9. Strategy 3: Evaluating work experience
 Work experience can help improve an applicant’s
CRS score in several different ways. Firstly, simply
obtaining additional work experience can aid an
applicant in improving their score. Moreover, doing
a better job of articulating current work experience
can do much of the same to help applicants.

10. Strategy 4: Improving language ability
 Language ability is another crucial element of CRS scores
that falls under the category of “core human capital
factors”. As mentioned above, language as a larger
category is split into first language ability and second
language ability to test an applicant’s proficiency in
English and French. 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 proficiency with writing,
reading, speaking, and listening — can earn a single
applicant between 128 and 136 points (depending on
spousal/partner status, but more on that later).

11.  Additionally, the language category is valuable for
maximizing CRS scores because of its ability to count
for points across multiple sections. More specifically,
language as an individual element of the CRS can
count for points within the following four larger
categories: human capital factors; spousal factors (if
applicable); skills transferability and “additional
factors”.
 Furthermore, language can also be combined with
other factors such as education to further improve an
applicant’s CRS score.

12. Strategy 5: Strengthening educational
credentials
 Education, another element of “core human capital
factors”, can count for between 200 and 250 CRS
score points depending on where the applicant
received their credential (inside Canada or outside of
Canada). Therefore, earning additional credentials
such as another degree or obtaining an Educational
Credential Assessment (ECA) for an existing degree
can help applicants maximize their Express Entry
CRS score.

13. Strategy 6: Considering using spouse/partner as the
principal applicant (if applicable)
 In certain cases, Express Entry applicants may find
that their spouse or common-law partner has a
better CRS score. In situations such as this, it may be
advisable to consider swapping the principal
applicant and the dependent spouse or common-law
partner.

14. Thank you