The Express Entry system manages applications for three immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSWC), Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC), and Canadian Experience Class(CEC).

Express Entry allows the government to select candidates according to a ranking score, using a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Candidates are awarded CRS points differently depending on the immigration program. 

Increasing your points also increases the chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence. The system invites the highest-ranking candidates to apply for permanent residence.

The system awards points for a candidate’s age, level of education, language ability in English and/or French, work experience in Canada, and abroad if the candidate has a job offer in Canada and if a Canadian province has issued him or her a provincial nomination. A candidate could also be awarded points if she or he has a province-recognized certificate of qualification in a trade.

Candidates with an accompanying spouse, common-law or conjugal partner (hereafter ‘spouse’) are awarded points differently. 

Your maximum score in the CRS system is 1200 points.

If you are single, you can get up to 500 points for your human capital factors + 100 points for skills transferability combinations.

If you are married or in a common-law relationship, the main applicant can get up to 460 points, the spouse or common-law up to 40 points + 100 points for skills transferability combinations.

The remaining 600 points are additional points based on a provincial nomination, job offer, education in Canada, siblings living in Canada, and French abilities. 

As nobody is getting younger, how can you increase your CRS scores? We will post a sequence of articles about what you could do to improve your score and increase your chance to receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence.