For candidates in the Express Entry (EE) pool seeking Canadian Permanent Residency, their CRS score will make or break their chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
Applicants who qualify for the CEC program are eligible to enter the Express Entry (EE) pool, where they are given a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score and ranked against other candidates. Every now and then, the Canadian government selects the highest scoring candidates that qualify for the draw, issuing them an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence.
Most recently, IRCC selected 3,300 CEC-eligible candidates from the EE pool. These candidates had a CRS score of 507 or higher, the lowest cut-off score in this draw category since the start of the year.
We have created a few fictional profiles of candidates who would have been selected in the previous CEC draw.
EXAMPLE 1:
Bio: Sehan is a 26-year-old chemical engineer from Sri Lanka. He moved to Canada to do a three-year bachelor’s degree in engineering after which he did a diploma course. After graduating, he got a job at a Canadian company as a process engineer and has worked there for a little over two years. He has advanced English language skills (CLB10+ in all categories), which have earned him the maximum number of points in that category but does not speak French.
Here’s a breakdown of his skills and qualifications – and the points allotted to them.
| Age | 26 | 110 |
| Education | Two or more post-secondary credentials with at least one being three years | 128 |
| English language proficiency | Advanced | 136 |
| Work Experience in Canada | 2.5 years | 53 |
| Education (Language + Canadian Work Experience) | 50 | |
| Canadian education | 30 |
Core Human Capital for a Primary Applicant with no Spouse: (427 / 460)
Skill Transferability Combinations: (50/100)
Additional Factors: (30/600)
Based on this profile, Sehan has 507 points, which is exactly equal to the last CEC cutoff score. That means that there are high chances he would have received an ITA following the latest draw.
EXAMPLE 2:
Bio: Helena is a 29-year-old marketing professional from England who already has two years of work experience there. She moved to Canada to pursue a master’s degree in marketing and then joined a firm in Canada where she worked for a year. Helena has excellent English skills (CLB10+ in all categories) but does not speak French.
Here’s a breakdown of her skills and qualifications, and the points allotted to them.
| Age | 29 | 110 |
| Education | Master’s degree | 135 |
| English language proficiency | Advanced | 136 |
| Work experience in Canada | 1 year | 40 |
| Education (language + work experience) | 50 | |
| Foreign work (language + Canadian work experience) | 38 | |
| Canadian education | 30 |
Core Human Capital for a Primary Applicant with no Spouse: (421/ 460)
Skill Transferability Combinations: (88/100)
Additional Factors: (30/600)
Results: Based on this profile, Helena has 539 points, which is higher than the last CEC cutoff score. That means that she would have received an ITA following the latest draw.
EXAMPLE 3:
Bio: Samia is a 31-year-old architect with a year of experience in an Egyptian company with a global presence. After receiving a valid job offer from Canada, she arrived on a work permit and has worked in the country for a year. She has arranged employment with an LMIA. Samia has good English skills (CLB9 in all categories) but doesn’t speak French. Although she has two degrees, she has never studied in Canada.
| Age | 31 | 99 |
| Education | Two or more post secondary credentials with at least one being 3 years | 128 |
| English language proficiency | Initial advanced | 124 |
| Work experience in Canada | 1 year | 40 |
| Education (language + Canadian work experience) | 50 | |
| Foreign work (language + Canadian work experience | 38 | |
| Qualifying Canadian job offer | 50 |
Core Human Capital for a Primary Applicant with no Spouse: (391/ 460)
Skill Transferability Combinations: (88/100)
Additional Factors: (50/600)
Results: Based on this profile, Samia has 529 points which is higher than the last CEC cutoff score. That means that she would have received an ITA following the latest draw.
EXAMPLE 4:
Bio: Sami is a 33-year-old from Algeria who moved to Canada to become an electrician. He enrolled in a trade school and completed an apprenticeship program. After finishing this, he worked for a year as an electrician. He speaks good English (CLB9 in all categories) skills and is also fluent in French (CLB8 in all categories).
| Age | 33 | 88 |
| Education | Three-year post-secondary credential | 128 |
| English language proficiency | Initial advanced | 124 |
| French language proficiency | High intermediate | 12 |
| Work experience in Canada | 1 year | 40 |
| Education (language + Canadian work experience) | 50 | |
| Trade certification | 50 | |
| Canadian education | 30 | |
| Proficient in French | 50 |
Core Human Capital for a Primary Applicant with no Spouse: (392 / 460)
Skill Transferability Combinations: (100/100)
Additional Factors: (80/100)
Results: Sami received 572 points, which is well-above the current cut-offs in the CEC category.
Where do I rank in the Express Entry pool?
IRCC has a comprehensive and up-to-date record of all the profiles in the Express Entry pool which can give candidates an idea of the overall state of the EE pool and how they rank within it. This list is constantly changing as new profiles are submitted and older ones expire.
As of August 27, there are 205,137 candidates in the pool. According to this draw, most candidates seem to be in the 450-500 points range, with that bracket having 61,133 candidates.
With current cut-offs in the CEC draws being higher than 500, boosting points by improving language abilities, getting an eligible job offer or exploring PNP options can help a candidate get an ITA.
