When you enter the Express Entry pool, you begin your path to Canadian permanent residency. One of the most important parts of this process is your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. A higher CRS score gives you a better chance of receiving an invitation to apply. However, recent changes to the system have impacted how applicants are ranked and what makes a competitive EE profile as a result of the removal of additional points for a job offer.
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Recent Changes to the Express Entry System
On April 14, 2025, the Government of Canada held Express Entry Draw #342. This draw marked the first round of invitations since Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that additional CRS points are no longer awarded for job offers. This update has evidently had an impact on many candidates in the pool who previously relied on a high CRS score due to a job offer. Now that the advantage of having a job offer is no longer permitted, strengthening other factors of the CRS score is highly recommended and very important in the success of your EE application. The good news is, you are no longer competing with applicants in the pool that have secured a fake job offer.
What You Can Do to Raise Your CRS Score
A CRS score is based on several factors such as age, education, language skills, and work experience. Some of these factors, such as your age or past schooling, can’t be changed. But there are still ways to improve your score and make your profile stronger.
Language
One way is to improve your English or French test scores. If you take a English or French language proficiency tests like IELTS or TEF again and do better, you could earn up to 100 more CRS points.
Further Education
Another way to increase your score is through further education. Completing a post-secondary program, master’s degree, or even a doctorate can contribute to a higher CRS score. If you already started a program, finishing it could make a big difference. If you’re thinking about going back to school, completing the program could gain you additional points.
Work Experience
The more skilled work experience you have in jobs that coincide with Canada’s National Occupation Classification (NOC), the higher your CRS score will be. Even without a job offer, demonstration of consistent work and experience in your field helps your profile stand out in the pool of applicants.
Contact Us
The key to having a competitive profile in the Express Entry pool as a result of the removal of additional CRS points for a job offer, is to focus on what you can control and change to better your CRS score. By improving your language test scores, getting more work experience, and/or continuing your education, all these factors can help you raise your CRS score and contribute to the success of becoming a Canadian permanent resident.
Contact us at Canadim to assess your eligibility, optimize your CRS score, guide you through the Express Entry process and increase your chances of becoming a permanent resident.
Written by
Mariam Baher
Immigration Journalist
Mariam holds a Bachelor of Journalism with a minor in English from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University). Her early interest in the intersection of law and marketing has grown into nearly seven years of experience in legal marketing, where her journalism background brings a storyteller's perspective to strategic, engaging marketing initiatives within the legal industry.
