Canadian permanent residence offers a chance at a new life in the nation, which offers an extremely high standard of living, government support, & freedom from discrimination. While Canadian PR is attainable, the process of applying can seem to be daunting. Well, for most applicants, a significant portion of the procedure entails just waiting for a decision to arrive. Even if applicants obtain an ITA as soon as they enter the Express Entry pool, they will likely witness much longer pauses before getting an ITA. The applicants need not certainly have to simply wait for the time. However, there is much that applicants can do in the interim to increase their chances of PR eligibility & to prepare for a better life in Canada once they obtain their ITAs. Here are some of the ways by which applicants can utilize their time in the Express Entry Pool. 

Updating The Express Entry Profile 

Perhaps the most vital thing that applicants can do once they are in the Express Entry pool is to update their profile with data which affects their CRS. The CRS is an IRCC’s system for assessing immigration applicants depending on their human capital factors like age, language capability, education, etc. 

These scores directly determine an applicant’s likelihood of obtaining ITAs with the maximum achievable score of around 1,200 points. 

Below are some of the simplest ways to increase your CRS scores. Take a look!

Increasing Language Proficiency 

Language proficiency plays a vital role in evaluating the applicants who are appraised based on four abilities, i.e., reading, listening, writing, & speaking. In addition, every category gets a separate CLB & applicants need to have at least a CLB 4 rating to begin earning points. These points increase prominently with every level between CLB 6 & 9. An improvement to CLB 7 grants applicants an additional 8 points per skill. 

Moreover, proficiency in French offers added benefits, with the potential to earn an additional 6 points per skill in a second language. If French is your primary language, a Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) level 7 or higher score in all French language skills & a CLB of 4 or above in all English skills results in the same point increment. With an NCLC 7 & CLB 5, you can earn up to 50 extra points. 

Furthermore, with the introduction of category-based draws, applicants proficient in French can now be invited via these specific invitations, even with a lower CRS score. 

Increase In Foreign Work Experience 

Even though foreign work experience doesn’t increase one’s CRS score, it can be beneficial when combined with a high CLB. 

For instance, with a CLB of 7 & one year of work experience, you can expect a boost of 13 points. In addition, two or more years of overseas work experience can potentially add an additional 25 – 50 points to the applicant’s score. 

This rule also applies to any work experience you possess. Combining one year of Canadian work experience with one year of foreign skilled work offers an additional 13 points, thus ultimately increasing it up to 50 points if both exceed two years. 

Acquire & Extend Canadian Work Experience

Picking up work experience in Canada can augment an applicant’s CRS score by 80 points, depending upon the duration of the experience. Even just a year of work experience in a skilled profession in Canada can contribute 40 points. 

Work permits are the commonly used path by which foreign nationals can obtain Canadian work experience. 

Obtain Additional Credentials

If the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, acquiring an extra educational qualification can increase your score. 

If you have already finished a three-year or longer program upon which you obtained a diploma, certificate, or degree, then you will receive 112 points. Moreover, completing another one-year program & obtaining an additional certificate, degree, or diploma can elevate your score to 119 points. 

Research Provincial Nominee Programs 

Another step that applicants within the Express Entry pool can take to increase their CRS score is to research & apply for a PNP. 

Presently, Canada’s main pathway for economic immigration, i.e., PNP has helped spread the benefits of immigration throughout the nation, thus allowing individual provinces to nominate applicants to immigrate to their province. 

Moreover, Canadians in the Express Entry pool can also benefit from these PNPs via enhanced nomination. These are PNP nominations for those in the Express Entry pool & can yield an additional 600 CRS points. 

Getting Licensed For The Canadian Labor Market 

For many immigrants/ newcomers who come to Canada, employment opportunities can often be delayed while new permanent residents wait to obtain their professional Canadian credentials or licenses. 

In addition, applicants in the Express Entry Pool can get a headstart on this procedure in several ways. For instance, researching the steps required to get licensed for their specific profession in Canada can significantly help speed up this process & help newcomers a lot. Moreover, you can check if your regulated profession is regulated by searching for a job title through the NOC official website to determine whether your job requires a certification of qualification or license. 

Furthermore, many private institutions in Canada run bridging programs, which are specifically designed to help internationally trained professionals adapt their skills & obtain professional licensing within the nation. Some of these programs are even online, offering applicants outside of Canada a chance to get a head start on preparing for their careers in the nation. 

Networking In Advance 

Another step applicants in the Express Entry pool can take to help their employment prospects is to start networking with relevant Canadian professionals in advance. 

Networking can prove to be a vital tool in finding employment in Canada & further to gain access to what is referred to as the ‘secret’ employment market. 

In addition, online networking can be extremely effective with platforms like LinkedIn, offering applicants both in & outside of Canada with a chance to meet & build relationships with Canadian professionals.