Since many of you are social distancing, we felt it would be a great time to talk about three things you can do right now to improve your Express Entry application, all from the comfort of your own home. We will discuss items that can improve your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, increase your chances of receiving an invitation to apply (ITA), and support your application for Canadian permanent residence.
Improve your language proficiency
Your language proficiency in English and/or French is one of the best ways to improve your CRS score. While most testing centres are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it doesn’t mean you can’t be better prepared to take the test when the centres reopen. It might even be a chance to learn a new language like French, to really increase the points you receive for your Express Entry application.
BS Overseas Immigration clients receive free access to a paid IELTS training service that can better prepare you for the test and to provide you with a variety of resources to improve your score. There are also other paid and free services online, but these vary in quality.
As a reminder, the IELTS, CELPIP, TEF, or TEF exams are the only accepted language tests for Canadian immigration.
Reference letters
Reference letters are required once the ITA has been issued but you will only have 60 days to provide them. These documents are not simple letters of recommendation but are more specific and must prove the work done was considered skilled labour. Ideally, you should be able to provide letters of reference for at least six years of skilled employment, in the last ten years.
The BS Overseas Immigration Team prepared an excellent resource on how to create the perfect reference letter for Canadian immigration so we won’t get into the specific here but know that they must include:
Your official job title
The dates of your employment
Your salary per week
Your average hours per week
A detailed list of your employment duties
We recommend that you start working to obtain these letters before the ITA is issued in order to have them ready to submit when Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) request them.
Other Documents
Most identity documents requested by IRCC are fairly straight forward, but you might want to consider a few items mentioned below so you can have them ready to submit with your initial Express Entry application:
Make sure your passport, and anyone else included in your application, isn’t expiring soon. If so, you may want to consider renewing it so it is valid for at least 12-18 months.
If you have any identity documents that are not standard issue, like a birth certificate, you will want to obtain an official document confirming details like the date and place of your birth, and at least one of your parent’s names.
If you are claiming a relative in Canada, you will need documents that can prove you are indeed eligible to claim them. For example, if you are claiming a sibling in Canada, you will need their birth certificate proving you have at least one shared parent, proof of their status in Canada, and proof they are indeed residing in Canada.
For items like police clearances, we recommend you wait until these are requested since most are easily obtained and can expire if obtained too long before they are requested.
What is my CRS score?
Want to begin the Canadian immigration process but don’t know where to start? BS Overseas Immigration offers an easy-to-use Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) calculator, giving you an idea of the ranking score that would be assigned to your unique immigration profile in the Federal Express Entry pool. Keep in mind that with the tips listed above, you could easily boost your CRS score.
As the spread of COVID-19 continues, we encourage you to think about the future and do what you can to work towards your Canadian immigration goals today!
If you’re interested in learning more about your Canadian immigration options at this time, fill out our free assessment and a member of our team will be in touch to discuss your next steps.
Improve your language proficiency
Your language proficiency in English and/or French is one of the best ways to improve your CRS score. While most testing centres are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it doesn’t mean you can’t be better prepared to take the test when the centres reopen. It might even be a chance to learn a new language like French, to really increase the points you receive for your Express Entry application.
BS Overseas Immigration clients receive free access to a paid IELTS training service that can better prepare you for the test and to provide you with a variety of resources to improve your score. There are also other paid and free services online, but these vary in quality.
As a reminder, the IELTS, CELPIP, TEF, or TEF exams are the only accepted language tests for Canadian immigration.
Reference letters
Reference letters are required once the ITA has been issued but you will only have 60 days to provide them. These documents are not simple letters of recommendation but are more specific and must prove the work done was considered skilled labour. Ideally, you should be able to provide letters of reference for at least six years of skilled employment, in the last ten years.
The BS Overseas Immigration Team prepared an excellent resource on how to create the perfect reference letter for Canadian immigration so we won’t get into the specific here but know that they must include:
Your official job title
The dates of your employment
Your salary per week
Your average hours per week
A detailed list of your employment duties
We recommend that you start working to obtain these letters before the ITA is issued in order to have them ready to submit when Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) request them.
Other Documents
Most identity documents requested by IRCC are fairly straight forward, but you might want to consider a few items mentioned below so you can have them ready to submit with your initial Express Entry application:
Make sure your passport, and anyone else included in your application, isn’t expiring soon. If so, you may want to consider renewing it so it is valid for at least 12-18 months.
If you have any identity documents that are not standard issue, like a birth certificate, you will want to obtain an official document confirming details like the date and place of your birth, and at least one of your parent’s names.
If you are claiming a relative in Canada, you will need documents that can prove you are indeed eligible to claim them. For example, if you are claiming a sibling in Canada, you will need their birth certificate proving you have at least one shared parent, proof of their status in Canada, and proof they are indeed residing in Canada.
For items like police clearances, we recommend you wait until these are requested since most are easily obtained and can expire if obtained too long before they are requested.
What is my CRS score?
Want to begin the Canadian immigration process but don’t know where to start? BS Overseas Immigration offers an easy-to-use Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) calculator, giving you an idea of the ranking score that would be assigned to your unique immigration profile in the Federal Express Entry pool. Keep in mind that with the tips listed above, you could easily boost your CRS score.
As the spread of COVID-19 continues, we encourage you to think about the future and do what you can to work towards your Canadian immigration goals today!
If you’re interested in learning more about your Canadian immigration options at this time, fill out our free assessment and a member of our team will be in touch to discuss your next steps.
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