How leaving Canada can improve your CRS score

If you’re seeking Canadian permanent residence (PR) through Express Entry, moving back to your home country may be a helpful stepping stone on your way to PR.

You can gain up to 50 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for the foreign work experience skill transferability factor.

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This means that for foreign nationals who have less than 100 skill transferability points, and have not yet maxed out their foreign work experience skill transferability factor, having their status expire and moving home may be a blessing in disguise. 

Gaining an additional 50 CRS points for foreign work experience may very well push you over the cut-off score necessary to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for PR in an Express Entry draw.

In this article, we’ll walk you through how a move home could actually increase your chance of receiving an ITA for PR through Express Entry, if you fall into certain situation(s).

Getting international skilled work experience

If you work in a skilled occupation (TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3) abroad, you can gain additional points by having international work experience.

The CRS awards up to 50 additional points for having foreign work experience. Getting these additional points can make a big difference to a person’s overall CRS score, giving them an edge over other candidates in the pool.

Example

To illustrate, let’s consider the case of a fictional Khalil who is 25 years old and has Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 9.

Khalil moved to Canada to do a bachelor’s degree in business with a specialization in marketing.

After studying for three years, he got a PGWP that is also valid for three years. He got a job in a Canadian company, in the marketing department, and gained two years of Canadian work experience while on his PGWP.

Based on the above factors, Khalil’s CRS point breakdown is as follows:

Factors determining CRS scores	Qualifications	Points
Age	25	110
Level of education	Bachelor’s degree	120
Official languages	CLB 9	124
Canadian work experience	2 years	53
Skill Transferability: Education language (language proficiency +Canadian work experience)	Having CLB 9 + Bachelor's degree = 25 points	50
	Having 2 years of Canadian work experience + bachelor's degree = 25 points
Skill Transferability: Foreign Work Experience (language + Canadian work experience)	No international work experience	0
Study in Canada		30
Total		487

As a result, Khalil has a CRS score of 487.

With current CRS cut-offs being over the 500-mark, Khalil’s overall points aren’t likely to be high enough to receive an ITA in an upcoming draw.

With his PGWP expiring, he leaves Canada and finds a job in Dubai, where he works for two years.

At this point, Khalil’s points breakdown will be as follows:

Factors determining CRS scores	Qualifications	Points
Age	27	110
Level of education	Bachelor’s degree	120
Official languages	CLB 9	124
Canadian work experience	2 years	53
Skill Transferability: Education (language proficiency +Canadian work experience)	Having CLB 9 + Bachelor's degree = 25 points	50
	Having 2 years of Canadian work experience + bachelor's degree = 25 points
Skill Transferability: Foreign Work Experience (language + Canadian work experience)	Having CLB 9 + 2 years of foreign experience = 25 points	50
	Having 2 years of Canadian work experience + 2 years of foreign work experience = 25 points
Study in Canada		30
Total		537

Khalil’s CRS Score is now a total of 537.  

This means that he is much better positioned to receive an ITA due to his international work experience. 

The last general draw held by IRCC took place on April 23, 2024, with a CRS cutoff of 529. If that draw with the exact same cut-off was to take place in the future, Khalil would stand a chance to get invited thanks to his international experience.  

Khalil could also qualify for Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draws as he has a year of Canadian work experience accrued within the last three years.  

The last two CEC draws held featured CRS cut-offs of 527 points and 521 points respectively. So, Khalil would also stand a good chance to receive an ITA if a similar draw happened again. 

How is foreign work experience calculated? 

You can receive up to 50 points for their foreign work experience.  

Foreign work experience is listed under the Skill Transferability Factors.

Under this section, the points receive are based on how different factors (or candidate’s qualifications) combine. 

You will gain the maximum 50 points by combining at least 3 years of foreign work experience with either a CLB 9 language score, or with 2 years of Canadian work experience. 

Here’s the breakdown of how points are calculated: 

Foreign work experience – with good official language proficiency
Years of experience	Points for foreign work experience + CLB 7 or more on all first official language abilities, one or more under 9	Points for foreign work experience + CLB 9 or more on all four first official language abilities
No foreign work experience	0	0
1 or 2 years of foreign work experience	13	25
3 years or more of foreign work experience	25	50
Foreign work experience – with Canadian work experience
Years of experience	Points for foreign work experience + 1 year of Canadian work experience	Points for foreign work experience + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience
No foreign work experience	0	0
1 or 2 years of foreign work experience	13	25
3 years or more of foreign work experience	25	50

Even if you score more than 50 points in total, only 50 points will be awarded under the CRS for foreign work experience.  

In-Canada Focus

It’s also worth noting that candidates who have left Canada are still eligible for Canadian Experience Class draws.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has been prioritizing in-Canada candidates through the CEC program, giving these candidates a much higher chance of receiving an ITA.

To be eligible for a CEC draw, a candidate needs to have gained at least one year of work experience (or 1,560 hours in total). This experience needs to have been gained within three years prior to applying.

You can find the full eligibility requirement for CEC draws here.

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Other ways to improve a CRS score while abroad

Improving language skills

While living abroad, you may find yourself with more time or the opportunity to improve your language skills, therefore helping your chances to get an ITA.

There are two ways you can do this:

Improve your proficiency in either of the national languages: You can earn up to 160 points for official language proficiency (without a spouse or common law partner). This can be for French or English.

To maximize on these points, you can re-take language tests to get a higher Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) and get more points.

Learn French (if you don’t know it yet): You can earn up to 50 additional points for French language skills, under the additional points category.

Learning French also gives you the benefit of being eligible for immigration pathways for French speakers.

Getting another degree

It’s possible to earn up to 150 points, depending on your level of education (if applying without a spouse or common law partner). The number of points you receive depends on the type of degree you hold.

If you get a higher degree while abroad, all you need to do is get an educational credential assessment (ECA). This verifies that the foreign degree is authentic and equal to a Canadian degree.

Getting a Provincial Nomination

Under Canada’s Provincial Nomination Program (PNP), provinces and territories have some control over the country’s immigration system.

Almost all provinces have enhanced streams, which are aligned with the Express Entry. Getting a nomination through this stream adds 600 points to your CRS score, making you extremely likely to receive an ITA during upcoming draws.

With spousal factors, or spouse as primary applicant

If you move abroad and get married or find a common law partner, you will need to declare this in your application if you plan on them accompanying you, which will essentially change your CRS score.

How your points change depend on your partner’s qualifications and experience.

Your partner could also create an Express Entry application, with them as the primary applicant and you as the secondary applicant.

This could increase your overall chances of being selected, depending on their qualifications and experience.

What happens to your Express Entry application if you leave the country?

Once you have submitted an Express Entry application, it remains active in the pool of candidates for up to 12 months. If you haven’t received an ITA in 12 months, you can resubmit your application.

Leaving the country should not affect your application.

Can I update my Express Entry profile after submitting it?

Yes, you can update your profile even after you have submitted it and add new information such as a new language proficiency test score, work experience or change in family structure.

It is generally considered a good idea to enter the Express Entry pool if you are eligible, even if think your CRS score isn’t high enough.

One of the reasons is the tie-breaking rule. With the pool getting increasingly competitive, IRCC uses the tie-breaking rule to decide who gets priority when it comes to candidates with the same CRS score. This is based on the date and time when one has submitted their Express Entry profile.

In other words, entering the Express Entry candidate pool early can often improve a candidate’s chances of receiving an ITA.

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