Understanding how to increase your CRS score is an essential step if you want to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) through Canada’s Express Entry system. Your CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) score determines your ranking among the pool of applicants, and only those above the cut-off of each draw are invited. In this article, the My Second World team compiles ways to calculate the Canada CRS score and practical methods to help you legally and sustainably add tens, even hundreds, of points.
Before going into detail, you need to understand the score structure. According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the maximum total CRS score is 1,200 points, split into two parts: up to 600 “core” points (human capital, spouse, skill transferability) and up to 600 “additional” points (provincial nomination, French language, Canadian study, siblings in Canada). Understanding each group clearly will help you know where to invest effort most effectively.
How to increase your CRS score through language skills
Language is the easiest factor to improve and brings the most points in the core section. English (or French) proficiency is converted onto the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) scale, based on IELTS General Training or CELPIP-General test results. Your CRS score jumps sharply when you reach CLB 9 or above in all four skills – listening, speaking, reading and writing. This is why many candidates spend a few extra months studying to raise their band score instead of applying hastily with a low result.
The point gap between CLB levels is significant. A single applicant at CLB 7 receives relatively few language points, but moving up to CLB 9 nearly doubles the points for each skill. More importantly, language also doubles in value through the “skill transferability” group, where strong English combined with high education or work experience can add up to 100 points. So raising your IELTS band is usually the most worthwhile investment.
To find out what CLB level your test result converts to and how much more you need to study, you should refer to the article English test for Canadian immigration. A practical tip is to focus on your weakest skill, since CRS uses the lowest score among the four skills as the benchmark for many calculations. Improving one skill from CLB 7 to CLB 9 is sometimes enough to clear the cut-off of an entire draw.
French: a path to additional points
One how to increase your CRS score that many Vietnamese applicants overlook is learning French. Canada gives particular priority to French-speaking applicants outside Quebec, both by awarding additional points and by opening category-based draws specifically for French speakers, which usually have a much lower cut-off score.
Theo Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), if you reach NCLC 7 or above in all four French skills, the additional points awarded are: 25 points if your English is at CLB 4 or below (or you did not take an English test), and 50 points if your English reaches CLB 5 or above in all four skills. NCLC is the scale equivalent to CLB but for French.
Besides the additional points, French speakers are also eligible for “French language proficiency” category-based draws. In 2024, IRCC held 11 such category-based draws and issued about 23,000 invitations, showing this is a wide-open path. For Vietnamese applicants who studied French in school, investing further to reach NCLC 7 can be a smart strategy, though it requires serious study time.
Raising your education level and Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)
Education is a significant core-score component, especially when combined with language in the skill-transferability group. To have a credential earned outside Canada counted, you must obtain an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) from an organization designated by IRCC. The ECA confirms what level your university or college degree is equivalent to within the Canadian system.
There are a few practical ways to add points in this area. First, if you currently hold a college diploma, completing an additional bachelor’s degree will raise your education level and increase your score. Second, two or more credentials (including one of three years or longer) are scored higher than a single credential. Third, a credential earned in Canada itself also brings additional points: 15 points for a one- or two-year program, and 30 points for a credential of three years or longer, or a postgraduate degree.
However, studying further for immigration purposes is a major decision in terms of time and cost, so you need to weigh it carefully. In many cases, raising your English band gives a faster ROI than pursuing a new degree that takes two or three years. The My Second World team usually advises clients to calculate both directions before choosing.
Making the most of work experience and the spouse factor
Work experience contributes points in two ways. Canadian work experience earns core points directly, and the more years, the higher the score – this is also the foundation of the Canadian Experience Classprogram. Foreign experience does not earn many points on its own, but when combined with strong language skills in the skill-transferability group it adds significantly. Therefore, recording fully and correctly classifying the NOC code for each work period is essential.
The spouse factor also has a major influence. When you apply with a spouse included, part of your (the principal applicant’s) points is shared, but the spouse contributes points from their own language, education and experience. A common strategy is to choose whichever partner has the stronger profile as the principal applicant. If your spouse has better English or a stronger credential, have them take the IELTS and complete the ECA to maximize this portion of the score.
Conversely, in some cases a single applicant actually has an advantage because their points are not shared. This is a case-by-case calculation with no universal formula. You should use IRCC’s official score calculator to test both scenarios before deciding who should be the principal applicant.
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP): a +600-point leap
Among all how to increase your CRS score, a provincial nomination is the most powerful lever. According to IRCC, an applicant who receives a nomination through a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) linked to Express Entry is awarded a flat 600 additional points. With this boost, you are almost certain to receive an ITA in the next draw, regardless of how high or low your core score is.
Note: the 600-point additional-points maximum is a hard cap. An applicant who has already received 600 points from a provincial nomination cannot add other additional points on top (such as French or siblings in Canada), even if eligible. That’s fine, since 600 PNP points is already more than enough to clear any threshold. Each province has its own nomination streams and criteria, usually prioritizing occupations the local labour market is short of.
To pursue PNP, you typically create an Express Entry profile first, then submit an expression of interest (EOI) to the province you are interested in. If selected by the province, you receive a nomination letter, update your profile, and immediately gain 600 points. The detailed process and conditions are presented in the article Canada immigration through provincial nomination. This is a very suitable path for Vietnamese workers with a trade the province needs.
Siblings in Canada and job offers
If you (or the spouse applying with you) have a sibling who is a permanent resident or citizen of Canada and living in Canada, you receive 15 additional points. This is a “free” point that many people miss when declaring their application. The sibling must share at least one biological parent with you or your spouse, including half-siblings and legally adopted children.
Regarding job offers, you need to be aware of an important change. Previously, a valid job offer could add 50 or 200 additional points. However, as of March 25, 2025, IRCC has completely removed the job-offer bonus from the CRS system, applying to both current and future applicants in the pool. So you should not count on job-offer points in your current planning.
Although it no longer adds CRS points, a job offer in Canada is still useful: it can help you qualify for certain PNP streams, or support the actual settlement stage after you arrive. So think of a job offer as a tool for the PNP path, rather than a direct source of points as before.
Trade certification and easily overlooked points
For people working in trades such as welders, electricians, or cooks, a certificate of qualification issued by a Canadian province opens up the Federal Skilled Trades program and can qualify you for trades-focused category-based draws. This is a major advantage for Vietnamese workers with practical trade skills but only average English band scores.
There are also a few small but easily forgotten points. First, retake a language test even after reaching your target, since raising one weak skill can “unlock” additional skill-transferability points. Second, make sure your language test and ECA certification remain valid when you receive your ITA, to avoid losing points due to expired documents. Third, declare every factor fully and accurately, such as siblings in Canada or your spouse’s education.
One more principle: prepare your entire supporting document package in advance – transcripts, experience confirmation letters, financial documents – so that when you receive an ITA you can submit within the required deadline. The full checklist is listed in the article what a Canadian immigration application needs. Careful preparation helps you avoid losing an opportunity just because of one missing supplementary document.
Advice for you
In summary, there are many how to increase your CRS score and each profile has its own optimal path. For most Vietnamese workers, a reasonable order of priority is: raise your IELTS/CELPIP band to CLB 9 (the fastest-acting improvement), declare all easily missed points such as siblings in Canada, then consider French or a provincial nomination (+600 points) for a major leap. Pursuing further education is a long-term option that requires careful weighing of cost and time.
Since this is a decision that affects your family’s future, you should cross-check every figure against IRCC’s official score calculator and stay updated on the latest policy, as CRS rules change from year to year, as seen with the job-offer point removal in 2025. If you need a personalized pathway, My Second World’s immigration consulting team is ready to work with you to analyze your profile, identify your strengths and build the CRS-boosting plan best suited to your occupation and circumstances.
