First and foremost, Express Entry CRS thresholds are variable and unpredictable. What appears to be a low CRS score may eventually lead to an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent resident status.

Second, after entering the express entry pool and scoring below the thresholds, you have the option of waiting for your score to drop or looking for ways to improve it. You can improve your CRS score, for example, by retaking your language test, gaining work experience, pursuing additional training, or working and studying in Canada.

And if you are offered a job in Canada while you are in the pool, your CRS score may also increase enough to get an ITA for permanent residence.

Third, while the three main federal programmes are the primary means by which many economic immigrants enter Canada, Express Entry is part of a larger national and provincial system that offers a variety of other pathways to permanent residence for skilled workers.

The Provincial Nominee Program, or PNP, is one of them. It allows participating Canadian provinces and territories to nominate foreign workers and international graduates for permanent residence in Canada through Express Entry-aligned streams.

If you’ve already tried several methods to improve your CRS, such as those mentioned above, getting a nomination from a province is still a viable option.

Once you have entered the Express Entry pool and if you are eligible for a PNP, a province may send you a “Notification of Interest.” You must apply to the province, and if approved, you will receive a provincial nomination, which will automatically give you 600 points toward your CRS score and essentially guarantee that you will be invited to apply for permanent residence.

Canada recently invited Express Entry candidates with CRS scores of 813 who had previously received provincial nominations and thus an additional 600 points toward their overall score to apply. Without the provincial nomination, candidates who received an ITA in that round of invitation would have needed a CRS score of only 213 for their human capital.

Even if your CRS score is insufficient for federal immigration programmes, it may be sufficient for you to be invited by one of Canada’s provinces, which may lead to the issuance of a Canadian permanent resident visa.

Finally, for the next three years, Canada has set the highest immigration targets in its history. Canada plans to welcome over 400,000 new immigrants per year under its Immigration Levels Plan 2021-2023, with approximately 110,000 arriving through Express Entry. These targets will rise in the coming years, reaching a peak of 113,750 in 2023. To achieve these lofty goals.