Key Takeaways
- Foreign work experience can add up to 100 CRS points, with a maximum of 50 from skills transferability categories.
- IRCC will remove CRS points for LMIA-supported job offers by spring 2025, increasing focus on improving CRS via foreign experience.
- Gaining foreign experience is strategic for candidates with expiring temporary permits, boosting CRS despite potential age-related score reductions.
Canada’s Express Entry system is a well-known path for skilled workers hoping to secure permanent residency. At its core is the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which evaluates candidates on criteria like education, language ability, age, and work experience. Achieving a high CRS score is often the key to receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency. For some individuals, a surprising but often effective strategy is to temporarily leave Canada to gain additional foreign work experience. This approach has gained attention as changes to immigration policies and Express Entry trends make foreign work experience increasingly significant for CRS score improvements. Below, we’ll explore how leaving Canada strategically can have a meaningful impact on your CRS score, helping you take a step closer to Canadian permanent residency.
How Foreign Work Experience Impacts CRS Scores
Under Express Entry, foreign work experience is a highly valued factor, particularly when combined with other credentials. Points for foreign work experience are provided through “skill transferability” categories, contributing as much as 100 CRS points overall. Specific combinations can yield up to 50 CRS points for foreign work experience alone.
For example:
– If a candidate has at least three years of foreign work experience paired with high scores in language proficiency (reaching Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 9), they may earn the maximum 50 points in this category.
– Likewise, combining Canadian work experience with just one year of foreign work experience unlocks significant points under skill transferability.
Foreign work experience adds unique value to your CRS score because it addresses Canada’s demand for skilled workers with diverse, international perspectives. This focus ensures that candidates are credited for skills gained abroad, creating opportunities to balance your CRS profile even if you lack Canadian work experience or other factors.
Recent Policy Updates: Why Foreign Work Experience Matters Now More Than Ever
In December 2024, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that CRS points awarded for Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)-supported job offers will be removed by spring 2025. In the past, candidates could gain up to 200 CRS points through such job offers, depending on their job title or seniority. With this change, applicants need to find alternative ways to increase their CRS score to stay competitive.
This shift has increased the focus on other scoring factors, like foreign work experience. To adapt to these changing circumstances, gaining international experience has become a top strategy for candidates otherwise reliant on LMIA job offers. Furthermore, recent Express Entry draw trends have shown lower CRS cut-off scores in some cases, like the March 6, 2025 draw targeting French-speaking applicants, which had a cut-off score of 410. Such patterns highlight the importance of building multiple strengths, including international work experience, in a competitive landscape.
Why Temporarily Leaving Canada Can Be a Smart Strategy
Although it seems counterintuitive, leaving Canada can boost your immigration prospects under very specific circumstances. Consider individuals on temporary visas, like Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWPs), which are often non-renewable. When such permits expire, staying in Canada without valid status can lead to complications in your immigration journey. By returning to your home country or another country where you can secure skilled employment, you can continue to enhance your professional background without risking your eligibility under immigration programs.
For instance:
– A candidate with two years of Canadian work experience who is unable to extend their stay might accumulate one to two years of foreign experience abroad. By doing so, they earn crucial skill transferability points, which can outweigh potential drawbacks like losing CRS points due to age.
For those nearing the end of their temporary status in Canada, this approach can help preserve their immigration opportunities while enhancing their CRS score in critical areas.
Key Considerations Before Pursuing Foreign Work Experience
Leaving Canada to gain foreign work experience is not a decision to take lightly. There are multiple factors to account for before embarking on this path.
1. Timing and CRS Age Points
Age is an important part of the CRS calculation. Candidates earn fewer points as they grow older, starting from age 30. For individuals in their late twenties or early thirties, spending additional time abroad could lead to age-related deductions in their CRS score. However, when considered against the potential gain from foreign work experience points, the trade-off could still work in their favor. It’s important to calculate and plan accordingly.
2. Maintaining Language Proficiency
Points for language ability account for a significant portion of the CRS score. A candidate’s first official language—usually English or French—can single-handedly contribute up to 160 points. High proficiency levels (CLB 9 or above) are especially important when combined with foreign work experience. Candidates pursuing international opportunities must actively maintain or improve their language skills to maximize CRS benefits upon re-entry into the Express Entry pool.
3. Staying Updated on Immigration Policies
Immigration policies evolve rapidly, as exemplified by Canada’s decision to remove LMIA points from CRS scoring. Foreign work experience gained without staying informed of such changes could become less valuable if policies shift again. Candidates must regularly monitor updates from IRCC to ensure their efforts align with evolving requirements.
Benefits Beyond CRS Points: Professional and Personal Growth
Foreign work experience provides benefits that go beyond simply improving CRS scores. Candidates working in international environments often gain a global perspective, adaptability, and cross-cultural skills that are highly valued by Canadian employers. These professional advantages enable stronger job prospects after securing permanent residency and can lead to long-term career success in Canada.
For example, while working abroad:
– You might gain new qualifications, such as certifications or specialized skills that strengthen not only your CRS score but also your professional credentials.
– Promotions or additional recognition achieved abroad could further showcase leadership skills and improve your employability after returning to Canada.
Furthermore, having work and life experience outside of Canada makes settling in multicultural communities easier. Candidates with diverse skillsets are better prepared to integrate into Canadian society and thrive in its diverse work culture.
Final Thoughts
The journey to maximizing your CRS score under the Express Entry system often requires strategic and bold choices. Temporarily leaving Canada to gain foreign work experience can be one such step, especially for candidates reaching the limits of their Canadian temporary visas. This strategy, while challenging, can pay off significantly in terms of CRS improvements and overall professional development.
For candidates utilizing this approach, it’s critical to weigh potential CRS score losses due to age against the gain from foreign work experience points. Additionally, maintaining or improving language proficiency and keeping pace with changes in immigration policies are vital for ensuring long-term success.
As the Express Entry system evolves, candidates must remain informed and adaptable to optimize their CRS score. Strategies like acquiring foreign work experience not only help increase competitiveness in the immigration pool but also contribute to personal and professional growth. By preparing effectively and planning strategically, candidates can make their aspiration of Canadian permanent residency a reality.
For official information about the CRS score and Express Entry policies, visit the Government of Canada’s official webpage. As VisaVerge.com has highlighted, utilizing foreign work experience is a rising trend among candidates seeking innovative methods to stand out in the Express Entry pool.
Learn Today
Express Entry → Canada’s immigration system for selecting skilled workers for permanent residency based on a points-based ranking system.
Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) → A scoring system evaluating Express Entry candidates on education, work experience, age, and language proficiency.
Invitation to Apply (ITA) → An official invitation allowing high-ranking Express Entry candidates to submit a permanent residency application in Canada.
Foreign Work Experience → Professional experience gained outside Canada, contributing to CRS points, particularly under skill transferability factors.
Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) → A document showing a job offer will not negatively affect Canadian workers, previously used for CRS points.
This Article in a Nutshell
Maximizing your CRS score for Canada’s Express Entry often requires strategic steps. Surprisingly, gaining foreign work experience can significantly boost your chances. By earning up to 50 crucial points through skill transferability, this approach balances age-related CRS drops and strengthens your profile. Bold moves, like working abroad, may unlock your Canadian residency success!
— By VisaVerge.com
Read more:
• Canada’s Points System: How CRS Helps Choose Permanent Residents
• CRS Points for Job Offers to End in Express Entry by 2025
• Achieving Canadian Permanent Residency with a Low CRS Score
• IRCC Removes LMIA-Based CRS Points from Express Entry
• Express Entry 2024: Insights from previous draws and boosting CRS scores
