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FSW vs CRS score - would I qualify?

FSW vs CRS score - would I qualify?

Old Aug 18th 2022, 9:18 pm
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Default FSW vs CRS score - would I qualify?

Hello,

I'm trying to work out if I would be eligible to work in Canada and I'm a bit confused by the FSW and CRS minimum score requirements...

I am a qualified accountant, working as a Head of Finance in the UK. I took the Foreign Skilled Worker test on the Canada website and I scored 80 (more than the 67 threshold). I then took the separate test to get a CRS score for Express Entry and I scored 408 out of the maximum 1,200. (This was assuming I don't have a job offer when I move out there). I gather that 408 is a pretty weak score, and is less than the c520 threshold that I've read about.

When I took the general eligibility test here - https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...nada-tool.html - it said I would be eligible for Express Entry and it provided me with a code... is that a good thing or an irrelevant thing?! I'm confused because this seems to be at odds with the weak 408 CRS score...

And how do the timelines work for Express Entry - does it take 6 months or is 6 months the maximum it can take?

Many thanks in advance!

Cheers,

Alex
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Old Aug 18th 2022, 10:44 pm
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Default Re: FSW vs CRS score - would I qualify?

The 67 points or more is simply a threshold you have to meet to even be considered for express entry. It is then the subsequent CRS score that is all important. A score of 406 for a an experienced accountant seems a bit low. It is certainly not high enough to get an invite for express entry. Perhaps if you gave a breakdown of how you got to 406, some of the wise people on here can comment.
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Old Aug 18th 2022, 11:25 pm
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Default Re: FSW vs CRS score - would I qualify?

I realised that I should have selected 'professional qualification' as my highest level of education rather than my university degree. Fixing that bumped me up to 447.

My aim is to move out to Canada and then find a job when I'm out there (rather than go out there with a job offer in hand) to provide greater flexibility. But having a job offer would boost my score by 200, so that might be worth considering?
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Old Aug 18th 2022, 11:29 pm
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Default Re: FSW vs CRS score - would I qualify?

Originally Posted by jimmybarrymurphy
I realised that I should have selected 'professional qualification' as my highest level of education rather than my university degree. Fixing that bumped me up to 447.

My aim is to move out to Canada and then find a job when I'm out there (rather than go out there with a job offer in hand) to provide greater flexibility. But having a job offer would boost my score by 200, so that might be worth considering?
Christmasoompa is the guru on scores and eligibility. I'm no expert, but my understanding is that 447 points will still not be enough. You may find securing a job to get the extra points will be a pre-requisite
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Old Aug 19th 2022, 7:31 pm
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Default Re: FSW vs CRS score - would I qualify?

What is your degree in? Note that 'professional degree' only applies to certain licensed occupations/degrees - medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, optometry, law, chiropractic medicine, or pharmacy.

But either way, as said above you wouldn't be scoring enough I'm afraid, so will need to look at other visa routes or find a job offer. Note that an accountant job offer would only be worth 50 points, so you would need a Management/Executive job offer to get 200 points, which may be tricky without Canadian experience but I've no idea how in demand your skills are. You may be better off looking at PNP'S.

Also, the 6 months you mention is very out of date with the Covid backlog, not sure where you're reading that, but you can see official processing times here (currently 26 months for FSW applications via EE) - https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...ing-times.html

HTH, best of luck.

Last edited by christmasoompa; Aug 19th 2022 at 7:56 pm.
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Old Aug 19th 2022, 11:14 pm
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Default Re: FSW vs CRS score - would I qualify?

Hi Christmasoompa - thanks for the info.

My undergraduate degree is in Maths & Stats and then I studied accountancy for 3 years after that to become a chartered accountant. From what you say below this would not count as a professional degree. So would I be able to select the 'two degrees or certificates/diplomas' option instead? When I tried this out at the time it seemed to be worth almost the same as professional degree, a few points less I think.

My jobs in the UK would certainly qualify as management roles, but obviously I have no experience working in Canada which may make those kind of roles more difficult to source. Do you (or anyone else) know how difficult it is for non-Canadians to get job offers in Canada? If it's super rare (due to the added hassle the companies may not want), then I may just give up on the Canada dream! In any case, if someone got a job offer, wouldn't the company need to wait an indeterminate amount of time (up to 27 months) to actually have the person join the company in Canada? If so, why would any company bother with this hassle?!

Regarding PNPs, this was a route that someone else mentioned to me. Would you be able to point me in the direction of a good website to research PNP possibilities please? My aim is to live in Vancouver initially.

P.S. my wife is a piano tutor in the UK with her own business... I'm just mentioning that in case that would open up any other useful visa routes for us...

Thanks.


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Old Aug 22nd 2022, 6:47 am
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Default Re: FSW vs CRS score - would I qualify?

Originally Posted by jimmybarrymurphy
My undergraduate degree is in Maths & Stats and then I studied accountancy for 3 years after that to become a chartered accountant. From what you say below this would not count as a professional degree. So would I be able to select the 'two degrees or certificates/diplomas' option instead? When I tried this out at the time it seemed to be worth almost the same as professional degree, a few points less I think.
OK, so no, that wouldn't count as a professional degree, it is only the degrees mentioned above that get those points. What was your second qualification? Professional or vocational qualifications don't count, so it will depend on what your second one was in.

Originally Posted by jimmybarrymurphy
My jobs in the UK would certainly qualify as management roles, but obviously I have no experience working in Canada which may make those kind of roles more difficult to source. Do you (or anyone else) know how difficult it is for non-Canadians to get job offers in Canada? If it's super rare (due to the added hassle the companies may not want), then I may just give up on the Canada dream! In any case, if someone got a job offer, wouldn't the company need to wait an indeterminate amount of time (up to 27 months) to actually have the person join the company in Canada? If so, why would any company bother with this hassle?!
The company wouldn't need to wait 27 months, as usually you'd go over first on a work permit whilst waiting for PR. Lots of companies do bother, but only if you have skills they need and can't easily find in Canada really. As part of the visa process, they have to prove they can't find a Canadian willing, or able, to do the job.

Originally Posted by jimmybarrymurphy
Regarding PNPs, this was a route that someone else mentioned to me. Would you be able to point me in the direction of a good website to research PNP possibilities please? My aim is to live in Vancouver initially.
You need to look at each PNP's website if you want to research them all. Here's is the BC one - https://www.welcomebc.ca/Immigrate-to-B-C

Originally Posted by jimmybarrymurphy
P.S. my wife is a piano tutor in the UK with her own business... I'm just mentioning that in case that would open up any other useful visa routes for us...
Glad you added that P.S.! That could be a very viable route, with no job offer needed. How long has she worked as a piano tutor for? If it's more than 2 years out of the previous 5 years, check out the Self Employed program, as music tutor is one of the eligible occupations for that - https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...igibility.html

HTH.
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Old Aug 22nd 2022, 12:21 pm
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Default Re: FSW vs CRS score - would I qualify?

- I was assuming that my university degree and my accountancy qualification (both 3 year courses) would count as 'two or more certificates, diplomas or degrees'... am I mistaken?

- My wife has been a piano teacher for each of the last 10 years or so. I notice that route has a processing time of 41 months though... do you know if this timeline always applies, or can it sometimes be less for certain professions, etc? My worry is that if it really will take 3.5 - 4 years, we may not be in a position to want to make the move at that point...

- I gather that my wife studying in Canada could be another route which would give me an open work permit as her spouse... is my understanding correct here?

Thanks.

Last edited by jimmybarrymurphy; Aug 22nd 2022 at 12:37 pm.
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Old Aug 24th 2022, 3:31 pm
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Default Re: FSW vs CRS score - would I qualify?

Originally Posted by jimmybarrymurphy
- I was assuming that my university degree and my accountancy qualification (both 3 year courses) would count as 'two or more certificates, diplomas or degrees'... am I mistaken?
It will depend on the course. Any professional courses (i.e. done through work and not in a classroom) wouldn't usually count, but anything academic would. But either way, it's not going to give you the points required, so I wouldn't worry about it too much.

Originally Posted by jimmybarrymurphy
- My wife has been a piano teacher for each of the last 10 years or so. I notice that route has a processing time of 41 months though... do you know if this timeline always applies, or can it sometimes be less for certain professions, etc? My worry is that if it really will take 3.5 - 4 years, we may not be in a position to want to make the move at that point...
It's the same for all professions, but it's not that much longer than the FSW program you were looking at anyway (currently 27 months IIRC). And can be quicker for a 'slam dunk' application from somebody from the UK, if you search the forums you'll find threads from others who've gone down that route, and it's often been quicker than the quoted processing times. Personally, if that route is an option (and others such as FSW aren't), I'd get that going asap and then try and job hunt in the meantime, you can move over on a work permit whilst your PR app is being processed but at least then you know it's a PR route you would qualify for.

Originally Posted by jimmybarrymurphy
- I gather that my wife studying in Canada could be another route which would give me an open work permit as her spouse... is my understanding correct here?
Yes, absolutely. If you have the funds to pay international fees and the proof of funds required, then it's a good option, just not a cheap one! It's also not ideal if you have kids, as it's only a temporary visa with no guaranteed way to PR, but as you haven't mentioned kids I assumed that's not relevant.

HTH, good luck.
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