If you’re in the Express Entry pool, you’ve probably heard about the “600 points” that can vault almost any profile to the top of the next draw. It’s real — but there’s a lot of outdated advice online about how to get it. Here’s the accurate, current picture.
Where the 600 points actually come from
Express Entry ranks candidates using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). On top of your core score (age, education, language, work experience), there’s a block of additional points — and the big one is a provincial nomination, worth 600 CRS points.
A nomination from a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is, in practice, the only way to add 600 points to an Express Entry profile. With a score in the high 900s or above, you’re effectively guaranteed an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in the next eligible draw.
⚠️ Important 2025 change: job offers no longer give CRS points
This is where most older articles are now wrong. As of March 25, 2025, IRCC removed job-offer points from the CRS — both the 200 points for senior-management (NOC Major Group 00) roles and the 50 points for other skilled occupations.
A valid job offer can still matter for program eligibility (for example, the Federal Skilled Worker Program or certain PNP streams), so you should still record it in your profile — but it will not add points to your CRS score anymore. If a consultant or website tells you a job offer alone will boost your CRS, that information is out of date.
How a provincial nomination works
There are two broad paths:
- Enhanced (Express Entry-aligned) PNP streams — you’re nominated through a province’s Express Entry stream, and the 600 points are added automatically to your profile.
- Base (non-Express Entry) PNP streams — a separate paper-based PR process outside Express Entry.
Provinces nominate candidates based on their own labour-market priorities — occupation, connection to the province, work experience, or a job offer with a local employer. Which province and stream fits you depends entirely on your profile. We help clients identify and apply to the right PNP every week; see our guides to the Saskatchewan, Alberta, B.C., Nova Scotia and PEI programs.
If you can’t get 600, raise the score you control
A nomination isn’t the only lever. Realistic, fully legitimate ways to improve your CRS:
- Retake your language test. Moving from CLB 7 to CLB 9 across all abilities is often the single biggest score jump available — and it stacks with skill-transferability points.
- Add a second official language. French test results can add points directly and qualify you for French-language category-based draws.
- Claim your Canadian work experience accurately. Each year of skilled Canadian experience adds meaningful points.
- Get an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for foreign education, and add a spouse’s language/education factors where they help.
- Target a category-based draw. IRCC runs draws for specific groups — healthcare and social services, STEM, trades, education, transport, French-language proficiency, and more — often with lower cut-offs than general draws.
The bottom line
The 600-point boost is a provincial nomination — not a job offer (not anymore). The right strategy is to (1) maximize the CRS factors you control, and (2) get matched to the PNP stream where you’re genuinely competitive.
If you want a clear read on your real CRS score, the draws you’re closest to, and the fastest legitimate path to PR, book a consultation and we’ll map it out with you.
Frequently asked questions
Is a provincial nomination guaranteed to get me invited? A nomination adds 600 points, which in practice puts you above every general-draw cut-off. You still have to submit a complete, accurate PR application after the ITA.
Do I need a job offer to get a provincial nomination? Some streams require one; many don’t. Several PNP streams nominate based on occupation, experience, or ties to the province.
Can I improve my CRS without a nomination? Yes — language retests, French, accurate work-experience claims, and ECAs can all move your score. Whether that’s enough depends on your starting point.