As government ranking scores soar, newcomers beef up credentials to try to stay in Canada

When Harkirat Singh Virdi moved to Brampton from India, he was focused on building a career in computer programming. 

But he wound up pivoting to learn French, and spending $3,000 in the process, to help his bid to land permanent residency.

"I started to learn French for 10 hours per day and just left my part time job… it was the best investment," said the 23-year-old, who became a permanent resident in 2022. 

Singh Virdi now says he's seeing an increasing number of people asking for tips on learning French as the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores have soared in recent months, averaging over 540 since early 2024. If newcomers can't get their score to that threshold, they risk not qualifying for permanent residency and having to leave Canada. 

CRS is a ranking system used by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for immigrants applying for a permanent residency, using factors like age, level of education, English proficiency and work experience. Every two weeks, IRCC draws a CRS rank and applicants with that score or higher are invited to submit documents to receive a permanent resident card.

Several immigrant workers have told CBC Toronto they're worried about their future as the process becomes more competitive.

There are a few ways to increase the points scored on the CRS: learn French, receive a Labour Market Impact Assessment from your employer, apply for the Provincial Nomination Program, or work in the STEM, trade, health care, agriculture or transportation industries.

Many temporary workers will be left out, said Manan Gupta, a Brampton based immigration consultant.

"Canada's immigration system is in such a thick mess right now," he said.

A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), which adds 50 points to an application, is a document from an employer to hire a foreign worker when no Canadian or permanent resident is available to fill the role.  

Even though it is illegal to charge an employee for a Labour Market Impact Assessment, Gupta said it is becoming far too common for workers to spend tens of thousands of dollars to have lawyers, consultants and employers show payrolls, sometimes fake ones, in targeted job fields for the document. 

"It is illegal. It is unethical. It is unprofessional," he said. "They [foreign workers] are vulnerable … desperate. The employers find it an easy way to make quick bucks." 

Gursewak Singh Gill, who works as a warehouse manager, is one of the people who have taken the Labour Market Impact Assessment route. 

The 34-year-old said he has spent $33,500 so far — $5,000 on the IRCC application, $500 in legal fees and $28,000 to his employer. He said his CRS score is still at 489, and with a work permit expiring in November, learning French is not an option.