Canada Immigration: How ‘age-factor’ plays a role in application process

For example, with immigration backlogs and several technical glitches on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) online portal during the pandemic, many have become ineligible for certain programs that consider age as a criterion.

How the age factor plays out while applying for Canadian PR? 

In the Express Entry pool, CRS is a points-based system that scores a profile to rank applicants. Only if you are able to score above the CRS cut, then you might get an invitation to apply (ITA). 

The maximum score in CRS is 1200 and there are several factors that are considered during the evaluation process. These include level of education,  English/French skills, and work experience, etc. Also, they score higher if they are single and fall under the Express Entry category.

But, one of the biggest disadvantages in this is the age-based criteria. The score falls dramatically for those above the age of 44. Canada’s comprehensive ranking system gives no points to those above 45 years of age.

Not only that, starting from the age of 40, the points reduce by 10 versus 5 before the age of 40. While a 29-year-old can get a maximum of 110 CRS points for age, an applicant of a similar caliber approaching their 30th birthday may see a sharp decline. By the time they reach 39, just 55 points are available, and by the time they reach 45, there are no points.

For example, under Express Entry’s FSWP, the applicant’s age is worth 12% of the overall selection process. The FAQ section makes it clear that someone over the age of 47 will not get any points under the Age factor of the CRS, but may get points on other factors such as job offer, skills, and language abilities.

Why Canada is looking for a younger workforce? 

Canada is looking for a younger workforce mostly because the major section of its workforce has reached retirement age and will be retiring in the next couple of years. 

With an aging native-born labour force and low fertility rates (roughly 1.4 births per woman in 2020), an inflow of immigrants has become increasingly important for Canada. The country suffers a shortage of skilled workers despite attempts to attract immigrants. According to the data from Statistics Canada, immigrants account for a little over one-quarter of Canadian workers, a report said. 

Recent census data from 2021 shows that people nearing retirement outnumber those who are too old to enter the labour market in Canada. Additionally, rural populations are also aging faster than those in urban areas – partially due to the lower influx of immigrants, it adds

The Canadian population is seeing a big shift, with baby boomers getting older, according to a report by Statistics Canada. The shift will have significant consequences on the labour market, services to seniors, and the consumption of goods and services.