A candidate whose spouse was the primary Express Entry applicant asked whether adding their own IELTS score (raising CRS from 460 to 472) was better for Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) draws versus Ontario's OINP tech draw.
What the group advised:- For FSW, adding your IELTS score is better — a higher CRS score (472 vs 460) gives a stronger chance at an ITA, and since you already have the exam, there's no reason not to report it.
- For OINP specifically, some members suggested not adding it could help, since Ontario's Human Capital Priorities and tech-draw CRS cut-offs (cited as roughly 461-467 at the time) worked differently, and a slightly lower CRS profile combined with the right NOC could still be selected in an OINP draw.
- The advice hinged on which stream was actually running draws at the time — members noted to add the IELTS score if FSW draws were active, and reconsider only for OINP-specific targeting when tech draws were the main opportunity.
Historical note: OINP cut-off scores and draw criteria (like the tech draw) change over time — verify current thresholds on Ontario's OINP website before deciding whether to report a secondary applicant's language score.