A student couple in a Post-Graduate Diploma program at Conestoga, each with a 3-year home-country diploma (no bachelor's degree) and 10+ years of home-country work experience, asked what realistic PR pathways existed given a lower CRS score.
What the thread suggested:- Consider Provincial Nominee Programs outside Ontario, such as Manitoba (MPNP) or Saskatchewan (SINP), or the general Express Entry pool with a strong PNP nomination (AIP-style routes were also mentioned). The thread specifically noted that Ontario tends to be easy for finding jobs but comparatively harder for actually landing PR, so provinces with more accessible PNP streams may be a better fit for a profile like this.
- Age significantly affects CRS points, and this isn't likely to change. A 45-year-old member with strong education and work experience noted their age was capping their CRS score; the thread's consensus was that IRCC treats anyone above 45 as more of a liability than an asset in the points system, and there's no indication this age-related scoring will be relaxed.
The practical takeaway: if your CRS score is limited by education level or age, look beyond Ontario to PNP streams in provinces like Manitoba or Saskatchewan, which were described as more accessible for profiles with diplomas and strong work experience rather than degrees. Don't count on age-related CRS point caps changing — plan your strategy around your current score rather than hoping for a rule change.