Canada’s merit-based immigration system may be unintentionally disadvantaging married applicants, immigration experts say, as some couples are strategically listing spouses as “non-accompanying” in order to boost their chances of receiving permanent residency.

Under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) used by Express Entry — Canada’s flagship immigration pathway for skilled workers — applicants are awarded points based on criteria such as age, education, language ability, and work experience. A single applicant can earn up to 40 more points than a married counterpart whose spouse is listed as accompanying, depending on the spouse’s qualifications.

This point discrepancy is prompting some married applicants to declare their spouse as non-accompanying — a legal and accepted approach under current regulations — if they believe doing so will help them reach the high CRS thresholds required for an invitation to apply.

“If a spouse lacks strong language skills, education credentials, or work experience, it can actually reduce the overall CRS score,” explained Toronto-based immigration lawyer Matthew Jeffery. “In such cases, applicants sometimes choose to declare their spouse as non-accompanying to maximize their points.”

Calgary immigration consultant Mandeep Lidher agrees, calling the strategy “commonplace” among married applicants.

“There’s a systemic disadvantage for couples when one partner doesn’t meet the qualifications that the system rewards,” Lidher said. “By legally designating a spouse as non-accompanying, candidates are playing within the rules to avoid penalties tied to their partner’s profile.”

This tactic can be followed by a family reunification sponsorship later on, once the principal applicant has settled in Canada as a permanent resident.

“It’s not cheating,” Lidher emphasized. “The key issue is intent. As long as applicants are honest about their marital status and genuinely plan for the spouse to follow later — not accompany them initially — they are within the law.”

However, Canadian immigration officials are keeping a close watch on this practice. In April, a permanent residency candidate received a procedural fairness letter from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), flagging suspicions of misrepresentation. The officer noted that the applicant had declared their spouse as non-accompanying to meet the minimum CRS cutoff, despite the couple living together in Canada.

“It appears you would not have met the minimum required score if your spouse was included in your application as an accompanying dependent,” the officer wrote in the letter.

Since Canada announced a 20 per cent cut to immigration targets in October 2024 — reducing annual permanent residency admissions from 500,000 to 395,000 in 2025, and even lower in the following years — competition for spots has intensified. The CRS score required to receive an invitation to apply has also climbed. For example, the June 12, 2025 draw for the Canadian Experience Class had a minimum score of 529 — significantly higher than the 368-point cutoff recorded four years earlier in June 2021.

According to immigration consultant Kubeir Kamal, the system is designed to prioritize applicants likely to succeed in Canada, but transparency is critical.

“Listing a spouse as non-accompanying is perfectly valid — if that reflects the actual intent,” Kamal told Canadian News Today. “But misrepresenting your relationship or your immigration plans to manipulate the system can result in serious consequences, including a rejected application or a multi-year ban.”

In a statement to Canadian News Today, an IRCC spokesperson reiterated the department’s zero-tolerance approach to dishonesty.

“Providing false or incomplete information — including misleading declarations about a spouse’s immigration intentions — constitutes misrepresentation,” the spokesperson said. “Any attempt to gain an unfair advantage through dishonesty puts the entire application at risk.”

With rising cutoffs and reduced quotas, many would-be immigrants face difficult choices. But experts say one thing remains clear: while the system may favour single applicants, honesty remains the best policy.