Comprehensive Ranking System
In 2015, Canada introduced the new Express Entry system for processing applications to most federal economic immigration programs. All three programs under the Express Entry system are highly competitive. Immigration candidates are ranked against one another and only the highest-ranking candidates are selected to become Canadian permanent residents.
In order to rank immigration candidates, the Canadian government developed a merit-based points system which assigns a score to each candidate in the Express Entry pool. This points system is called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), and the score assigned to each candidate is called the CRS score.
Express Entry manages three programs:
- Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)
- Federal Skilled Trades (FST)
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
Any person who submits a profile to the Express Entry pool of candidates is assigned a CRS score out of 1200 points. Approximately every two weeks, the Canadian government conducts an Express Entry draw, where they issue a round of Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence to the highest-ranking candidates.
Note that IRCC does not disclose information regarding the date of the draw, number of ITAs that will be issued, or minimum required CRS score in advance of the draw.
CRS Score
The tables below explain how many points Express Entry candidates may receive for each factor under the Comprehensive Ranking System.
Did you know?
If your spouse or partner is not accompanying you to Canada, or if they are a citizen or permanent resident, you will earn points as if you don’t have a spouse or partner.
Summary of maximum points per factor for Express Entry candidates
| Factors | Maximum Points Available |
|---|---|
| A. Core / Human Capital Factors | 460 (with spouse) 500 (without spouse) |
| B. Spouse or Common-Law Factors | 40 |
| C. Skill Transferability Factors | 100 |
| D. Additional Points | 600 |
| Maximum Total Points | 1200 |
A. Core / Human Capital Factors
Factors Points
With a spouse or common-law partner Without a spouse or common-law partner
Age 100 110
Level of education 140 150
Official languages proficiency 150 160
Canadian work experience 70 80
Maximum 460 500
B. Spouse or common-law partner factors
| Factors | Points |
|---|---|
| Level of education | 10 |
| Official language proficiency | 20 |
| Canadian Work Experience | 10 |
| Maximum | 40 |
| A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner factors = Maximum 500 points (with OR without a spouse or common-law partner) | |
C. Skill Transferability factors (Maximum 100 points)
Factor Points
Education
With good/strong official languages proficiency and a post-secondary degree 50
With Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degree 50
Maximum 50
Foreign work experience
With good/strong official languages proficiency (Canadian Language Benchmark [CLB] level 7 or higher) and foreign work experience 50
With Canadian work experience and foreign work experience 50
Maximum 50
Certificate of qualification (for people in trade occupations)
With good/strong official languages proficiency and a certificate of qualification 50
Maximum 50
Maximum 100
A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Transferability factors = Maximum 600 points
D. Additional points (Maximum 600 points)
| Factor | Points |
|---|---|
| Brother or sister living in Canada (citizen or permanent resident) | 15 |
| French language skills | 30 |
| Post-secondary education in Canada | 30 |
| Arranged employment | 200 |
| PN nomination | 600 |
| Maximum | 600 |
| A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner factors + C. Transferability factors + D. Additional points = Grand total – Maximum 1,200 points | |
Points breakdown, section by section
A – Core / human capital factors
- With a spouse or common-law partner: Maximum 460 points total for all factors.
- Without a spouse or common-law partner: Maximum 500 points total for all factors.
Age Factors
| Age | With a spouse or common-law partner | Without a spouse or common-law partner |
|---|---|---|
| 17 years of age or less | 0 | 0 |
| 18 years of age | 90 | 99 |
| 19 years of age | 95 | 105 |
| 20 to 29 years of age | 100 | 110 |
| 30 years of age | 95 | 105 |
| 31 years of age | 90 | 99 |
| 32 years of age | 85 | 94 |
| 33 years of age | 80 | 88 |
| 34 years of age | 75 | 83 |
| 35 years of age | 70 | 77 |
| 36 years of age | 65 | 72 |
| 37 years of age | 60 | 66 |
| 38 years of age | 55 | 61 |
| 39 years of age | 50 | 55 |
| 40 years of age | 45 | 50 |
| 41 years of age | 35 | 39 |
| 42 years of age | 25 | 28 |
| 43 years of age | 15 | 17 |
| 44 years of age | 5 | 6 |
| 45 years of age or more | 0 | 0 |
| Maximum | 100 | 110 |
Education Factors
| Level of Education | With a spouse or common-law partner | Without a spouse or common-law partner |
|---|---|---|
| Less than secondary school (high school) | 0 | 0 |
| Secondary diploma (high school graduation) | 28 | 30 |
| One-year degree, diploma or certificate from a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute | 84 | 90 |
| Two-year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute | 91 | 98 |
| Bachelor's degree OR a three or more year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute | 112 | 120 |
| Two or more certificates, diplomas, or degrees. One must be for a program of three or more years | 119 | 128 |
| Master's degree, OR professional degree needed to practice in a licensed profession (For “professional degree,” the degree program must have been in: medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, optometry, law, chiropractic medicine, or pharmacy.) | 126 | 135 |
| Doctoral level university degree (Ph.D.) | 140 | 150 |
| Maximum | 140 | 150 |
First Official Language Factors
Official languages proficiency – first official language
Maximum points for each ability (reading, writing, speaking and listening)
- 32 with a spouse or common-law partner
- 34 without a spouse or common-law partner
| Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability | With a spouse or common-law partner | Without a spouse or common-law partner |
|---|---|---|
| *Points are awarded for each language ability | ||
| Less than CLB 4 | 0 | 0 |
| CLB 4 or 5 | 6 | 6 |
| CLB 6 | 8 | 9 |
| CLB 7 | 16 | 17 |
| CLB 8 | 22 | 23 |
| CLB 9 | 29 | 31 |
| CLB 10 or more | 32 | 34 |
| Maximum | 128 | 136 |
Second Official Language Factors
Official languages proficiency – second official language
Maximum points for each ability (reading, writing, speaking and listening)
- 6 with a spouse or common-law partner up to a maximum of 22 points
- 6 without a spouse or common-law partner up to a maximum of 24 points
| Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability | With a spouse or common-law partner | Without a spouse or common-law partner |
|---|---|---|
| *Points are awarded for each language ability | ||
| CLB 4 or less | 0 | 0 |
| CLB 5 or 6 | 1 | 1 |
| CLB 7 or 8 | 3 | 3 |
| CLB 9 or more | 6 | 6 |
| Maximum | 22 | 24 |
Canadian Work Experience Factors
| Canadian work experience | With a spouse or common-law partner | Without a spouse or common-law partner |
|---|---|---|
| None or less than a year | 0 | 0 |
| 1 year | 35 | 40 |
| 2 years | 46 | 53 |
| 3 years | 56 | 64 |
| 4 years | 63 | 72 |
| 5 years or more | 70 | 80 |
| Maximum | 70 | 80 |
Subtotal: A – Core / human capital factors
- With a spouse or common-law partner – Maximum 460 points
- Without a spouse or common-law partner – Maximum 500 points
B - Spouse or common-law partner factors
Level of Education
| Spouse’s or common-law partner’s level of education | With spouse or common-law partner | Without spouse or common-law partner |
|---|---|---|
| Less than secondary school (high school) | 0 | n/a |
| Secondary school (high school graduation) | 2 | n/a |
| One-year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute | 6 | n/a |
| Two-year program at a university, college, trade or technical in school, or other institute | 7 | n/a |
| Bachelor's degree OR a three or more year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute | 8 | n/a |
| Two or more certificates, diplomas, or degrees. One must be for a program of three or more years | 9 | n/a |
| Master's degree, or professional degree needed to practice in a licensed profession (For “professional degree”, the degree program must have been in: medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, optometry, law, chiropractic medicine, or pharmacy.) | 10 | n/a |
| Doctoral level university degree (PhD) | 10 | n/a |
| Maximum | 10 | Does Not Apply |
Spouse’s or common-law partner’s official languages proficiency - first official language
| Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability (reading, writing, speaking and listening ) | With spouse or common-law Partner | Without spouse or common-law partner |
|---|---|---|
| *Points are awarded for each language ability | ||
| CLB 4 or less | 0 | n/a |
| CLB 5 or 6 | 1 | n/a |
| CLB 7 or 8 | 3 | n/a |
| CLB 9 or more | 5 | n/a |
| Maximum | 20 | Does Not Apply |
Note: (n/a) means that this factor does not apply in this case.
Spouse or Common-Law Partner's Canadian Work Experience
| Spouse's Canadian work experience | With spouse or common-law partner | Without spouse or common-law partner |
|---|---|---|
| None or less than a year | 0 | n/a |
| 1 year | 5 | n/a |
| 2 years | 7 | n/a |
| 3 years | 8 | n/a |
| 4 years | 9 | n/a |
| 5 years or more | 10 | n/a |
| Maximum | 10 | Does Not Apply |
Note: (n/a) means that this factor does not apply in this case.
Subtotal: A – Core / human capital + B – Spouse or common-law partner factors – Maximum 500 points
C - Skill Transferability factors (Maximum 100 points for this section)
Education and Language Proficiency
| With good official language proficiency (Canadian Language Benchmark Level [CLB] 7 or higher) and a post-secondary degree | Points for CLB 7 or more on all first official language abilities, with one or more under CLB 9 | Points for CLB 9 or more on all four first official language abilities |
|---|---|---|
| Secondary school (high school) credential or less | 0 | 0 |
| Post-secondary program credential of one year or longer | 13 | 25 |
| Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials was issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer | 25 | 50 |
| Maximum | 25 | 50 |
Education and Canadian Work Experience
| With Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degree | Points for education + 1 year of Canadian work experience | Points for education + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience |
|---|---|---|
| Secondary school (high school) credential or less | 0 | 0 |
| Post-secondary program credential of one year or longer | 13 | 25 |
| Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials was issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer | 25 | 50 |
| Maximum | 25 | 50 |
Foreign work experience - with good official language proficiency (CLB 7 or higher)
| Years of experience | Points for foreign work experience + CLB 7 or more on all first official language abilities, one or more under 9 | Points for foreign work experience + CLB 9 or more on all four first official language abilities |
|---|---|---|
| No foreign work experience | 0 | 0 |
| 1 or 2 years of foreign work experience | 13 | 25 |
| 3 years or more of foreign work experience | 25 | 50 |
| Maximum | 25 | 50 |
Foreign work experience - with Canadian work experience
| Years of experience | Points for foreign work experience + 1 year of Canadian work experience | Points for foreign work experience + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience |
|---|---|---|
| No foreign work experience | 0 | 0 |
| 1 or 2 years of foreign work experience | 13 | 25 |
| 3 years or more of foreign work experience | 25 | 50 |
| Maximum | 25 | 50 |
Trade Certificate and Language Proficiency
| Certificate of qualification (trade occupations) – With good official language proficiency (Canadian Language Benchmark Level [CLB] 5 or higher) | Points for certificate of qualification + CLB 5 or more on all first official language abilities, one or more under 7 | Points for certificate of qualification + CLB 7 or more on all four first official language abilities |
|---|---|---|
| With a certificate of qualification | 25 | 50 |
| Maximum | 25 | 50 |
Subtotal: A – Core / human capital + B – Spouse or common-law partner + C – Skill transferability factors – Maximum 600 points
D - Additional points (Maximum 600 points)
Additional Points
| Factor | Points |
|---|---|
| Brother or sister living in Canada (citizen or permanent resident) | 15 |
| French language skills | 30 |
| Post-secondary education in Canada | 30 |
| Arranged employment | 200 |
| PN nomination | 600 |
| Maximum | 600 |
| A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner factors + C. Transferability factors + D. Additional points = Grand total – Maximum 1,200 points | |
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