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Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)

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.

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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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