Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)

Immigration candidates in the Express Entry pool are ranked against one another using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The highest-ranking candidates receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence.

 

Curious what your CRS score might be? Canadim’s CRS score calculator lets you estimate your CRS score for Express Entry immigration to Canada.

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What is the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score?

In order to rank immigration candidates, the Canadian government developed a merit-based points system that 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:

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, the number of ITAs that will be issued, or the minimum required CRS score in advance of each draw.

How can I increase my CRS score?

There are many ways an applicant can increase their CRS score once in the Express Entry pool. CRS points are largely tied to the applicant’s language ability, education, work experience, and age. Additional points can also be claimed for having a sibling in Canada, speaking French at a high level, receiving a job offer in the country, or securing a nomination from a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

Securing additional points from one of these factors can substantially increase one’s chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in one of Canada’s upcoming Express Entry draws.

How can a Provincial Nominee Program increase my CRS score?

Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) provide pathways to permanent residency for candidates with low CRS scores in the Express Entry pool. Receiving a nomination from a province could result in an additional 600 points toward one’s CRS score, essentially guaranteeing an invitation to apply for permanent residence (ITA).

Each province sets their own criteria for nominee programs; while many require some type of connection to the province to be eligible to apply, others look for candidates that fill labour market or demographic gaps. Candidates invited under a PNP are expected to settle in the province they are nominated under.

What CRS score is required for PNPs?

Each province sets their own eligibility requirements for Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs). Some of these programs use the Express Entry system to find their potential nominees. While many of these programs use their own points system, some provinces may use a candidate’s CRS score, among other factors, to decide whether they will be issued an invitation to apply for nomination.

Although these CRS scores may change from draw to draw, some provinces state the minimum CRS score required to be considered for nomination. For example, Ontario’s Human Capital Priorities stream does not send invitations to candidates with a CRS score lower than 400, and Alberta’s Express Entry stream will only consider candidates with a CRS score of at least 300.

 

Keep up to date on the latest PNP draw requirements using our Provincial Nominee Program Updates Tracker.

Do I get more CRS points if I apply with a spouse?

Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points are awarded differently, depending on whether the applicant is married or single.

If a spouse or common law partner is listed as non-accompanying in an application or is already a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, the applicant will earn points as a single applicant.

If an applicant is married and has an accompanying spouse, the spouse should provide language results and an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report for all post-secondary education. This will enable a candidate to secure the maximum number of points when including a partner on their application.

CRS Score Breakdown Table

The tables below explain how many points Express Entry candidates may receive for each factor under the Comprehensive Ranking System.

Summary of maximum points per factor for Express Entry candidates

FactorsMaximum Points Available
A. Core / Human Capital Factors460 (with spouse)
500 (without spouse)
B. Spouse or Common-Law Factors40
C. Skill Transferability Factors100
D. Additional Points600
Maximum Total Points1200

A. Core / Human Capital Factors

FactorsPoints
With a spouse or common-law partnerWithout a spouse or common-law partner
Age100110
Level of education140150
Official languages proficiency150160
Canadian work experience7080
Maximum460500

B. Spouse or common-law partner factors

FactorsPoints
Level of education10
Official language proficiency20
Canadian Work Experience10
Maximum40
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)

FactorPoints
Education
With good/strong official languages proficiency and a post-secondary degree50
With Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degree50
Maximum50
Foreign work experience
With good/strong official languages proficiency (Canadian Language Benchmark [CLB] level 7 or higher) and foreign work experience50
With Canadian work experience and foreign work experience50
Maximum50
Certificate of qualification (for people in trade occupations)
With good/strong official languages proficiency and a certificate of qualification50
Maximum50
Maximum100
A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Transferability factors = Maximum 600 points

D. Additional points (maximum 600 points)

FactorPoints
Brother or sister living in Canada (citizen or permanent resident)15
French language skills50
Post-secondary education in Canada30
Arranged employment200
PN nomination600
Maximum600
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

AgeWith a spouse or common-law partnerWithout a spouse or common-law partner
17 years of age or less00
18 years of age9099
19 years of age95105
20 to 29 years of age100110
30 years of age95105
31 years of age9099
32 years of age8594
33 years of age8088
34 years of age7583
35 years of age7077
36 years of age6572
37 years of age6066
38 years of age5561
39 years of age5055
40 years of age4550
41 years of age3539
42 years of age2528
43 years of age1517
44 years of age56
45 years of age or more00
Maximum100110

Education Factors

Level of EducationWith a spouse or common-law partnerWithout a spouse or common-law partner
Less than secondary school (high school)00
Secondary diploma (high school graduation)2830
One-year degree, diploma or certificate from a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute8490
Two-year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute9198
Bachelor's degree OR a three or more year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute112120
Two or more certificates, diplomas, or degrees. One must be for a program of three or more years119128
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.)126135
Doctoral level university degree (Ph.D.)140150
Maximum140150

 

First Official Language Factors

Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per abilityWith a spouse or common-law partnerWithout a spouse or common-law partner
*Points are awarded for each language ability
Less than CLB 400
CLB 4 or 566
CLB 689
CLB 71617
CLB 82223
CLB 92931
CLB 10 or more3234
Maximum128136

Second Official Language Factors

Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per abilityWith a spouse or common-law partnerWithout a spouse or common-law partner
*Points are awarded for each language ability
CLB 4 or less00
CLB 5 or 611
CLB 7 or 833
CLB 9 or more66
Maximum2224

Canadian Work Experience Factors

Canadian work experienceWith a spouse or common-law partnerWithout a spouse or common-law partner
None or less than a year00
1 year3540
2 years4653
3 years5664
4 years6372
5 years or more7080
Maximum7080

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 educationWith spouse or common-law partnerWithout spouse or common-law partner
Less than secondary school (high school)0n/a
Secondary school (high school graduation)2n/a
One-year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute6n/a
Two-year program at a university, college, trade or technical in school, or other institute7n/a
Bachelor's degree OR a three or more year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute8n/a
Two or more certificates, diplomas, or degrees. One must be for a program of three or more years9n/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.)10n/a
Doctoral level university degree (PhD)10n/a
Maximum10Does Not Apply

Spouse or common-law partner’s official language abilities

Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability (reading, writing, speaking and listening)With spouse or common-law PartnerWithout spouse or common-law partner
*Points are awarded for each language ability
CLB 4 or less0n/a
CLB 5 or 61n/a
CLB 7 or 83n/a
CLB 9 or more5n/a
Maximum20Does Not Apply

Spouse or Common-Law Partner’s Canadian Work Experience

Spouse's Canadian work experienceWith spouse or common-law partnerWithout spouse or common-law partner
None or less than a year0n/a
1 year5n/a
2 years7n/a
3 years8n/a
4 years9n/a
5 years or more10n/a
Maximum10Does Not Apply

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 degreePoints for CLB 7 or more on all first official language abilities, with one or more under CLB 9Points for CLB 9 or more on all four first official language abilities
Secondary school (high school) credential or less00
Post-secondary program credential of one year or longer1325
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 longer2550
Maximum2550

Education and Canadian Work Experience

With Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degreePoints for education + 1 year of Canadian work experiencePoints for education + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience
Secondary school (high school) credential or less00
Post-secondary program credential of one year or longer1325
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 longer2550
Maximum2550

Foreign Work Experience – with CLB 7 or Higher

Years of experiencePoints for foreign work experience + CLB 7 or more on all first official language abilities, one or more under 9Points for foreign work experience + CLB 9 or more on all four first official language abilities
No foreign work experience00
1 or 2 years of foreign work experience1325
3 years or more of foreign work experience2550
Maximum2550

Canadian Work Experience and Foreign Work Experience

Years of experiencePoints for foreign work experience + 1 year of Canadian work experiencePoints for foreign work experience + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience
No foreign work experience00
1 or 2 years of foreign work experience1325
3 years or more of foreign work experience2550
Maximum2550

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

FactorPoints
Brother or sister living in Canada (citizen or permanent resident)15
French language skills50
Post-secondary education in Canada30
Arranged employment200
PN nomination600
Maximum600
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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