Comprehensive Ranking System Score in Canada

What is CRS Score?

The new immigrants of Canada are brought in through the Express Entry, where the candidates’ CRS Score plays a huge role in the drawing part. The Express Entry is a dynamic system, where skilled worker candidates with the highest CRS Score is invited by the government of Canada to come to the country and get Permanent Residency.

The government of Canada uses the CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System)  to score Express Entry Candidates. The CRS evaluates each candidate based on the experience that they have. The system looks at the age, education, language skills, work experience, and other things in order to give them a score.

Summary of maximum points per factor for Express Entry candidates

A. Core / human capital factors
Factors Points per factor – With a spouse or common-law partner Points per factor – 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
B. Spouse or common-law partner factors
Factors Points per factor
(Maximum 40 points)
Level of education 10
Official language proficiency 20
Canadian Work Experience 10

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)
Education Points per factor
(Maximum 50 points)
With good/strong official languages proficiency and a post-secondary degree 50
With Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degree 50
Foreign work experience Points per factor
(Maximum 50 points)
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
Certificate of qualification (for people in trade occupations) Points per factor
(Maximum 50 points)
With good/strong official languages proficiency and a certificate of qualification 50

A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Transferability factors = Maximum 600 points

D. Additional points (Maximum 600 points)
Factor Maximum points per factor
Brother or sister living in Canada (citizen or permanent resident) 15
French language skills 50
Post-secondary education in Canada 30
Arranged employment 200
PN nomination 600

A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner factors + C. Transferability factors + D. Additional points = Grand total – Maximum 1,200 points

CRS – 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 With a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 100 points)
Without a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 110 points)
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
Level of Education With a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 140 points)
Without a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 150 points)
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

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
(Maximum 128 points)
Without a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 136 points)
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

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 combined maximum of 22 points)
  • 6 without a spouse or common-law partner (up to a combined maximum of 24 points)
Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability With a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 22 points)
Without a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 24 points)
CLB 4 or less 0 0
CLB 5 or 6 1 1
CLB 7 or 8 3 3
CLB 9 or more 6 6
Canadian work experience With a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 70 points)
Without a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 80 points)
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

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

CRS – B. Spouse or common-law partner factors (if applicable)

Spouse’s or common-law partner’s level of education With spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 10 points)
Without spouse or common-law partner
(Does not apply)
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

Note: (n/a) means that this factor does not apply in this case.

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 ) Maximum 20 points for section
Maximum 5 points per ability
Without spouse or common-law partner
(Does not apply)
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

Note: (n/a) means that this factor does not apply in this case.

Spouse’s Canadian work experience Maximum 10 points Without spouse or common-law partner
(Does not apply)
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

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

CRS – C. Skill transferability factors (Maximum 100 points for this section)

Education
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
(Maximum 25 points)
Points for CLB 9 or more on all four first official language abilities
(Maximum 50 points)
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
A university-level credential at the master’s level or at the level of an entry-to-practice professional degree for an occupation listed in the National Occupational Classification matrix at Skill Level A for which licensing by a provincial regulatory body is required 25 50
A university-level credential at the doctoral level 25 50
With Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degree Points for education + 1 year of Canadian work experience
(Maximum 25 points)
Points for education + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience
(Maximum 50 points)
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
A university-level credential at the master’s level or at the level of an entry-to-practice professional degree for an occupation listed in the National Occupational Classification matrix at Skill Level A for which licensing by a provincial regulatory body is required 25 50
A university-level credential at the doctoral level 25 50

Foreign work experience – With good official language proficiency (Canadian Language Benchmark Level [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
(Maximum 25 points)
Points for foreign work experience + CLB 9 or more on all four first official language abilities
(Maximum 50 points)
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

Foreign work experience – With Canadian work experience

Years of experience Points for foreign work experience + 1 year of Canadian work experience
(Maximum 25 points)
Points for foreign work experience + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience
(Maximum 50 points)
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
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
(Maximum 25 points)
Points for certificate of qualification + CLB 7 or more on all four first official language abilities
(Maximum 50 points)
With a certificate of qualification 25 50

Subtotal: A. Core / human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Skill transferability factors – Maximum 600 points

CRS – D. Additional points (Maximum 600 points)
Additional points Maximum 600 points
Brother or sister living in Canada who is a citizen or permanent resident of Canada 15
Scored NCLC 7 or higher on all four French language skills and scored CLB 4 or lower in English (or didn’t take an English test) 25
Scored NCLC 7 or higher on all four French language skills and scored CLB 5 or higher on all four English skills 50
Post-secondary education in Canada – credential of one or two years 15
Post-secondary education in Canada – credential three years or longer 30
Arranged employment – NOC 00 200
Arranged employment – any other NOC 0, A or B 50
Provincial or territorial nomination 600

Subtotal: D. Additional points – Maximum 600 points

Grand total: A. Core / human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Skill transferability factors + D. Additional points = Maximum 1,200 points