Immigrate to Canada

Express Entry: Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) explained

Last Updated: 14 August 2021

The Express Entry system was launched in 2015. Since 2015 Federal Skilled Worker applications were managed by the new Express Entry System. Express Entry is one of a kind system developed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), to invite only the brightest talent to immigrate to Canada.

The system allows each candidate who wishes to immigrate to Canada, to create an individual profile. After creating the profile the candidates are ranked according to the following factors:

  • A. Core / human capital factors (age, education, language skills, work experience)
  • B. Spouse or common-law partner factors (education, language skills, work experience)
  • C. Skill Transgerrability factors (Canadian work experience with high language and education skills)
  • D. Additional Points (for education in Canada, relatives living in Canada, employment in Canada and other such factors)

Each candidate is given a score called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. Candidates with the highest scores are invited to immigrate to Canada. The higher the score, the better chances you have to be invited to immigrate to Canada.

Draws are usually conducted at regular intervals, there could be 3 or 4 draws each month, or even more, but that could vary depending on the need of the government. Once the draw is conducted the highest-ranking candidates are further invited to immigrate to Canada, therefore they are invited to apply for permanent residence.

Click here to know what you should do after you are invited to apply.

Below is a detailed breakdown of how each of the factors affects the scores, and how much each candidate can score, based on the factors involved.

A. Core / human capital factors

FactorsPoints per factor – With a spouse or common-law partnerPoints per factor – Without a spouse or common-law partner
Age100110
Level of education140150
Official languages proficiency150160
Canadian work experience7080

B. Spouse or common-law partner factors

FactorsPoints per factor (Maximum 40 points)
Level of education10
Official language proficiency20
Canadian work experience10

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)

EducationPoints per factor (Maximum 50 points)
With good/strong official languages proficiency and a post-secondary degree50
With Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degree50
Foreign work experiencePoints per factor (Maximum 50 points)
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
Certificate of qualification (for people in trade occupations)Points per factor (Maximum 50 points)
With good/strong official languages proficiency and a certificate of qualification50

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

D. Additional Points (Maximum 600 points)

FactorMaximum points per factor
Brother or sister living in Canada (citizen or permanent resident)15
French language skills50
Post-secondary education in Canada skills30
Arranged employment200
PNP Nomination600

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

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.
AgeWith a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 100 points)Without a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 110 points)
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

Level of EducationWith 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)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

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 abilityWith a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 128 points)Without a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 136 points)
Less than CLB 400
CLB 4 or 566
CLB 689
CLB 71617
CLB 82223
CLB 92931
CLB 10 or more3234

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 abilityWith a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 22 points)Without a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 24 points)
CLB 4 or less00
CLB 5 or 611
CLB 7 or 833
CLB 9 or more66
Canadian work experienceWith a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 70 points)Without a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 80 points)
None or less than a year00
1 year3540
2 years4653
3 years5664
4 years6372
5 years or more7080

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 educationWith spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 10 points)Without spouse or common-law partner (Does not apply)
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

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 abilityWithout spouse or common-law partner (Does not apply)
CLB 4 or less0n/a
CLB 5 or 61n/a
CLB 7 or 83n/a
CLB 9 or more5n/a

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

Spouse’s Canadian work experienceMaximum 10 pointsWithout spouse or common-law partner (Does not apply)
None or less than a year0n/a
1 year5n/a
2 years7n/a
3 years8n/a
4 years9n/a
5 years or more10n/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 degreePoints 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 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
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 required2550
A university-level credential at the doctoral level2550

Foreign work experience – With good official language proficiency (Canadian Language Benchmark Level [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 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 experience00
1 or 2 years of foreign work experience1325
3 years or more of foreign work experience2550

Foreign work experience – With Canadian work experience

Years of experiencePoints 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 experience00
1 or 2 years of foreign work experience1325
3 years or more of foreign work experience2550
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 qualification2550

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 pointsMaximum 600 points
Brother or sister living in Canada who is a citizen or permanent resident of Canada15
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 skills50
Post-secondary education in Canada – credential of one or two years15
Post-secondary education in Canada – credential three years or longer30
Arranged employment – NOC 00200
Arranged employment – any other NOC 0, A or B50
Provincial or territorial nomination600

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