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.
Calculate My CRS ScoreIn 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The tables below explain how many points Express Entry candidates may receive for each factor under the Comprehensive Ranking System.
| 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 |
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
| 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) | |
| 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 | |
| Factor | Points |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 | |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 | 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Factor | Points |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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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