Explore how the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) works in Canada’s Express Entry. Discover ways to boost your CRS score and qualify for permanent residency.
Candidates who submits a profile to the Express Entry pool, are ranked using the (Comprehensive Ranking System) CRS score. The highest-ranking candidates receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence.
A. Core / Human Capital component
Age
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
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 |
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 |
Language
First Official Language Factors
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 | Less than CLB 4 | Less than CLB 4 |
CLB 4 or 5 | CLB 4 or 5 | CLB 4 or 5 |
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
*Points are awarded for each language ability
Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability | With a spouse or common-law partner | Without a spouse or common-law partner |
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
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
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 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 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 or Common-law partner 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 |
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 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 |
Canadian Work Experience and Foreign 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 |
Subtotal: A – Core / human capital,
+ B – Spouse or common-law partner
+ C – Skill transferability component
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 |