Canada Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)
Canada CRS calculator. Please spend a few moments answering the questions below. You will then be notified instantly of your estimated CRS score.
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 SCORE
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:
- Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)
- Federal Skilled Trades (FST)
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
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
| 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 |
A. Core / Human Capital Factors
| 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 |
B. Spouse or common-law partner factors
| 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) | |
C. Skill transferability factors (maximum 100 points)
| 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 | |
D. Additional points (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 | |
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
| 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 Factors
| 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 |
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 | 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 |
Second 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 | ||
| 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 Factors
| 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 factors
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’s Canadian 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 factors – Maximum 600 points
D – Additional points (Maximum 600 points)
Additional 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 | |