The Express Entry system accounts for 60% of all Canadian immigration programs and operates based on a points system known as the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). So, what exactly is CRS, and how is your immigration score calculated under this system? Let Phan Immigration guide you through the details and answer these important questions!
The CRS Points System for Canadian Immigration
The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) is a scoring system used to evaluate eligible candidates for immigration to Canada through the Express Entry system. Express Entry is the application management system for three key economic immigration programs:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
- Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
The maximum CRS score is 1,200 points, though most applicants typically score below 500. Your CRS score is calculated based on several factors that the Canadian government considers essential for success in the labor market, including:
- Level of education
- Skilled work experience
- Language proficiency (in English or French)
- Age
- Other additional factors
If you apply with a spouse or common-law partner, your CRS score will also include their qualifications. You can estimate your CRS score using official online tools provided by the Government of Canada or other trusted organizations. However, your official CRS score will only be confirmed after you upload all required documents into the Express Entry system.Understanding how the CRS score is calculated allows you to optimize your profile and increase your chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence in Canada.
How CRS Points Are Calculated Under the Express Entry System
CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) points are calculated using the following formula:
Total CRS Score = Core Points (Factor 1 + Factor 2 + Factor 3) + Additional Points (Factor 4)
Core Points (Maximum 600 points)
Core points are calculated based on three main factor groups:
- Factor 1: Core Human Capital Factors – Includes age, education level, language proficiency, and work experience.
- Factor 2: Spouse or Common-law Partner Factors – Includes their education, language proficiency, and work experience (if applicable).
- Factor 3: Skill Transferability Factors – Measures how well your education and work experience (either in Canada or abroad) can transfer to the Canadian labor market.
Additional Points (Maximum 600 points)
Additional points are awarded for the following special qualifications:
- Educational credentials obtained in Canada (e.g. PhD, Master’s, Bachelor’s, Diploma, or Certificate)
- A valid job offer from a Canadian employer
- A nomination from a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
- Having a sibling (brother or sister) who is a Canadian permanent resident or citizen
- High proficiency in French
The maximum CRS score is 1,200 points, combining both core and additional points.
Overview of the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)
Express Entry candidates are evaluated based on four main components:
- Core Human Capital Factors: Includes points for age, education, language proficiency, and Canadian work experience.
- Spouse or Common-law Partner Factors: Includes the spouse’s education, language skills, and work experience (if applicable).
- Skill Transferability Factors: Combines education and work experience, both in Canada and abroad.
- Additional Points: Includes Provincial Nomination (up to 600 points) and other special qualifications.
CRS Maximum Points Summary Table
| Factor | Maximum Points with Spouse/Partner | Maximum Points without Spouse/Partner |
| A & B. Core / Human Capital Factors | ||
| Age | 100 | 110 |
| Level of Education | 150 | 150 |
| Language Proficiency | 170 | 160 |
| Canadian Work Experience | 80 | 80 |
| Subtotal A & B | 500 | 500 |
| C. Skill Transferability Factors | ||
| Education + Language or Work in Canada | 50 | 50 |
| Foreign Work + Language or Work in Canada | 50 | 50 |
| Certificate of Qualification + Language | 50 | 50 |
| Subtotal C | 100 | 100 |
| D. Additional Points | ||
| Provincial Nomination | 600 | 600 |
| Valid Job Offer | 200 | 200 |
| Canadian Educational Credential | 30 | 30 |
| French Language Proficiency | 50 | 50 |
| Sibling in Canada (citizen or PR) | 15 | 15 |
| Subtotal D | 600 | 600 |
| TOTAL A + B + C + D | 1,200 | 1,200 |
Part A & B: Core Human Capital Factors (Maximum 500 Points)
Age (Max: 100 points with spouse, 110 without spouse)
| Age | CRS Points (Single) | CRS Points (With Spouse) |
| < 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | 99 | 90 |
| 19 | 105 | 95 |
| 20–29 | 110 | 100 |
| 30 | 105 | 95 |
| 31 | 99 | 90 |
| 32 | 94 | 85 |
| 33 | 88 | 80 |
| 34 | 83 | 75 |
| 35 | 77 | 70 |
| 36 | 72 | 65 |
| 37 | 66 | 60 |
| 38 | 61 | 55 |
| 39 | 55 | 50 |
| 40 | 50 | 45 |
| 41 | 39 | 35 |
| 42 | 28 | 25 |
| 43 | 17 | 15 |
| 44 | 6 | 5 |
| > 45 | 0 | 0 |
Education Level (Maximum: 150 points)
Only the highest level of education is counted.
| Education Level | CRS (Single) | CRS (With Spouse) | Spouse Points |
| PhD | 150 | 140 | 10 |
| Master’s degree or professional degree | 135 | 126 | 10 |
| Two or more certificates, one of which is 3+ years post-secondary | 128 | 119 | 9 |
| Post-secondary certificate or diploma (3+ years) | 120 | 112 | 8 |
| Post-secondary certificate (2 years) | 98 | 91 | 7 |
| Post-secondary certificate (1 year) | 90 | 84 | 6 |
| High School | 30 | 28 | 2 |
| Less than High School | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Language Proficiency (Maximum: 170 points with a spouse/partner, 160 points if single)
You can choose either English or French as your first official language. Your first official language should be the one in which you scored the highest on your language test.
For your first official language, the following table shows how CRS points are awarded based on your test results. Points are calculated per ability (speaking, reading, listening, writing). For example, if you are single and achieved CLB 7 in all four abilities, you would receive 17 x 4 = 68 CRS points.
| First Official Language | Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) | CRS Points (Single) | CRS Points (With Spouse) | Spouse/Partner Points |
| CLB 3 or lower | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CLB 4 | 6 | 6 | 0 | |
| CLB 5 | 6 | 6 | 1 | |
| CLB 6 | 9 | 8 | 1 | |
| CLB 7 | 17 | 16 | 3 | |
| CLB 8 | 23 | 22 | 3 | |
| CLB 9 | 31 | 29 | 5 | |
| CLB 10 or higher | 34 | 32 | 5 |
For your second official language, the following table shows how many CRS points you can earn per ability.
Spouses or common-law partners are not required to take both French and English language tests, as there are no additional points awarded for a second official language on their part. The maximum CRS points for a second official language is 22 points if you have a spouse/partner, compared to 24 points for single applicants.
| Second Official Language | Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) | CRS Points (Single) | CRS Points (With Spouse) |
| CLB 4 or below | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CLB 5 or CLB 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| CLB 7 or CLB 8 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| CLB 9 or higher | 6 | 6 | 6 |
Canadian Work Experience (Maximum: 80 points)
| Canadian Work Experience | CRS Points (Single) | CRS Points (With Spouse/Partner) | Spouse/Partner Points |
| Less than 1 year | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 year | 40 | 35 | 5 |
| 2 years | 53 | 46 | 7 |
| 3 years | 64 | 56 | 8 |
| 4 years | 72 | 63 | 9 |
| 5 years or more | 80 | 70 | 10 |
Part C – Skill Transferability Factors (Maximum: 100 points)
You can earn up to 100 CRS points based on skill transferability factors. Specifically:
Education (Maximum: 50 points)
For applicants under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (without Canadian work experience), achieving CLB 9 or higher in all four language abilities gives you a significant advantage.
| Education + Language Proficiency | Minimum CLB 7 in all four abilities | Minimum CLB 9 in all four abilities |
| Post-secondary credential of less than 1 year | 0 | 0 |
| Post-secondary credential of at least 1 year | 13 | 25 |
| Two or more post-secondary credentials, one of which is a 3+ year program | 25 | 50 |
This can be helpful if you are eligible for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program. You may also receive up to 50 additional points if you meet both of the following conditions related to (i) your education and (ii) your Canadian work experience.
| Education + Canadian Work Experience | At least 1 year Canadian work experience | At least 2 years Canadian work experience |
| Post-secondary credential of less than 1 year | 0 | 0 |
| Post-secondary credential of at least 1 year | 13 | 25 |
| Two or more post-secondary credentials, one of which is a 3+ year program | 25 | 50 |
You cannot earn more than 50 points in this section, even if you score 50 points from the first table and 50 points from the second. Also, your total in Part C cannot exceed 100 points.
International Work Experience (Maximum 50 points)
| Foreign Work Experience + Language Proficiency | Minimum CLB 7 in all four abilities | Minimum CLB 9 in all four abilities |
| Less than 1 year of foreign work experience | 0 | 0 |
| 1 to 2 years of foreign work experience | 13 | 25 |
| At least 3 years of foreign work experience | 25 | 50 |
This can be beneficial if you are eligible for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program. You may also receive up to 50 additional points if you meet both of the following conditions regarding (i) foreign work experience and (ii) Canadian work experience.
| Canadian Work Experience | Foreign Work Experience | Points (Minimum 1 year in Canada) | Points (Minimum 2 years in Canada) |
| Less than 1 year of foreign experience | 0 | 0 | |
| 1 to 2 years of foreign experience | 13 | 25 | |
| At least 3 years of foreign experience | 25 | 50 |
You cannot earn more than 50 points in this category, even if you score 50 points from the first table and 50 points from the second. Your total points for this section cannot exceed 100.
Certificate of Qualification (Maximum 50 points)
This factor applies to eligible candidates under the Federal Skilled Worker Program who hold a valid certificate of qualification issued by a provincial or federal authority for their occupation. You may earn up to 50 additional points if your four language abilities meet at least CLB 7 and you have a valid certificate.
| Certificate of Qualification + Language Proficiency | Minimum CLB 5 in all four abilities | Minimum CLB 7 in all four abilities |
| Valid certificate | 25 | 50 |
Part D – Additional Factors (Maximum 600 points)
| Additional Factor | Maximum Points |
| Provincial or territorial nomination through a PNP program aligned with Express Entry | 600 |
| Valid job offer in NOC TEER Category 0, Major Group 00* | 200 |
| Valid job offer in NOC TEER Category 0 (excluding Major Group 00*), 1, 2, or 3 | 50 |
| Completion of a post-secondary program in Canada of at least 3 years | 30 |
| Completion of a post-secondary program in Canada of 1 or 2 years | 15 |
| French: at least CLB 7 AND English: at least CLB 5 – in all four language abilities | 50 |
| French: at least CLB 7 AND English: below CLB 5 or no test result – in all four language abilities | 25 |
| Sibling in Canada who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident | 15 |
The NOC Major Group 00 (Legislative and Senior Management) corresponds to six NOC codes, from 00010 to 00015.
If during your studies in Canada, you completed 50% or more of the program through distance learning, you will not receive additional CRS points for completing a post-secondary program in Canada.
However, if you completed any part of your study or training program between March 2020 and August 2022, you are still eligible for CRS points even if you finished the entire program through:
- Distance learning
- Studying from outside Canada, or
- Part-time studies.
With all this information about the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), you will be able to calculate your own CRS score by following steps 1 through 4. You can use the CRS tool to estimate your score.
How to Improve Your CRS Score?
The Express Entry system is becoming increasingly competitive. Only candidates with the highest Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores are invited to become permanent residents. Therefore, maximizing your CRS score is crucial.
Language Ability
Language proficiency is a key factor to consider when aiming to maximize your CRS points.
There are two important aspects:
- First, the higher your language test scores, the more points you earn. For example, if you are single and improve your first official language score from CLB 7 to CLB 9 in each skill, you would receive 14 points per ability, totaling 14 x 4 = 56 points.
- Second, you can earn an additional 100 points from skill transferability factors, which almost guarantees you will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
You can also increase your points by adding French language proficiency. You can receive up to 50 additional points:
- 50 points if you achieve CLB 7 in French and CLB 5 in English (all four skills), or
- 25 points if you achieve CLB 7 in French and below CLB 5 in English or have no English test results.
Education
For the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Federal Skilled Trades (FST) programs, you can accumulate up to 230 points based on your educational credentials:
- You may earn 15 or 30 points for Canadian educational certificates: 15 points for a 1- or 2-year program, and 30 points for 3 years or longer.
- You may earn up to 150 points for foreign education credentials accompanied by an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA), depending on your highest level of education.
- You can earn an additional up to 50 points if you combine your education with Canadian work experience or language proficiency.
Foreign Work Experience
If you have less than 3 years of foreign work experience, it is advisable to wait until you reach 3 years to earn additional points under skill transferability.
For example, if you have CLB 9 in all language skills and 2 years 9 months of foreign work experience, waiting 3 more months will increase your CRS score by 25 points (from 25 to 50 points).
Spouse/Partner’s Points
If you are married, consider carefully who will be the principal applicant. It’s recommended to calculate the CRS scores for both and choose the combination that yields the highest total points.
For instance, if the principal applicant is 35 years old and the spouse is 27, it might be more beneficial for the spouse to be the principal applicant to maximize age points.
Job Offer
If you secure a valid job offer, you can earn 50 or 200 additional CRS points, depending on the NOC code:
- 200 points for job offers under NOC TEER 0, Major Group 00
- 50 points for job offers under NOC TEER 0 (excluding Major Group 00), 1, 2, or 3
Major Group 00 of NOC (Legislative and Senior Management) corresponds to six NOC codes, from 00010 to 00015.
Provincial Nomination
If you have no other options and need an additional 600 points, you should explore the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
Keep in mind that applying for a provincial nomination takes significant time, effort, and money. For example, in Ontario, you may need to wait at least 2 months and pay $1,500 for a nomination. However, if your CRS score is below the cutoff, this might be your only way to increase your score and receive an ITA.
Phan Immigration has compiled all the ways to calculate and improve your CRS score for Canadian immigration. If you have any questions about the Express Entry system or other Canadian immigration programs, contact us today for detailed advice and support!
